Darren S.

Experienced CEO and Managing Director with expertise in market research, analytics, and digital transformation

Darren S. is the CEO of Annalect for Australia and New Zealand, a position he has held since May 2019. He is also the Managing Director of Hearts & Science at Omnicom Media Group, having taken on this dual role in April 2023. His responsibilities include leveraging data, technology, and analytics to enhance customer interactions and improve business efficiency through digital transformation.1 4

Before his current roles, Darren served as the Global CEO of Forethought from September 2021 to March 2023, leading a market research and analytics firm with a presence across multiple continents. He has also held significant positions at Mediabrands, including CEO of Cadreon and Managing Director of Anomaly, where he focused on merging diverse business cultures and enhancing client understanding of consumer behavior.1 2 3

Darren's career has been marked by numerous awards and recognitions for his contributions to data-driven marketing and analytics, underscoring his expertise in the field.1

Highlights

Jul 20 · adnews.com.au

Annalect's Darren Stein becomes CEO of Forethought - AdNews

Jul 20 · mumbrella.com.au

Former Annalect boss, Darren Stein appointed Forethought global ...

Jul 20 · bandt.com.au

Forethought Snares Annalect's Darren Stein As Global CEO - B&T

Jul 14 · mumbrella.com.au

Annalect CEO Darren Stein to leave Omnicom, replaced by Dentsu ...

Feb 18 · adnews.com.au

Omnicom appoints Cadreon's Darren Stein as CEO Annalect

Experience

CEO, Annalect and Managing Director, Hearts & Science at Omnicom Media Group (April 2023 - Present)

Global CEO at Forethought (September 2021 - March 2023), CEO, Annalect (Australia & New Zealand) at Omnicom Media Group (May 2019 - September 2021); CEO - Cadreon at Mediabrands (June 2016 - May 2019); Managing Director - Anomaly at Mediabrands (September 2015 - June 2016); Director, Insights, Analytics & Strategy at News Corp Australia (October 2013 - June 2015); General Manager, Insights, Analytics, Segmentation and Planning at Optus (March 2008 - March 2011); Consumer Insights Manager at Optus (July 2005 - February 2008); Market Research Manager - Mobile at Optus (April 2003 - June 2005)