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Federation appoints Wellington planning director
Sinead McLeod, Federation Wellington planning director, and Aaron White, Federation Wellington managing partner
Independent creative agency Federation has appointed senior strategist and researcher Sinead McLeod as planning director for its Wellington office.
Aaron White, managing partner of Federation Wellington, says: “Sinead is one of New Zealand’s leading, new-generation behaviour change specialists. As an integrated strategist and research lead, she brings real depth across both disciplines, and her academic credentials are formidable.
“She holds a first-class honours degree in Marketing and a Victoria University Medal of Excellence, and has published academic work in social marketing.”
Reinforces the commitment
White points to McLeod’s extensive practitioner’s toolkit, applying behavioural science and economics to real-world problems, and a dissertation-based community involvement model that puts audiences at the centre of strategy.
McLeod’s career spans government, NGO, FMCG, financial, education, aviation and healthcare clients, from Inland Revenue, the Ministry of Education and Ara Poutama Department of Corrections, to Air New Zealand, Lotto NZ and Sport New Zealand.
Her arrival reinforces Federation Wellington’s commitment to being Aotearoa’s behaviour change agency for the public sector, says the agency.
Create real, measurable change
The appointment also reunites McLeod with White, with whom she worked at Stanley Street.
McLeod says: “Federation is one of the very few agencies in New Zealand that treats behaviour change as a genuine craft rather than a buzzword, and that’s exactly where I want to be.
“My whole approach is about partnering with communities, not just researching them, building strategy with the people it’s meant to serve, so it genuinely reflects their lives. Being reunited with Aaron White as Wellington agency leader is a real bonus in an agency this committed to evidence-based, human-centred work. Can’t wait to work alongside Federation’s clients to create real, measurable change for New Zealanders.”
Matters well beyond Wellington
Federation managing director Olly Walker-Boden says: “Sinead is a major specialist talent. Her appointment matters well beyond Wellington. Behaviour change is fast becoming a commercial accelerator for marketing sectors, and is not just a public-sector discipline.
“Our most ambitious clients are moving beyond a pure sales focus to embrace our business model of ROI², the step-change shifts in consumer and customer behaviour that build real, lasting growth.
“Sinead is a unique asset in our team to help deliver that. Her expertise is available to our Auckland clients too. This is a national capability. We’re backing our reputation by hiring the very best, and Sinead is exactly that.”
White adds: “I’ve had the pleasure of working alongside Sinead before, and I know exactly what she brings. She is a rare strategist, academically rigorous, genuinely curious about people and relentless about turning evidence into ideas that change behaviour.
“Sinead doesn’t just read the audience. She brings their voices into the room and builds strategy from there. That is precisely the capability the public sector needs, and precisely what Federation is known for. To be reunited with her as we build our Wellington team is a real coup for us, and a signal of the calibre of talent this agency attracts.”
McLeod’s appointment is effective immediately.
