Hearts & Science, a part of the Omnicom Media Group, is reconfiguring its local presence by swallowing up the Foundation team and appointing its chief, Liz Wigmore, as Managing Director.

Under the new structure, Wigmore will bring her existing team under the Hearts & Science brand, thereby creating a unified agency in the market. The change comes into effect from 3 June.

Wigmore is a seasoned professional with over 20 years of experience in the Australian landscape. She will be responsible for the day-to-day management of Hearts & Science across both Sydney and Melbourne offices.

Hearts & Science was established globally as part of Omnicom Media Group in 2016 and launched in Australia in 2019. Darren Stein, currently in a dual Hearts & Science and Annalect leadership role, is now tasked with accelerating demand from Omnicom Media Group clients for Annalect’s advanced tech, data, measurement and insights services. Stein's expanded role as CEO Annalect (AU/NZ) reflects the significant increase in demand by clients in both markets.

"The Hearts & Science brand has always appealed to me since it was launched globally back in 2016," Wigmore said. "I believe creating emotional brand connection [the Heart] and maximising the potential of data and technology [the Science], is vital for brands in today’s media landscape. So, the opportunity to spearhead the growth of the agency in Australia, as well as continue to lead the Foundation team, was an opportunity I wasn’t going to miss. I am excited about the road ahead and how we can bring the Hearts & Science proposition to more brands in market".

CEO of Hearts & Science AU/NZ, Jane Stanley, expressed optimism at the new leadership team and structure.

"Having the opportunity to further build Hearts & Science with both Liz and Darren is a dream come true. Liz offers the extensive media leadership experience which is highly regarded by clients, partners and teams alike, and Darren will continue to advance our clients’ data and technology transformation through his best-in-market advisory capabilities and the Annalect services," she said.

"We feel we have the perfect team in place to offer clients innovative communications solutions in an ever-evolving landscape."