Saatchi and Saatchi Australia gets a creative boost with fresh appointments

February 2, 2026 11:16

Piero Ruzzene (left) and James Cowie (right) are Saatchi and Saatchi Australia's newest ECDs

Full-service agency Saatchi and Saatchi Australia has hired James Cowie as executive creative director (ECD). Meanwhile, Piero Ruzzene has been promoted to the same position.

Both newly created positions will take effect immediately.

Cowie’s 20+ year career has seen him work at agencies McCann and DDB in Australia, holding writer and creative director roles. He also spent more than five years in New York City as an ECD at advertising agency Deutsch NY (now known as DNY).

A joint statement from Saatchi and Saatchi’s co-chief creative officers Avish Gordham and Mandie van der Merwe said Cowie was “an excellent talent and is as smart as he is tall”.

“He’ll bring real depth of experience and leadership to our team and our biggest clients. We’re thrilled to have him as part of our team.”

Cowie said the opportunity “was far too good to pass up. I can’t wait to dive in with the team and create the best work of my career.”

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Ruzzene’s promotion elevates him from creative director — a role he has held since October 2018. He first joined the Publicis Groupe-owned agency in late 2007 as a creative before departing in September 2009 for creative agency BMF. He rejoined Saatchi and Saatchi in 2014 as an associate creative director.

“I’m a Saatchi & Saatchi lifer. From being a junior burger back in the day to a Creative Director working across many of our biggest brands, it’s been a privilege to work under such an iconic name for more than a decade,” Ruzzene said in the same release.

“This new title is a step up, but it won’t change my drive to deliver work that lives up to the legacy across all our clients.”

In the release, Merwe and Gordham praised Ruzzene on his work ethic and track record, saying “his promotion is not only deserved, it’s obvious.”

“These are exciting times for us,” they added. “Off the back of nine new brands joining our client portfolio in the last 12 months, adding and recognising creative firepower was a natural decision.”