Smart guides find
the best paths.
It takes vision to lead a company that works
on the edge of what’s possible. By encouraging constant innovation, strategic thinking, and community responsibility, these people lead
VML to success.
Jon, VML CEO and President, has been with the agency for more than 16 years. During that time, VML has grown from 30 employees in Kansas City, Mo., to more than 1,200 around the globe. Previously, Jon served as VML President since 2007.
During his tenure, Jon has been one of the driving forces behind VML’s expanded digital and mobile capabilities, and he was an integral part of a leadership team that transformed the agency into a global digital powerhouse.
In his executive leadership role, Jon draws upon years of account experience working with VML client partners such as American Century Investments, Gatorade, Kellogg’s, Microsoft, Colgate-Palmolive, U.S. Bank, Ford, SAP, Southwest Airlines, Vanguard and others.
Jon is a member of the leadership board of the American Association of Advertising Agencies, a member of various WPP digital strategy groups and a board member of the Advertising Club of Kansas City Foundation. He was a finalist in the Ernst & Young 2012 Entrepreneur of the Year® award program.
One of the company’s strongest advocates of the VML Foundation, Jon leads by example by volunteering in the communities where VML operates and contributing to a wide range of pro bono projects. Jon is an active member of the VML Foundation advisory committee.
Jon graduated from the University of Missouri in 1993 with a Bachelor of Science degree in journalism, and he supported the Missouri School of Journalism 2008 centennial program in several leadership capacities.
He spends his free time with his wife and their three daughters.
Follow Jon on twitter @JonCookVML.
Aden has 9 years’ experience leading digital and innovative campaigns for some of the biggest brands in the country, including: ASICS, Westfield, Dell, Hyundai, BIG W, Emirates, Revlon, Optus, Onitsuka Tiger, amongst others. Aden is founder of Digital Buzz, Australia’s #1 marketing blog.
He is a current FWA and AIMIA judge, and Digital Committee member at The Communications Council.
Paul, Group Account Director, joined the VML leadership team from within the Y&R Group and is responsible for ensuring we drive digital excellence across a number of our biggest client partners. Paul started out in the industry in New Zealand, before moving to London where he built his career working across a large and diverse number of accounts on local, regional and global levels. Clients including T-Mobile, Visa, HSBC, Nestle, Energizer, Dell, Emirates, Coca Cola and others. Paul has a deep background in traditional advertising, so is in a great position to further evolve clients in the digital marketing space while also ensuring seamless integration.
Paul is a graduate of Auckland University of Technology with a Bachelor of Business in Marketing / Advertising and a Graduate Diploma in Business.
Betsy joined VML in 2005, during this time she has worked on a number for B2B and B2C clients in both Chicago and New York City. Her portfolio of past and present client partners includes Sears, Accenture, Cadbury Schweppes, Colgate-Palmolive and Hill’s Pet Nutrition. Outside of client work, Betsy also led the VML Foundation program in the New York office organizing various fundraising events and team volunteer programs.
With a wealth of experience account managing a variety of online programs, Betsy joins the VML Australia team after its launch in February 2012 as Digital Account Director working on key clients and new business.
Betsy graduated from the S.I Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University.
Outside the office, she enjoys travelling, hiking and running.
Mark has over six years’ experience in digital planning, innovation and social media strategy in Sydney and Los Angeles. Mark has a history of giving international brands a local flavour, having worked with Subaru, Heineken, Canon, Lexus, Virgin Mobile and presently with Emirates, Revlon and LG. He has also worked with some of Australia’s biggest brands, Telstra and most recently Coates Hire.
Mark attained a Bachelor of Commerce (Marketing, International Relations) from Bond University.
Outside of work hours Mark is a serial digital entrepreneur and blogger.
Craig has a Bachelor of Science in IT, has 10 years experience in digital and has had a strong contribution to open source technology. Craig leads the technical development, server architecture and deployment for VML clients. He works across all stakeholders of a project to ensure that best practice methodologies are used at all touch points of a project.
Craig has a strong passion in taxonomy and data structures which represent real world business problems.
For the last few years, Craig has guided the overarching digital infrastructure across VML clients including development and deployment strategies, internationalisation, localisation, implementation of mobile platforms and integration into 3rd party and legacy systems.
Tara has 9 years’ experience delivering B2B and B2C digital marketing campaigns, digital strategies and small to large scale digital projects for global and national brands including ASICS, GE Money, Optus and BIG W in Australia and the United Kingdom. Tara’s experience extends to both client and agency side and cross industry, specialising in project and stakeholder management.
As Executive Producer, Tara leads the digital operations, production and project management.