Significant seven: hotties

Over the next few days, we are publishing highlights from this year’s Mumbrella Annual.

1. Ben Coulson: ECD, GPY&R Melbourne
As the creative honcho of Melbourne ad agency GPY&R, Coulson is kicking some serious goals. Ranked by a panel of experts in the 2011 Mumbrella Creative Agency Review as the fourth best agency in Australia, Coulson and his team have taken home a handsome bevy of awards in the past 12 months. According to the Y&R website, Coulson has personally won every major national and international award the ad industry has to offer. While he won’t be adding any more MADC gongs to his trophy cabinet, having pulled out of the local ad show in August, on what he said were cost grounds, he’s bagged Mumbrella’s first ever hottie gong. He’s also a member of the global Y&R creative council, of which there are only nine internationally. But while he may be hot – even when wearing sandals – Coulson is no bachelor. Yep, he’s married with kids. Sorry ladies.

2. Sarah Wilson: journalist, blogger and TV presenter
The face of subscription TV channel Lifestyle You, Sarah Wilson is also a regular columnist for Sunday Life magazine (although that’s coming to an end), and blogs at sarahwilson.com.au. While her hosting gig on Masterchef in 2010 was short lived, Wilson has managed to parlay the high-profile stint into a flourishing portfolio career. Newspapers, magazines, TV, a book and surely radio next, she’s more than just a pretty face. But a pretty face nonetheless.

3. Dylan Harrison: ECD, DDB Sydney
The man with the best hair in the business, DDB Sydney’s Dylan (pronounced Die-lan not Dill-an) Harrison has had a busy year. The highly awarded creative director joined the agency in January after a brief stint at Saatchi & Saatchi New Zealand. He got straight down to business, churning out some cracking campaigns, particularly for VW, a client he’s work with for more than a decade. It was feared the agency’s creative work would suffer after the departure of Matt Eastwood. But clearly it has not.

4. Helen Cowley: Founder & creative director, Rhubarb Advertising
After 14 years in advertising, UK import Helen Cowley set up Pyrmont-based agency Rhubarb early this year. Retail is Cowley’s speciality having worked on major retail brands during her time with BMF, most notably Aldi. The stunning blonde believes in a simple and elegant approach to retail advertising and knows that ads don’t have to shout to be effective.

5. Cathy O’Connor: CEO, DMG Radio
The yummy mummy radio boss has had a solid career in management joining DMG in 2003 after an impressive stint at Austereo. O’Connor also chairs the industry body Commercial Radio Australia, and seems to relish the drumbeating role. “To those who say, that radio over the internet will overtake broadcast radio I have just one thing to say,” she said in a speech in October. “It won’t!”

6. Marie Najjar: MD, Public City Public Relations
The feisty founder of public relations agency Public City, Marie Najjar previously worked at Markson Sparks and PR powerhouse Webber Shandwick. Najjar, who works with clients including KingGee, APN Outdoor and Flip Video, is passionate about her profession and her no bullshit approach helps her stand out in an industry of spin, smoke and mirrors. Being gorgeous helps.

7. Todd Sampson: CEO, Leo Burnett Sydney
Did Todd Sampson score his role on the Gruen Transfer because of his ad industry knowledge, or his boyish good looks and quirky t-shirt collection? Perhaps he’s so popular because he has climbed Everest and shown his love for the planet with the Earth Hour campaign. While Sampson certainly knows his stuff, his dashing appearance doesn’t hurt his chances of TV appearances – or the eyes of his industry groupies.  

• This list first appeared in the Mumbrella Annual, which is currently on sale priced at $10 for access to the digital edition or $20 for both print and digital access.
• Both can be ordered through Realview, via this link