PHD Australia has elevated David Bielenberg and Elyse Foley into national roles as the media agency invests in its strategic and planning capabilities.

Bielenberg has been appointed as national head of strategy, after serving as head of planning and strategy for PHD Melbourne since he joined the agency in 2022. His blend of marketing science, data analytics, and creativity has been instrumental in enhancing PHD's strategic capability and has recently expanded into more national initiatives.

PHD’s Chief Operating Officer, Stuart Bailey, said: "David has elevated our strategic product in the Melbourne office since he joined in 2022, building strong client relationships, championing great work, bringing in new business and leading thought leadership. He has also been the Melbourne champion for our globally recognised best in class campaign orchestration platform, Omni."

Bielenberg said: "At PHD, we have an incredible track record of delivering inspiring and effective work for our clients, and I'm incredibly excited to be joining the national leadership team as we continue to evolve our product for the future."

Foley, who returned to PHD earlier this year after a stint as Initiative's group business director, has focused on improving the work, driving OMNI adoption and education, and providing support and growth plans for the Sydney planning community as head of planning and effectiveness for PHD Sydney. In her new role, Foley will ensure the agency's planning product continues to maintain the highest quality, while delivering measurable impact for clients nationwide.

"Since Elyse rejoined PHD she has made an instant impact in her role as Head of Planning – Sydney," Bailey said. "She has a first-class planning mind, tailored with extensive experience leading large client teams. This combination, along with the deep knowledge of our planning philosophy and our campaign orchestration platform Omni, makes her the ideal person to lead our planning function on a national basis."

Foley said PHD was founded on being an agency who "thought before we bought".

"This ethos is built into the heart of our processes, tools and culture. I’m incredibly passionate about the impact this approach has on our client’s business and am excited to work alongside the team to continue to evolve and elevate our planning nationally," she added.