Biography
Originally from Melbourne, Australia, Rowan began his creative career at DDB, where his very first attempt at a creative assignment won 'Radio Campaign of the Year'. After working on airlines, telecoms, banks, TV stations and cars, he sought something different and moved to Bates Hong Kong. There he found himself working on airlines, telecoms, banks, TV stations and cars. During that time the agency was named 'Asian Agency of the Year'.Rowan then moved to McCann-Erickson Hong Kong as Deputy Creative Director before joining Saatchi & Saatchi Singapore where he was ranked one of Asia's top ten creatives by Campaign Brief magazine. He was also part of the team that made the agency Advertising Age's 'International Agency of the Year'.
In 2000, Rowan moved to Berlin Cameron in New York City, working on a major iconic brands such as Coca-Cola, Reebok and General Motors. After three years, he returned to Asia as Executive Creative Director at DDB Japan.
In 2005, Rowan joined Y&R as Chief Creative Officer for Asia. Over a 3-year period he re-established the network's creative profile and oversaw a tenfold increase in creative awards lifting the network's overall standing in Asia into the top five.
He then teamed up again with his former Y&R management partners at M&C Saatchi Asia as Chief Creative Officer.
Most recently Rowan served as Worldwide Creative Director on HTC for Ogilvy, overseeing global creative output and the rollout of a bespoke global agency network.
Rowan has served on award juries around the world and has won recognition for his work at every major advertising festival including Cannes Lions, D&AD, The One Show, Clio Awards, New York Festivals, Communication Arts, World Press Awards, London International Advertising Festival, Australian AWARD, Adfest and the Asian Advertising Awards.
Rowan has also begun developing an independent music project and is working on a documentary to be shot in New York City. He recently staged a photographic exhibition in July 2019 entitled ‘A Dangerous Smile: Portraits from Tibet 1998’ in Melbourne, Australia.