Published on: October 13, 2026
Match & Wood has secured the media account of Australian not-for-profit health insurer Defence Health following a competitive pitch. The agency will assume responsibility for the insurer’s full media remit from November 1, bringing brand and performance media across online and offline channels under one agency for the first time.
Established in 1953 to support Australian Defence Force members, their families and the wider Defence community, Defence Health provides health insurance coverage to nearly 300,000 members.
Under the new partnership, Match & Wood will oversee media strategy, planning and buying across all paid channels. Its priorities will include understanding and reaching Defence Health’s specialised audiences, developing a test-and-learn roadmap and connecting media investment with membership growth and broader business outcomes.
Defence Health delivery lead of brand and marketing Roshni Taylor said: “We wanted a strategic partner that could bring our brand and performance media together under one strategy and show us clearly what that investment is delivering. Match & Wood brought deep health insurance experience and a real understanding of our members and our business. They feel like an extension of our team, and we’re looking forward to what we can build together.”
Group director Emma Macey added: “What excites us about Defence Health is the opportunity to use the full breadth of our capability to help drive the next phase of growth for the business. By bringing together strategy, data, media and measurement, we can strengthen how Defence Health connects with its community, show up more meaningfully in the moments that matter and turn those connections into measurable growth.”
Match & Wood CEO Lyndelle O’Keefe said the agency considered it a privilege to work with Defence Health, which has spent decades supporting defence personnel and their families.
“We have enormous respect for Roshni and the Defence Health team, who know their members better than anyone, and we’re excited to bring real rigour to their media, help them connect with more of the Defence community, and keep growing their membership for the long term,” O’Keefe said.
The partnership will bring together strategy, data, media execution and measurement to help Defence Health engage its community and support long-term membership growth.
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