Kantar hires Craig Donovan and promotes Ilana Sanborn

Global marketing, advertising, communications and insights firm Kantar has welcomed two Australia-based seniors to newly created roles. 

Craig Donovan has been named National Director of Government Communications for Kantar Public in Australia. He brings over two decades of experience in the management and implementation of large-scale government communications strategies and campaigns to the firm, most recently serving as Acting Assistant Secretary for the Department of Finance’s Communications Advice Branch. 

Based in Canberra, Donovan will oversee campaign and marketing consultancy to Kantar’s government clients. “I’m delighted to join the Kantar Public team and look forward to working with our federal government clients, to unlock unique, audience-led insights that drive highly effective communications strategies and campaigns.” 

The appointment comes shortly after Kantar Public were appointed to the Australian Federal Government’s Government Communications Campaign Panel. As part of its remit, Kantar Public works closely with other selected creative, public relations and federal agencies to design, develop and implement some of Australia’s most complex and socially critical campaigns. 

In Australia, Kantar Public is led by Kirsty Macmillan, who leads the division’s teams across News South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, ACT, South Australia and Western Australia. 

Meanwhile, Melbourne-based Ilana Sanborn has been appointed to the newly created role of Head of Kantar Marketplace, Asia-Pacific. Kantar Marketplace (launched in 2019) is Kantar’s market research platform designed for brands and agencies that want to test and optimise their research process. 

Sanborn has been with Kantar since 2015 including leading both Australia’s innovation practice and the Kantar Marketplace growth strategy for Australia. In a dual role, she will continue to lead Kantar Marketplace in Australia and remain a member of the Kantar Australia Board.

“We are helping our clients every day to deliver insights faster and are consistently delivering creative and concept testing within 24-48 hours. I am very excited to have the opportunity to drive growth of the Kantar Marketplace platform across Asia-Pacific to the same heights we are experiencing in Australia,” she said. 

Tim Kelsall, Kantar’s Chief Client Officer for Asia-Pacific added, “I am thrilled to have Ilana work with a wider client base across Asia-Pacific in this expanded role as she leads our commercial growth, product development and client success through Kantar Marketplace.”