by Herman Manson (@marklives) Draftfcb Johannesburg has announced the appointment of Alistair Mokoena as Managing Director of the agency. Mokoena comes from ABSA where he had served as head of Marketing at ABSA Retail & Business Bank.
His appointment follows the departure of Jerry Mpufane to the Drawing Room Johannesburg as its new CEO. Mpufane resigned from Draftfcb in 
August.
Draftfcb CEO John Dixon says he had approached Mokoena initially about taking up the position. “I had heard a lot of good things in the market and after meeting him I could see why,” says Dixon.
“He is a really strong marketer and I felt he could bring a different perspective to the agency internally as well as very definite strategic value externally,” says Dixon on why he is convinced Mokoena is the right person to take on the job. “He convinced us that he had the drive and energy levels to be a success on the agency side. We all know agencies work much harder than clients,” Dixon jokes. “Lastly his vision for the future and his personal values were a great match with ours. We take values very seriously and we felt a strong connection from the onset in this regard.”
On why the agency decided not to promote internally Dixon says it did investigate that possibility initially but felt the agency needed more diverse experience and a fresh outlook in the senior leadership team.
Mokoena says he has always admired Draftfcb’s “ability to create communication which resonates with the man in the street and with their ability to build South Africa’s most loved brands. This ability resonates with what I am passionate about personally and the kind of role I would like to communication to play in this country. When John approached me to join Draftfcb, it was too good an opportunity to turn down!”
In the past Mokoena at served as a senior brand manager at Tiger Brands, brand manager for Castle Milk Stout at SAB Miller and as marketing director at the gum & candy division of Cadbury. He has also been a brand manager at Unilever.
Mokoena’s appointment is effective from today, November 1.
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