March 10, 2026

Programmatic

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Dentsu Creative Aotearoa welcomes Nikki McKelvie

Dentsu has appointed Nikki McKelvie as managing director of Dentsu Creative Aotearoa.

Joining dentsu Aotearoa’s executive leadership team, McKelvie will lead the creative practice, steering the agency’s growth and the expansion of its client portfolio.

She brings more than two decades of experience shaping some of Aotearoa’s most successful and award-winning creative agencies. Most recently, she spent 13 years at DDB Aotearoa, including four years as managing director, driving the agency’s creative and commercial success.

A creative leader who puts people first

During McKelvie’s tenure as managing director, DDB Aotearoa won eight Agency of the Year titles across major industry awards, including Spikes Asia, Axis and AWARD.

She was also instrumental in launching Takitoru, a Māori creative agency within the DDB Group, demonstrating a deep commitment to inclusive creativity and meaningful representation.

Known for her creative and commercial leadership, McKelvie also prioritises people, culture and capability, having led large teams, driven new business, shaped inclusion strategies and supported industry education.

The right fit to keep momentum

Rachel Anderson-Cormack, group managing director, dentsu Aotearoa, says: “Nikki is an exceptional leader with a deep passion for creativity that drives real business impact.

“She brings a rare combination of creative ambition, commercial rigour and people-first leadership. As our client portfolio continues to grow, Nikki is exactly the right leader to build on the momentum in our creative business and help shape what’s next for Dentsu Creative Aotearoa.”

McKelvie says: “I’m really excited to be joining dentsu. There’s great momentum across Dentsu Creative right now, an incredibly talented team, and a real opportunity to do work that’s both creatively ambitious and commercially effective. I can’t wait to get stuck in and help drive growth for our clients.”

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