Imogen Hewitt and Matt Turl Split Spake Foundry Leadership in Dual-Domain Structure

Spake Foundry named Imogen Hewitt and Matt Turl as co-leaders across its Australian media operations, installing a division-of-labor structure that separates client delivery from internal expansion. Turl oversees strategy, culture, and growth initiatives while Hewitt brings what industry observers describe as decades of media-buying and planning experience across holding-company environments.

The arrangement places operational accountability on Hewitt's desk—client relationships, campaign execution, P&L oversight—while Turl handles capability development, talent acquisition, and new-business architecture. Neither executive disclosed reporting lines to Publicis Groupe parent entities or whether the structure includes separate budget authority. The agency declined to specify revenue scale, headcount, or client roster changes accompanying the announcement.

The dual-leadership model surfaces as holding companies test alternatives to the single-CEO structure that dominated agency operations for three decades. Omnicom, WPP, and Publicis have each deployed co-leadership experiments since 2021, with mixed tenure outcomes. Advertisers allocating $50 million or more annually through holding-company media desks now routinely ask which executive owns the direct relationship and whether strategic decisions require dual sign-off, adding friction to procurement cycles.

For CMOs evaluating Australian media partnerships, the Spake configuration signals Publicis confidence in splitting growth functions from delivery functions—a bet that specialization improves both. The risk: accountability ambiguity when campaign performance lags or when new-business wins create resource conflicts between growth agenda and existing client commitments. Heritage luxury houses and hospitality groups operating in Australian markets typically require single-point accountability for brand-safety decisions and crisis response, making dual-leadership models operationally complex.

Watch for client movement announcements within 90 days, particularly from accounts that joined Spake Foundry in the past 18 months. Co-leadership transitions often trigger quiet departures when clients perceive decision-making opacity. Also track whether Publicis replicates the structure across other mid-tier Groupe agencies in APAC markets by mid-2025—a sign the holding company views bifurcation as scalable rather than experimental.

Hewitt's appointment follows a career arc through IPG Mediabrands and GroupM entities, though the announcement provided no detail on her most recent role or client portfolio. Turl's culture mandate suggests Publicis sees talent retention as the binding constraint on Australian growth, not new-business velocity.