In welcome news, six of Forethought’s valued and longstanding client partners have been named in the top 20 of CMO Magazine’s list of Australia’s 50 most innovative and effective marketing leaders.

Selected by an esteemed judging panel of fellow marketers and executives, all six have been named not just in the top 50, but in the top 20 of the CMO50 list – a monumental achievement. Forethought is proud to be a reliable partner to 30% of Australia's top 20 marketing leaders. We would like to pass on our sincere congratulations to:

• Mel Hopkins | VP Marketing | Optus
• David Nicholls | Commercial Director | PPG
• Jessica Richmond | GM, Marketing and Insights | Officeworks
• Carolyn Bendall | Chief Marketing Officer | Swinburne University of Technology
• Melina Cruickshank | Chief Audience & Marketing Officer & CEO, Proptrack | REA Group
• Jo Boundy | Chief Marketing Officer | Qantas

Forethought Founder and Executive Chairman Ken Roberts offered glowing praise to our friends and partners on being recognised by their peers as the best of the best:

‘The Forethought team have worked alongside these marketing leaders for many years now and know just how deserving they are of this recognition. The last 18 months have been particularly challenging for obvious reasons and to be acknowledged at this time, in this manner by a panel of peers for their contribution to their organisations and customers is a great achievement. I hope they take some time to celebrate’.

‘Forethought is deeply proud to provide strategic brand, customer, communications and analytics advice in support of these smart marketers. To see our client partners achieve their business outcomes is the name of the game for us and we wish them continued success. Congratulations and well done to Mel, David, Jessica, Carolyn, Melina and Jo'.

Darren Stein, Forethought’s Global CEO acknowledged the collective achievement of the honourees saying: “Marketing executed properly drives organisational growth and the common thread for these organisations is their ability to accelerate their brand’s performance using evidence to fuel their decision making. Forethought is deeply appreciative of the opportunity it has had to contribute in any way possible to their past, current and continued success'.

He also acknowledged the fantastic efforts being made with numerous Forethought clients, who despite not having been publicly recognised in the CMO top 50 list, are well and truly shaking things up in all the right ways within their own space. And finally, Darren wanted it to be known that since he has only recently joined the firm (despite working with Forethought as a client between 2003-2014), he has played absolutely no role whatsoever in personally contributing to the success of the honourees (yet).

To view the full CMO50 list, click here