myPlates names Shikha Thakur Head of Marketing Performance

myPlates has appointed Shikha Thakur as Head of Marketing Performance as the personalised number plate provider increases investment in digital marketing, data and customer experience across New South Wales.

The role sits within Plate Marketing, which oversees the product, sales and marketing of myPlates.com.au in NSW. myPlates services more than 3.5 million customers.

Personalised number plates have long been part of Australian car culture, with drivers using combinations of letters, numbers, colours and themes as a form of self-expression. myPlates is positioning its next phase of growth around digital channels and data-led marketing as more purchasing shifts online.

The business is undergoing a broader transformation, shifting from a traditional licensing product to a consumer brand with a stronger digital focus. The work includes upgrades to digital tools and customer experience initiatives.

Digital focus

A central theme in the marketing approach is using customer data and behavioural insights to inform product design, marketing activity and pricing.

Thakur joins with 18 years' experience in digital growth and performance marketing across Australia and international markets. Her background spans acquisition, retention and revenue-focused programs in the retail, membership and property sectors, with experience across paid media, CRM and digital product.

In the role, she will lead myPlates' performance marketing function, focusing on data-driven customer messaging and longer-term brand and revenue growth. Further hiring is planned as part of the marketing and technology agenda.

CEO David McGrath linked the appointment to the company's broader hiring plans and digital focus.

"Shikha has a proven track record of scaling digital growth across complex markets, and her expertise across the full funnel is precisely what myPlates needs as the business evolves to a technology driven operation. We are building a team of smart, driven people, and this appointment is a significant step in that direction," said David McGrath, CEO, myPlates.

He said the hire is part of a larger recruitment program.

"This is the first of several strategic hires we have planned. We are deliberately building a team that can take myPlates to a new level, better connecting with customers so we understand their personal style needs and what plate is right for them," McGrath said.

Marketing modernisation

myPlates expects performance marketing to play a bigger role as it updates its marketing approach and increases engagement through digital channels. It positions itself at the intersection of lifestyle, automotive culture and personal expression.

"We operate at the intersection of lifestyle, automotive culture and personal expression," McGrath said. "That creates a unique opportunity to use data and technology to better understand our audience and deliver more relevant messages, products and experiences."

Thakur said there is scope for further growth given the company's customer base and brand recognition in NSW.

"myPlates has a strong market position, but with real room to grow. I enjoy bringing structure to growth, using data to simplify decisions and building teams that execute with pace and accountability. This felt like the right environment to do that well," Thakur said.

Her priorities include marketing technology and greater use of modelling and automation in planning.

"My focus will be on utilising new mar-tech systems to test contextual messaging, dynamic media mix modelling, and embedding AI into the planning mix," she said.

The remit also includes building a performance marketing operation that connects analytics, customer insights and testing. Thakur said experimentation will be a major theme.

"A big part of the opportunity is creating a testing culture," she said. "That means continuously refining messaging, understanding what motivates customers to personalise their vehicles, and using data to optimise every stage of the journey from awareness through to purchase."

myPlates is exploring artificial intelligence for audience segmentation, creative testing and campaign optimisation, alongside work on attribution models as part of modern performance marketing practice.

Thakur has held marketing roles at New Balance, Rockwear, Entertainment Group and Campus Living Villages. She has worked in Dubai and Mumbai, as well as Australia.

The appointment comes as consumer-facing businesses continue to rebuild marketing teams around measurable performance, first-party data and digital experience. Further strategic hires are planned as myPlates continues its shift towards a more technology-led operation.