Facebook hires ex-TBWA CD Karen O’Leary and Kiwi expat Dan Walton in creative strategist roles

Facebook ANZ has bolstered its Creative Shop with new appointments Karen O’Leary, former TBWA\Auckland creative director and Kiwi expat Dan Walton to creative strategist roles. The move brings an increased level of skills and experience to the ANZ team.

O’Leary will be based in Melbourne and Walton will be based in Sydney.

Says Fergus O’Hare, head, Creative Shop APAC: “Our aim is that Creative Shop is a catalyst for collaboration throughout the creative industry, but especially with agencies. We want to be indispensable partners, helping businesses tell the best stories on our platforms and accelerate the shift to mobile. Brilliant ideas are the result of deep teamwork, and we prioritise work centered on collaboration and learning alongside each other.”

Established in 2011, Creative Shop is a team of creative strategists within Facebook and Instagram designed to support Australian and New Zealand brands, businesses and agencies to build the most creative and innovative work on the platform.

Currently, there are more than 150 people in Creative Shop, in more than 40 locations.

O’Leary is a highly awarded hybrid mind, with metal from every major award show globally including a Grand Prix in Cannes and a Grand Clio in Miami. Prior to joining Facebook, O’Leary has an impressive back catalogue of activities, including judging at D&AD to launching, managing and merging her own social/PR/activations agency. She also regularly creates large scale public installations for music festivals as an independent artist.

Similarly Walton (left) joins with over fifteen years of global experience. Having started his career as an art director at McCann New Zealand, Watlon has had roles as art director in the UK, Kenya, Tanzania and more recently Sydney. Prior to joining Facebook, Watlon was group creative lead at Clemenger BBDO.