HERO Sydney has appointed Lu Vardy to the role of Executive Planning Director. She joins the agency from Dig, where she spent the last three years leading the indie shops planning department.

She brings nearly three decades of brand experience to the role, have previously held roles at BWM Dentsu, Enero Group, Emotive, George Patterson Y&R and Mindshare.

"Lu’s remarkable ability to navigate complex business landscapes make her a true business partner to our clients. She excels in solving holistic business and marketing challenges, ensuring our strategies are not only effective but transformative. Lu's collaborative approach will elevate our capabilities, powering creativity and delivering on our integrated promise," said Managing Director of HERO Sydney, Souad Saied.

Vardy's portfolio includes work with brands such as PlayStation, Voyages Tourism, Revlon, Berlei, Deakin University, Australian Pork, Audible, Virgin Mobile, and TfNSW. She has also contributed to Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project and the UN, focusing on large-scale behaviour change campaigns.

"The unmissable creative energy, and an agency-wide commitment to creative excellence is why I joined HERO. There is no shortage of opportunities to deliver impactful and insightful strategies for our clients that ‘turn their brands into Heroes’, a vision the whole team is behind," said Vardy.

HERO is an independent Australian agency with offices in Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane. Its clients include Bakers Delight, Bumble, Calbee, Centrum, Mastercard, Maybelline, Reckitt, Simply Energy, Sirena, and Toyota.