John Driscoll, Chairman and CEO

John’s formal qualifications include a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics, and an MBA. He joined Marketforce as Media Director in February, 1989, after three years with the then Marketforce-associated direct marketing consultancy, JMG.

In his role as Media Director of Marketforce, John contributed to some of the agency’s most spectacular growth years, with media billings through Western Australian operations growing from $29M to $114M.

This growth came from the development of Government media contracts in campaign and non-campaign areas, as well as through the development of Media Decisions, a separate media buying consultancy, now handling the media requirements for a large number of Western Australian agencies and direct clients.

John’s success in growing Marketforce’s media operations was matched by his reputation as a fierce-but-fair media negotiator. However, it was John’s development of strategic media and advertising advice for clients that eventually led his career into the area of client service.

In 1998, John moved from Media to Account Service, assuming direct responsibility for the day-to-day servicing of a group of Marketforce clients, and taking on the role of Group General Manager. In this role, John became Group Managing Director of Marketforce Limited in December 2000 and was appointed Chairman and CEO in January 2005.

John was awarded “Advertising Person of the Year” in February 2004.

Paul Nelson, Group Financial Director

Paul originates from Sydney, where he initially worked in taxation planning and financial management for small business with Mann Judd & Co - Chartered Accountants.

Paul also has extensive experience in commercial accounting in the cosmetics industry, as well as 12 years in the travel industry. Eight of his 12 years in travel were in senior management positions with the Traveland Group - an international travel conglomerate.

His postings within Traveland included Manager - Finance and Administration of the Traveland Australasian retail network of over 250 agencies; Manager - Finance and Administration of the Viva! Holidays global tour operation; and, in 1982, he transferred to Western Australia as General Manager of the Boans/Traveland joint venture travel company.

In 1985, Paul co-founded a Western Australian-based tour wholesaler called Holiday Factory. He later sold his interest in the company to return to Sydney in 1988 as the Manager of the United Travel Agents Group’s Australian wholesale tour operation.

Paul returned to Perth and joined Marketforce in June 1990. He became responsible for the financial administration of the group’s national agency network and affiliated business interests.

Paul was appointed Group Financial Director of Marketforce Limited in 1996.

Carrick Robinson , General Manager

Carrick holds a BA in Psychology from the University of Auckland. He began his career in advertising 23 years ago in the production department of a small Perth agency, and spent much of his early career working for Ogilvy & Mather in Perth, Sydney and Auckland.

Whilst at Ogilvy & Mather, Carrick was the youngest Australian to be admitted to the O&M Trainee Executive Program, which saw him complete the highly demanding Account Management Program. At Ogilvy & Mather, Carrick worked in the three major disciplines of mainstream advertising, retail and direct marketing.

During this time, Carrick worked on a variety of national and international brands. In Sydney, these included Woolworths (retail), Volvo (brand and retail) and Kolotex. He also worked on Polaroid in New Zealand and Bunnings in Perth.

Carrick has worked for Marketforce for 11 years and been responsible for a number of high-profile clients, including Kleenheat Gas, The West Australian, Kresta Curtains and Blinds, The Western Australian Tourism Commission, The Office of Road Safety, Cash 3, Hartley Poynton and Scratch ‘n’ Win.

Carrick has been a guest lecturer for the Adschool Strategic Planning Course, Clements School of Management Marketing and Edith Cowan University. He has made numerous advertising and marketing presentations to organisations as diverse as The National Trust, Scotch College and The Rotary Club.

Carrick joined the management board in February 1998. He was appointed Director, Client Services, in April 2001 and became General Manager of Marketforce Advertising in January 2005.

Howard Read, Director

Howard has been with Marketforce for twenty five years, and was Managing Director of Perth for seven years prior to being appointed Chairman in 1991.

Early in his business career, part-time studies resulted in Howard graduating as a Bachelor of Commerce and an Associate of the Australian Society of Accountants.

During that time, working with MLC, he was transferred from Perth to the marketing department at Head Office, Sydney.

He then joined A.C. Nielsen Market Researchers before returning to Perth in 1970 as Group Marketing Manager for Bond Corporation. There, he was exposed to many diverse activities, from property development, to life and general assurance, to hardware and finance.

While with Bond, Howard was transferred to Melbourne as Managing Director of Universal Flexible Trusts, an associated company of Bond Corporation. UFT were fund managers of 13 equity trusts and four property trusts, which gained Howard valuable experience in finance and investing in a national managed investment company.

Howard joined TVW Enterprises as Group Planning & Development Manager, and a year later was recruited as General Manager of Marketforce prior to becoming Managing Director and later Chairman. In January 2005 Howard retired as Chairman. He remains a Director of Marketforce Limited.

Howard has had wide business experience, and is well versed in Western Australian and Australian marketing and financial trends. His contact with many business and commercial leaders in Perth provides a useful sounding board for strategic issues.

Iain Rowe, Director

After graduating from Glasgow University with an honours degree in Psychology, Iain joined Lever Brothers in London, part of the Unilever group, as a marketing trainee. In his six years with Levers, he progressed through the posts of Promotions Manager and Brand Manager to that of Group Brand Manager.

He then returned to Scotland on his appointment as Marketing Manager of The Scotsman Publications, publishers of “The Scotsman” and “Edinburgh Evening News”. While there he was responsible for the strategic development of both advertising and circulation sales revenues.

Iain joined Hall Advertising in 1976, a part of the Saatchi and Saatchi group and was appointed Deputy Managing Director in 1981. In 1984 he emigrated to Perth, joining JMA Advertising where he was appointed Managing Director in 1987. After the merger of JMA and Ogilvy and Mather, Perth, Iain became Managing Director of JMA Ogilvy and Mather, and contributed to the success of that agency which was voted Agency of the Year for both 1988 and 1989.

In July 1991 Iain joined Marketforce as Client Services Director and was invited to become the Managing Director of Marketforce Advertising in August 1999. During his time with Marketforce, he provided strategic advertising and marketing advice to many of Perth’s major organisations, including Challenge Bank, W.A. Tourism Commission, Lotterywest and the Health Department of WA.

Iain retired from Marketforce in 2001, however, his relationship with Marketforce continued ongoing consultancy services to the agency and in January 2005, Iain was appointed to the Board of Directors of Marketforce Limited.

He is a past chairman of “Relay for Life”- a major fundraiser for the Cancer Council, and Chairman of the Cerebral Palsy Association of WA.

Hylton Mackley, Director

Hylton is one of Australasia’s advertising legends.

He joined the advertising industry in Wellington, New Zealand in 1960 and by 1969 had founded his own advertising agency, Colenso.

Three years later Hylton formed a strategic partnership with Clemenger Australia, which saw Hylton sell a 20% interest in his company.

In 1974 the opportunity to grow Colenso saw Hylton relocate to Auckland, establishing the second office for Colenso in New Zealand.

Following Clemenger’s purchase of 100% of the New Zealand agency, Hylton transferred to Australia and became Group Finance Director in 1987, a position he has held to this day.

Hylton’s involvement and support of the advertising industry has seen him actively involved in both the Advertising Federation of Australia as well as serving as National President of the New Zealand Advertising Association.

Craig Billings, General Manager

Craig is a marketing professional with over 25 years experience in the industry.

Throughout his career Craig has had the opportunity to work with a diverse range of clients both locally, nationally and internationally.

His passion, enthusiasm and innovative thinking has seen many of these clients grow and develop to become household names.

Some of these include; Retravision, Western Underwriters (QBE), Enjo, City Farmers, Trevor’s Carpets, and Fridge and Washer City.

Craig joins Marketforce Retail following a highly successful career as Managing Director of MJB&B Advertising and Marketing, a company he co-founded in 1987.

MJB&B was recognised as one of Australia’s best retail agencies with a national portfolio of clients.

Craig’s retail experience is a welcome addition to the Marketforce Retail team.