Global experience design agency Imagination has appointed Laurel Cook as strategy director for its Australian business.
The appointment follows a strong 2025 for Imagination Australia, in which the team grew by 30% and was awarded Agency of the Year at both Campaign and the Australian Event Awards.
“There’s a lot of talk about whether human creativity is under threat. We think it’s the opposite; human creativity has never been more valuable. But great creativity doesn’t come from nowhere. It comes from insight, from crafting the story, from proof that it worked. Laurel brings all three. Because when you buy Imagination, you get imagination,” said Alistair Wilson, managing director of Imagination Australia.
Cook brings a career that spans management consulting, agency leadership, and technology across the US, UK, and Australia. She spent four years as chief customer officer at immersive tech platform Curiious.
“Communication, when it’s done right, is the most powerful catalyst for change a business has,” Cook said. “What drew me to Imagination is that this isn’t an agency where strategists brief creatives from a distance. Storytellers, designers, content creators, production and strategists work as one team. That’s how you deliver strategic insight and measurable business influence alongside executional excellence. I’m here to make sure every idea starts with a truth that gives the creative work an edge people can’t walk past.”
Cook joins a team operating under the creative leadership of Dan Simon, working alongside creative director Vanessa Tucker and global creative innovation director Stephen Van Elst.
Imagination was founded over 50 years ago and has 13 studios worldwide. Clients include Telstra, Commonwealth Bank, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Ford, AgriFutures, Shell, Workday and Westpac.
