Publicis Worldwide Australia has appointed Iona Macgregor as its chief strategy officer.

Macgregor was previously a senior leader at French agency Marcel, which merged with Publicis back in 2010. She was responsible for the agency’s brand and digital strategies covering strategic planning, social media, creative technology and business development.

Marcel’s clients include Orange, Intermarche, Cartier, Ray-Ban, AXA, Mondelez and Garnier.

Andrew Baxter, Publicis Worldwide Australia chief executive said: “We are extraordinarily lucky to have Iona bring her talents to our Australia operations.

“Her arrival accelerates our plans to lead the industry at both brand engagement and customer engagement. On the brand engagement side we have a strong ambition to deliver famous work and continue the proud creative history of Publicis Mojo.”

Baxter added that he wanted the agency to be the first to tie together “communications through the entire customer journey – online and offline.”

“Iona is a master at being that strategic bridge who fosters cross-disciplinary collaboration. And that’s why major blue chip brands in Europe have taken advantage of her skills to drive growth for their businesses,” said Baxter.

Loris Nold, chief executive of APAC & emerging markets at Publicis Worldwide said: “Iona is a fantastic addition for us in the region. With her background she will be instrumental in driving our ambition to be the preferred creative partner of our clients in their digital transformation.”

Macgregor will be based in Sydney and takes up her new role this week.