Brent Smart

Brent Smart is CMO of Telstra, where he leads marketing for Australia’s largest telco and second most valuable brand, with a team of over 250 marketers. He is driving a creative transformation of the brand, forming the innovative new agency model +61 and producing high profile creative work that recently took out Grand Prix awards at Spikes and LIA, Telstra’s first major creative award wins in over a decade.

Previously, Brent was CMO at insurance giant IAG, where he took NRMA from 36th strongest brand in Australia when he joined to fifth. His body of work there was recognised with over 100 major creative awards and the Grand Effie in 2021, the highest honour for the most effective marketing in the country.

Brent grew up in the advertising business with a 20-year agency career that included leading New Zealand Agency of the Decade Colenso BBDO and concluded as CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi New York where he worked on iconic American brands Cheerios, Tide and Walmart. Brent also co-hosts the successful Black T-Shirts podcast and was selected for the inaugural Marketing Academy Fellowship for the Asia-Pacific region.