Melbourne, Australia – Brand experience and innovation company Akcelo has appointed Simon McCrudden, former chief strategy officer at HERO/McCann, to be its new partner, group brand strategy. This move aims to deepen the company's brand capability across local and international markets. In his new role, McCrudden will be based in the Melbourne office, working alongside Akcelo's chief strategy officer and partner, Dave Di Veroli, and Jon Kenyon, Melbourne's managing partner. He will also be overseeing brand strategy, research, and effectiveness for Akcelo's portfolio of Australian and global clients across its network of offices in Sydney, Melbourne, and North America. Aside from his previous stint at HERO/McCann, McCrudden has also served as executive planning director and chief strategy officer at BMF, McCann Worldgroup, and JWT.