The multi award-winning agency The Public House has bolstered its senior leadership team with three key appointments who will take over the day-to-day running of the business.
The agency’s new managing director is Kerrie Sweeney who has joined from TBWA\Ireland where she was global client leader. With over 20 years of experience, she has led international brands such as Audi, BMW, Samsung, Heineken, Jameson, White Claw, Glanbia, as well as campaigns for local brands such as Ballygowan, Kerry Foods, eir and The Irish Examiner.
The agency’s new executive creative director is Rob Maguire who is one of Ireland’s highest internationally recognised creatives, with a Grand Prix at Cannes and Eurobest, as well as multiple gongs at The One Show, D&AD, Epica, Clios, and ICAD. In his time at previous agencies Droga5 and Chemistry, Maguire has worked on brands such as Tesco, Denny, Warner Music, AIB, Kerry Foods, Heineken, and BMW.
The third key appointment is that of Sarah Walsh who has been appointed as head of strategy, having led the strategy department for the last five years. Walsh led the agency to Ireland’s only back-to-back Effie gold wins, and has experience working on brands such as Cadbury, FBD Insurance, Vhi and Virgin Media. Walsh will team up with the recently appointed strategy director Bronagh O’Donovan.
The founders of the agency Colin Hart and Catriona Campbell,meanwhile, will be staying on with the agency as executive company directors.
Clients of the agency include Dunnes Stores, FBD Insurance, EPIC: The Irish Emigration Museum, 48, Cadbury and Barnardos.
“The creative agency landscape in Ireland needs a reboot, and we believe it starts with us,” says the new managing director, Kerrie Sweeney.
“This is an exciting time for The Public House as we join the leadership team, united by a shared goal of bringing bold, maverick thinking to the masses. Leading the charge, I am particularly eager to reinforce our ‘Boring Doesn’t Sell’ philosophy through the interesting work we create for our fantastic clients. Together, we play a key role in shaping the future of the creative industry in Ireland.”
Catríóna Campbell, executive director adds: “We’re thrilled to strengthen our leadership team with three of the biggest talents in the industry today. Every growing organisation needs leadership and we’re so excited to really empower Sarah, Rob and Kerrie to lead from the front. We also know that the best leaders are never satisfied with ‘good enough’ and that that dissatisfaction will continue to fuel ambitious big thinking for clients that genuinely know that ‘Boring Doesn’t Sell’”.
Sarah Walsh, head of strategy adds: “The past 5 years at The Public House have been anything but boring, and this new chapter may be the most exciting one yet. I’m buzzing to be leading the charge with Kerrie and Rob and with what I believe to be the best agency team in town.”
“There’s definitely something in the air with Irish advertising right now, and this agency is built on the idea of BEING exciting – so I couldn’t think of a better place to be,” says Rob Maguire, the agency’s new executive creative director.
