Clockwork appoints Jakes Naudé as managing director for Technology and Innovation

Naudé joins from Accenture Song, where he worked across complex, multi-market environments, helping organisations connect brand ambition to customer behaviour through technology, data and experience-led thinking.

At Clockwork, he will focus on pushing the boundaries of how brands use technology, data and AI to design, deliver and optimise customer and marketing experiences at scale. Rather than treating these as isolated capabilities, his role centres on using them to drive smarter strategy, stronger creative work and faster, more responsive customer relationships. His remit spans both South African and global clients, working across markets and categories.

“There’s a growing gap in our industry between what agencies say they can do and what they can actually deliver,” says Tom Manners, Clockwork CEO. “As customer and brand relationships become more dynamic, more personalised and increasingly real-time in 2026, technical depth and real-world experience matter more than ever. Jakes brings the credibility and capability to close that gap and to help us build solutions that work beyond the pitch deck.”

Naudé says Clockwork’s independence was a key drawcard: “What excites me is the opportunity to move quickly and build boldly. Independent agencies like Clockwork have the agility to genuinely bring consulting thinking, technology and creativity together, without layers of friction. There is already a strong base of great creative work being delivered at serious scale here, and my focus is on strengthening that with smarter systems, deeper intelligence and more connected customer experiences.”

The appointment reflects Clockwork’s continued investment in innovation as it evolves its offering for brands navigating increasingly complex customer ecosystems, bringing strategic thinking, technical execution and creative impact into a single, connected model.