PR and communications specialist, past National Party president and general woman-about-town Michelle Boag has been hired to fill the newly created role of executive director at Ogilvy NZ and will take up the role from February.
Ogilvy’s managing director Greg Partington says Boag has been appointed to spearhead business development by “calling upon her experience to provide our clients with strategic insight, helping them identify sales growth opportunities, and using marketing innovation to deliver them real results”.
“Despite the disappointing economy, Ogilvy performed way beyond our expectations in 2010, increasing revenues slightly on 2009 but delivering a double digit profit on the previous year,” he says. “2011 for Ogilvy is about growth. Our plan is to leverage the diverse strength of Ogilvy to the benefit of our existing clients as well as attracting new ones.”
Ogilvy’s comms man Bill Ralston says Partington has “needed a number two for a long time” (tee hee) as he’s been spreading himself pretty thin at the helm of the huge company. And Ralston says Boag, who’s “hugely well-connected in both political and corporate circles” (she even has John Key’s phone number) is something of a Jill of all trades who will be able to offer the required support and expertise.
Boag will also be providing support to Ogilvy’s strategic PR partner, Bullet PR, which was bought by Ogilvy late last year, to ensure clients benefit from their “digital influence capabilities”.
“And, of course, her well known ability to cut to the chase will be invaluable to me in harnessing the potential of our diverse but capable business,” Partington says.
Boag was a senior consultant with the Momentum group, which bought her company PR People in 2008 and, more recently was in the firing line over defence force shyster Stephen Wilce and the Super City election. Her thirty year career includes working in Parliament for three National Party leaders, a term as president of the National Party, managing public relations consultancies in Auckland and Wellington and senior management positions in large private sector companies.
She is currently serving as a director for the Eden Park Trust Board and the Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust and has previously been a director of organisations such as the Advertising Standards Complaints Board, Manu Samoa Rugby, Television New Zealand and Auckland Surf Lifesaving.
A former president of the Variety Club, Michelle has been active in a voluntary capacity with such groups as the Breast Cancer Foundation, the Racing Industry Board, the Salvation Army and Auckland Rugby.
