Brent Smart is one of the most accomplished marketing leaders in the APAC region, known for transforming large, complex brands through creative excellence.
As CMO of Telstra, he led a creative renaissance that turned a legacy telco into Australia’s most creative brand, earning 120+ major creative awards including a Cannes Grand Prix and becoming the first Australian brand to win Best Body of Work at the Ad Age Creativity Awards in New York, beating Apple and Uber. At the same time, he delivered commercial impact, delivering over $900 million of incremental connection revenue, doubling marketing ROI and winning 4 Effies.
Previously, as CMO of IAG, he transformed NRMA Insurance from Australia’s 36th strongest brand to its 5th and reversed 5 years of sales decline, winning the Grand Effie, making him one of very few CMOs to have won both a Cannes Grand Prix and a Grand Effie. Across both Telstra and IAG he created over $2.8 billion of brand value, as measured by Brand Finance.
Brent grew up in the agency business, working for 8 years in the USA and rising to CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi New York, before that running New Zealand’s Agency of the Decade Colenso BBDO. He was a member of the inaugural Marketing Academy APAC Fellowship and recently served on the Cannes Creative Effectiveness jury. Brent has started a CMO advisory business, B.Smart, focusing on brand strategy, creative excellence and mentoring.
