Lesego Kotane joins TBWA\South Africa

Lesego Kotane has rejoined TBWA\South Africa as the agency’s Chief Strategy Officer and the new Managing Director of the strategic marketing consultancy, Yellowwood Future Architects.

This move marks a return to the TBWA\South Africa fold for Kotane, who began his career as a strategic planner at Hunt Lascaris.

Expressing his excitement, Kotane highlighted TBWA’s reputation, creative strength, global scale, and industry standing as key factors in his decision. “As Chief Strategy Officer, I will be instrumental in pulling our community together as we craft winning strategies for brands and businesses,” Kotane said. He emphasized TBWA’s commitment to disruption as both a philosophy and methodology for driving growth.

Kotane also expressed enthusiasm about joining Yellowwood, a brand renowned for its strategy and brand consulting. “Joining Yellowwood, a brand with a strong legacy and heritage, is an exciting opportunity,” he stated. He looks forward to bringing global thinking, tooling, and insights to Yellowwood’s already robust offerings.

With two decades of experience in notable South African agencies, including Lowe Bull Cape Town and King James Johannesburg, Kotane brings extensive expertise to his new roles. At King James Johannesburg, he served as Managing Director, overseeing the agency’s acquisition by Accenture Song.

TBWA\South Africa’s Group CEO, Luca Gallarelli, praised Kotane’s depth of experience in strategy, general management, and consulting. “Lesego is a rare breed: He brings an immense depth of experience in the world of strategy but also in general management and consulting,” Gallarelli said. He emphasized Kotane’s ability to leverage theory and practice to solve complex problems for clients.

Gallarelli added that TBWA’s goal is to provide simple answers to complex problems by leveraging intellect, experience, emergent technologies, and global scale to identify growth opportunities for clients. “Lesego is just the person to drive this for us. He is a true team player, and I am delighted to welcome him home,” Gallarelli concluded.