Facebook Creative Shop head for ANZ Rebecca Carrasco departs after 11 months in the role

Facebook Creative Shop head for Australia and NZ Rebecca Carrasco is leaving the business after being appointed in November, last year.

Prior to joining Facebook, Carrasco was creative director of Clemenger BBDO, Sydney.

Says Carrasco: “I’m grateful to have experienced working for one of the world’s big tech companies; it’s good to have that curiosity satiated. I learnt a lot during my year at the company, and I really appreciate the opportunity given to me by Fergus O’Hare (Creative Shop APAC) and Mark D’Arcy (Global CCO) to lead the ANZ arm of Creative Shop. There were some nice collaborations during the year which I’m proud to have been part of like the ‘Picture This’ project with Semi-Permanent, which just launched Sever Room Symphony in 360 by Will O’Rourke, and the Road Of Imagination campaign for Harley-Davidson, with 303 Lowe. However I’m comfortable with my decision to leave and I wish the company the best of luck.”

Regarding what’s next, Carrasco says: “I want time to think about what’s next. I believe in the power of ideas to move people and commerce in a way we can all enjoy. But there are different paths to pursue this and I’m at a point in my life where I can take a few risks again, so I want to explore that freedom.”

After being the star of YoungGuns in 2003, Carrasco startedher career at Colenso BBDO New Zealand, employed by then ECDMike O’Sullivan after taking out YoungGun of the Year in 2003. Latershe followed O’Sullivan to Saatchi’s NZ. In 2005 she transferred toSaatchi & Saatchi Sydney, hired by then ECD David Nobay. In 2006she left to set up a PhD on the power of ideas in public communication, and later that year decided to join Lowe Hunt, Sydney, where she met creative director Dejan Rasic. In May 2007 she joined him and Lowe Hunt CEO Ben Colman to form CRC.

Carrasco split with Colman Rasic Carrasco early in 2010, joining Publicis Mojo, Auckland as creative director in June 2010. However, when her role was unexpectedly expanded to ECD when the U.S. candidate for that job changed his mind, Carrasco decided to return to Australia to start a family. After a year she took a creative director role at Clemenger BBDO, Sydney in August 2011.

Facebook recently appointed Andy Blood, former Colenso BBDO and TBWA\Auckland executive creative director to the role of creative strategist at Facebook and Instagram, based in Sydney.