UM Australia has promoted Michael Mellington to the newly created role of Head of Media Planning.

Mellington, previously the Head of Partnerships in Melbourne, will now lead UM’s national media planning team. His promotion is effective immediately and he will be based in Melbourne, reporting directly to Raj Gupta, UM Chief Strategy & Growth Officer.

CEO of UM Australia, Anathea Ruys, highlighted Mellington's potential contributions to the company's evolution.

"We are very excited to have someone of Mello’s experience and capability fill this critical role in UM’s evolution. Exceptional media planning is a cornerstone of client success, and on a daily basis, Mello demonstrates his dedication to the craft of planning and his commitment to client growth," Ruys said.

Mellington, who joined UM in 2016, is equally enthusiastic about his new role and the future of media planning at UM.

"I am a firm believer that the craft of planning in our industry is pivotal to client growth and needs a renewed focus, so I am thrilled to take on this new challenge working with the incredible talent that is across our national team," he said.

Mellington said his aim is to balance the approach of people and data to unpack the full spectrum of creative media solutions to drive tangible client outcomes.

"With the fast-paced evolution of our industry, this is the perfect time for UM to take a market leading stance and I’m honoured to lead this charge with our planning community,” he added.