Simon Pugh has been appointed as the Chief Media Officer at Apparent, an independent full-service agency. Pugh will be tasked with leading and expanding the agency's media offerings both domestically and internationally.

Prior to joining Apparent, Pugh held the position of Chief Client Officer at Essence Mediacom in Australia. His career spans senior leadership roles at Publicis Groupe, Omnicom and Dentsu in Sydney, New York and San Francisco. He has also worked with a range of startups and international brands, including Square, Microsoft, Diageo and The Coca-Cola Company.

"I was drawn to Apparent because it’s an agency that’s focussed on solving complex client problems through the integration of media, creativity, data and technology," Pugh said. He added that the agency's integrated, agile and tech-focused model is a differentiator in the current Australian agency landscape.

Apparent's Managing Director, Suzy Smiley, said: "We continue to attract top talent to Apparent that helps drive our clients’ businesses and expand our global footprint."

Pugh's appointment follows the hiring of Jason Hill as Chief Strategy Officer at Apparent in December. Apparent is one of the largest independent full-service agencies in Australia, boasting a team of 150 "thinkers, creators and solution-makers".