Patricio De Matteis leads Dentsu’s Australia and New Zealand division

Cognizant’s chief digital officer Patricio De Matteis has been appointed as the next CEO of Dentsu’s Australia and New Zealand division.

Dentsu has turned to the consulting realm to uncover its latest leader, appointing current Cognizant digital chief and former PwC and Accenture leader Patricio De Matteis as its next CEO for the Australia and New Zealand region.

De Mattei will take the helm at the beginning of next year, and brings 25 years of experience in marketing, digital and consulting experience. “Patricio’s deep knowledge coupled with his expertise from client and consulting sides is unique and will complement the strengths of our existing leadership team,” said APAC boss Rob Gilby.

Currently based out of Sydney, De Matteis crosses from Cognizant, where for the past two years he has served as digital lead and Chief Digital Officer. Prior to that, he spent a further two years at PwC as Digital Lead and lead partner for Customer and Experience, before which he served for a decade and a half at Accenture Interactive (which was earlier this year rebranded as Accenture Song).

During his time as a managing director at Accenture Song, De Matteis is credited with helping to build and shape what was a two person-operation into a multibillion-dollar enterprise boasting a headcount in excess of 1,600 employees. Locally, he led the prized acquisition of The Monkeys, along with other regional pick-ups Maud (Australia), Pacific Link Group (China), and IMJ (Japan).

Gilby: “Patricio has a genuine understanding of the importance of history, heritage and creativity having worked across both the ANZ and APAC markets. His attitude to sustainable growth was immediately clear and his commitment to people and doing what is right cemented in our minds that we had found the right person to lead the business.”

Gilby further pointed to the overall strength of Dentsu’s fresh leadership team, with De Matteis’ appointment rounding out a leadership upheaval and period of transition aimed at simplifying the brand. The past twelve months have seen a number of new senior faces come on board, including former BCG partner Chris Bower as CEO of Dentsu Solutions, and Big Four veteran John Riccio as head of Merkle for APAC.

Angela Tangas, CEO of UK & Ireland at Dentsu commented: “I am incredibly proud of what myself and our ANZ team have collectively achieved over the last three years. We are a casing example of how transformation ahead of the curve can ensure sustained growth and, most importantly, result in a company that is agile, adaptable, and responsive to the changing needs of our clients and our employees.”

De Matteis fills the vacancy left by former CEO Angela Tangas, who has moved on to lead Dentsu’s UK & Ireland business after taking up her previous role at the end of 2019. She stated: “Patricio is an exceptional talent and by working in partnership with the industry’s best and most diverse leadership team, our ANZ business, our team, clients, and partners are ready for what’s next.”