Effective immediately, Dentsu has appointed Rob Harvey as chief executive officer for ANZ, following the departure of Patricio De Matteis, who stepped down after 2.5 years in the role. Harvey, a Dentsu veteran with over 25 years’ experience in media and marketing, will split his time between Auckland, Melbourne, and Sydney.
Harvey has led Dentsu Aotearoa as CEO since 2013 and first joined the group in 2011 as managing director of Media. He now takes the reins of the consolidated ANZ operation, tasked with driving growth and deeper integration across the region.
De Matteis, who joined Dentsu in January 2023, exits after uniting 26 brands under five core banners. Reflecting on his time at Dentsu, he wrote on LinkedIn: “It’s been a privilege of a lifetime to work alongside such talented, passionate people as the ones found across the Dentsu ANZ business.” He thanked the team for their trust and support and shared that he will spend more time with family and mentor a new quantum start-up.
Before Dentsu, De Matteis was chief digital officer at Cognizant in Sydney and has held senior roles at PwC Australia and Accenture Interactive, bringing more than 25 years’ experience across marketing, digital, and consulting in Australia, New Zealand, Asia, and Mexico.
The change comes after a challenging year for Dentsu in the region, especially Australia, which posted negative revenue growth for the year ending December. Australia was singled out, along with China and Denmark, for delivering organic revenue declines of more than 10%.
Across APAC, Dentsu’s revenue slid 7% organically in 2024, with the company citing “continued weakness in Australia and China” and flagging local client spend in Australia’s CXM division as a particular drag on performance. While the December quarter saw modest recovery, the market outlook remains tough. Globally, Dentsu has tempered its expectations for 2025, forecasting only 1% growth as it prioritises internal restructuring. Its earnings reports for the second quarter are expected in mid-August.
Yoshiki Ishihara, global chief strategy officer and APAC lead, Dentsu, said: “Rob’s appointment marks a deliberate and confident step forward for Dentsu ANZ, reinforcing our commitment to our people, sharpening the value we deliver to clients and laying the groundwork for more meaningful, impactful outcomes. Rob is already deeply embedded in the business and brings a strong track record of building enduring client partnerships, leading with clarity and delivering results.”
Ishihara also thanked De Matteis for his leadership, saying, “I’d like to thank Patricio for his leadership and for establishing a strong strategic foundation across Australia and New Zealand, uniting capabilities and deepening our focus on future growth levers.”
Harvey said of his new role: “It’s been a privilege to lead Dentsu Aotearoa for over a decade. As I step into the CEO role across ANZ, I see a powerful opportunity to build on the great work Patricio has done over the past 2.5 years, bringing the full strength of our network across Australia and New Zealand to accelerate how we create value for clients through more integrated, innovative and insight-driven solutions.”
