March, 2026.- In an industry often lost in layers of process and bloated structures, Amanda Quested joins Untangld with a clear mission: to bring agility and critical thinking back to the decision-making table. After leading teams at global powerhouses such as BBH London, Leo Burnett, and M+C Saatchi, Quested takes the helm of this strategy studio with the conviction that clients aren’t looking for more slides, but for smart minds solving hard problems under real-world constraints. For Amanda, strategy is only successful if it takes root within an organization’s culture, overcoming the barrier of “internal rejection” through undeniable commercial logic and absolute clarity. Her approach, which has earned over 40 international awards, places a heavy emphasis on Effies, reminding us that fame and profit are inseparable allies: if an idea is culturally invisible, it is simply forgettable.
In this exclusive interview with Roastbrief, Amanda Quested breaks down the Untangld model, built on senior leadership “on the tools” and an evidence-driven methodology that parks egos at the door. From the recent strategic partnership with iconic institutions like The Australian Ballet to expanding the firm’s footprint in Sydney and international markets, Amanda reflects on how accumulated experience allows for navigating complex systems with speed. Discover how she plans to transform strategic thinking into pure action, ensuring that every diagnosis becomes a genuine engine of change for brands. For Quested, success in 2026 is not measured by the volume of processes, but by the ability to generate breakthroughs that land in reality and drive a commercial impact that cannot be ignored.
1. You’ve joined Untangld at a moment of continued momentum, following senior roles at M+C Saatchi, Leo Burnett and BBH London. What specifically drew you to Untangld’s model, and how does it differ from the agency environments you’ve worked in previously?
I’ve spent many years in large networked agency systems. Some brilliant, some bloated. Untangld has a very different proposition, with senior people on the tools. Clients don’t want layers of process – they want smart minds solving hard problems.
This model gets you to breakthroughs faster. Breakthroughs that actually land in action are what excite me.
2. Untangld’s model is described as senior-led and evidence-driven, designed to be built and used in the real world, not left in a deck. You’ve spoken about the value of senior judgment rather than layers of process. How do you operationalise this philosophy?
Senior-led means experience at the table throughout, and not just in the first meeting!
Evidence-driven means parking egos at the door – being open to collaboration, to challenge where necessary, and be challenged. We always start with data and real insight – then we apply human judgment. That’s what you get with Untangld.
This along with small senior teams, clear problem statements, tight scopes, means we can quickly give clients clarity and help them make strategic decisions under real world constraints.
3. The work you’ve led has earned more than 40 awards at Cannes Lions, D&AD and the Effies. As you move into a leadership role at a strategy studio, how do you think about the relationship between award-winning creative work and commercially effective strategy? Are they always aligned?
I’m most proud of the Effies. Effectiveness is the point. Cannes often follows effectiveness more than people admit. Afterall, fame and profit are allies, not enemies.
If it’s creatively dazzling and commercially pointless, that’s indulgence. If it’s commercially sound and culturally invisible, that’s forgettable. Our friends Binet & Field proved it.
Are creative excellence and commercial strategy always aligned? No. But they should be. At Untangld our strategic work has the opportunity to go far beyond comms, and create genuine business-changing effectiveness.
4. Jamal Cassim noted that you “know how to make strategy land and scale inside complex organisations.” What are the biggest barriers to strategy actually taking root, and how do you overcome them?
Honestly, it’s listening… properly. Understanding the culture, the goals, the ambition. At Untangld there’s a saying that ‘culture eats strategy for breakfast’.
Large organisations don’t reject strategy because it’s wrong. They reject it because it doesn’t sit comfortably within their culture.
To make it land you need three things: Clarity. Commercial logic. Internal champions. Strategy has to work inside the system, not sit outside it. Solving for internal cultural adoption and empowerment will help it actually take root.
5. Untangld was recently named strategic brand partner for The Australian Ballet. What makes a cultural institution like this an exciting strategic challenge?
Who doesn’t love the chance to help shape an iconic heritage brand like The Australian Ballet?
It’s a huge responsibility to work with a cultural institution and help position it for the future. The task is to find new energy, new audiences and new reasons for it to belong in culture today, while respecting everything that made it iconic in the first place. We draw inspiration from other categories and how they engage audiences, using the best-in-class examples from around the world.
When you’re dealing with something that carries such meaning and expectation, the stakes are high. That’s the sweet spot for Untangld.
6. You’re based in Sydney and will work across Australian and international clients. What does success look like in your first 12 months as Managing Director?
Success, for me, is doing more great work with clients we genuinely enjoy working with and creating real impact through action.
Untangld already has the brains. As an international strategy studio, we have the opportunity to build a stronger presence in Sydney by connecting the best thinkers and inspiration from across our global network.
My role is to open more doors, spark better conversations, and turn that thinking into meaningful growth and scale.
