Richard Parker has been appointed as the new Chief Strategy Officer at We Are Social. Parker, who previously held a position as a partner and executive planning director at independent creative agency Edge, will be joining the 60-person team in Sydney.

Parker brings a wealth of experience to his new role, having worked with major brands such as AAMI, Agent Provocateur, Amazon, ASOS.com, Bupa, Captain Morgan, ESPN, Estee Lauder, Johnson & Johnson, Moconna, and Optus. His expertise spans brand, communications, digital, CX, and content strategy.

The appointment comes to light a week after Parker announced his exit from Edge, where he spent more than 12 years, most recently as National Executive Strategy Director.

Last week it was revealed that the creative content agency would be merging with UX and production shop Nibble Digital to creative Nibble Edge.

In his new role, Parker will lead a team of strategists, research experts, and paid media specialists. He will also be a part of the leadership team, contributing to the future direction of the business. This appointment comes after a period of sustained growth for the company.

"Aussies now spend more time on social media than they do on TV. It's a key space for brand engagement, for consumer interaction, for online shopping experiences and, increasingly, an alternative to search engines—enabling research and discovery. It's popular across all age demographics, and it's constantly evolving to meet changing social, cultural and consumer needs. Social should be leading the marketing conversation, and forming the cornerstone of marketing strategies," said Parker. "Against this backdrop, the opportunity to join Suzie and the team of social experts at We Are Social was a no-brainer."

CEO at We Are Social, Suzie Shaw, expressed her excitement about Parker's appointment, "Richard's expertise in socially-led marketing, combined with his analytical curiosity and strategic acumen, make him the ideal leader to drive our vision forward," she said.

"Richard's track record in tackling complex strategic challenges and executing detailed, systematic programs is impressive and his ambition to push boundaries and deliver outstanding results really aligns with our goals. I'm excited about what we’ll accomplish together."