Chief Growth Officer, Growth Ops, Auto & General Holdings
As Chief Growth Officer, Jonathan is responsible for business growth at Auto & General spanning divisions including Marketing, Media & Acquisition, Partnerships, Alliances and Innovation. He is a member of the AGH Board, the Insurance Australia Exco, as well as the Pricing & Underwriting Committee and Customer Committee, having joined the company in 2005. Under Jonathan’s watch, A&G’s lead direct brand, Budget Direct has become Australia’s most award-winning insurer, Australia Insurer of the Year for 8 years in a row and Australia’s fastest growing major Motor and Home insurer for the last 10 years. In 2024 Budget Direct won the Gold Effie for Long Term Effectiveness and the Gold Effie of Brand Value. On the partnership front Jonathan’s Partnership department proudly drives forward A&G’s partnerships with Coles, ING, Qantas and Virgin Money.
Jonathan has extensive experience in all aspects of marketing, media, digital and customer experience across a number of industry sectors including FMCG, Financial Services, Insurance. Jonathan has over 30 years of experience in senior roles in Australia, the UK and the United States.
A proud Dyslexic, Jonathan has served on the Board of CodeRead Dyslexia Network, to support their work to help all people with dyslexia to be understood, acknowledged, empowered and to have equal access to opportunity. Prior to commencing his business career Jonathan was a double Commonwealth Games swimming finalist representing Scotland and an All-American swimmer for the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
Marketers face constant pressure to balance brand and performance, reach and targeting, innovation and efficiency. With limited budgets and conflicting advice, knowing where to invest can be challenging. This session brings clarity through proven, evidence-based principles on how brands compete and grow, and what truly drives effectiveness. Following a keynote, Ehrenberg-Bass Institute Professor Rachel Kennedy will join leading marketers for a dynamic panel exploring how evidence, creativity and real-world execution combine to build brands that grow faster, last longer and outperform the competition.
The future of marketing will not be decided by platforms but by leadership. As AI reshapes production, media fragments and culture accelerates, the pressure on brand leaders has never been greater. Growth expectations are sharper and scrutiny is sharper. This panel of senior brand leaders will confront what is really changing and what actually matters. How do you protect brand equity while delivering quarterly results? Where does creative risk sit in a boardroom conversation? Candid and strategic, this is about the decisions defining marketing’s next era.
