Tara Ford, Chief Creative Officer, The Monkeys

Tara Ford is the Chief Creative Officer of The Monkeys and Chief Creative Officer of Accenture Song APAC. She sits on the Board of the Advertising Council of Australia and the D&AD Global Advisory Board.

Tara has worked and lived around the world in Sydney, Melbourne, London and Amsterdam. She has developed culturally impactful creative platforms for iconic brands such as PlayStation, Nike, McDonalds, Qantas and VW.  Her work has been consistently recognised throughout her career, at the highest level of every major international award show across an expansive range of clients and disciplines. Most recent wins include high-profile projects ‘The First Digital Nation’ for the Tuvaluan Government and ‘Play It Safe’ for The Sydney Opera House. Each winning the most prestigious Cannes Grand Prix in consecutive years, the Dan Weiden Titanium Grand Prix and the Film Grand Prix respectively. ‘Play It Safe’ also won the ANDY Best In Show for Craft in 2024. 

Under her creative leadership The Monkeys has seen its most creative, effective and commercially successful time in its 18-year history. The agency has been recognised at every top international award show across the roster of clients, culminating in numerous Agency of Year accolades for both effectiveness and creativity and #1 global rankings for the region at Cannes, D&AD and One Show. 

Tara has been named ‘Creative Leader of the Year 2023/24’ by AWARD, ‘Creative Leader of the Year 2023’ by Campaign Asia. Recognised as ‘Creative Captain 2022’ in the Women Leading Change Awards by Campaign Asia Pacific. The year before she picked up the ‘Global Creative Leader of the Year 2021’ by Creativepool. In 2020 she was named ‘Creative Person of the Year’ by Campaign Asia and she appeared on ‘The Global Creative Influencer of the Year’ top 100 list (Creativepool).  

She is ranked #1 CCO in APAC by One Show.  

Tara is ranked #5 on B&T’s Women in Media Power list and #9 on Mediaweek’s prestigious list of the 50 most influential and powerful creative agency executives.  

Ford has judged and chaired at every major global award show. She is a sought-after industry speaker and active mentor. And with her work as a board member of the Advertising Council of Australia, the AWARD Council and the D&AD Advisory Board, she helps guide the future direction, reputation and values of the industry.