Katie Rigg-Smith — Say Robots

Katie Rigg-Smith, a prominent figure in the Australian advertising industry, has departed from WPP to join Say Robots, an AI-focused creative and technology company. Rigg-Smith previously served as CEO of Mindshare Australia and held senior leadership roles within the WPP network, making her a well-known executive in the media and advertising space. Her move to Say Robots represents a significant shift from a traditional holding company environment to an emerging AI-driven creative technology venture. Say Robots is an Australian company positioning itself at the intersection of artificial intelligence and advertising/creative production, aiming to leverage generative AI and automation tools to transform how brands produce and deploy content. The appointment of a high-profile industry leader like Rigg-Smith signals the company's ambitions to scale and gain credibility within the broader AdTech and marketing ecosystem. This transition reflects a broader industry trend of experienced agency executives moving toward AI-native startups, bringing operational expertise and client relationships to accelerate growth in emerging technology companies.

This leadership change is indicative of a growing talent migration from traditional agency holding companies toward AI-native and technology-first advertising ventures. As generative AI continues to disrupt creative production, media planning, and campaign execution, companies like Say Robots are becoming increasingly attractive destinations for senior talent who see the limitations of legacy agency models. Rigg-Smith's move could accelerate Say Robots' market credibility and business development efforts in Australia and potentially the Asia-Pacific region, where her network and reputation carry significant weight. For WPP and Mindshare, the departure of a senior leader to an AI competitor underscores the competitive pressure holding companies face in retaining top talent amid the AI transformation wave. This event also highlights the growing investment in AI-driven creative automation as a distinct market segment within AdTech, one that competes with both traditional creative agencies and programmatic creative technology platforms.