Gary Steele

Gary is the Chief Creative Officer of DDB New Zealand and over his 25-year career, he has worked on some of the world’s most celebrated global brands across Europe, Africa and Asia. Over this time the work he has helped create has been celebrated over 400 times across all the international advertising festivals.

During his time in Asia, Gary was voted as Singapore’s most influential Creative Director 4 years in a row and led TBWASingapore to be the Creative agency of the year across Southeast Asia in 2017 & 2018.

After his success in Asia Gary needed a new challenge and moved to Aotearoa to join DDB Group Aotearoa in 2019 and has now made the "land of the long white cloud" his home with his family.

In 2020, Gary helped DDB achieve a back-to-back win across the region by winning Campaign’s Agency of the Year and then Agency of the Year at Axis Awards in NZ as well as Australia’s Award in 2020, a feat that had yet to be achieved by DDB. In 2021 he was ranked #2 Executive Creative Director in the world on Best Ads Global rankings as well as helped take DDB to the #1 Creatively ranked agency on Campaign Briefs global rankings.
This was just the beginning, and in 2022 he continued the success by helping DDB take home the coveted D&AD Black Pencil, the only 2nd Black Pencil ever awarded to an NZ agency and a career highlight.

Following this success, DDB New Zealand was also recognized as New Zealand’s Agency Of The Year at the Spikes Festival and Axis Awards for 3 years in a row, achieving another personal goal on his extensive to-do list.

But if you ask Gary what drives him, he will tell you He tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata, the people, the people, the people. Those he has worked with and helped grow into the great creative people they are today, without whom Gary would not have this bio or any of these accolades to talk about.