About

I am a Writer-based Creative Leader who has spent my career creating ideas and helping to lead top-tier agencies - from networks to famous Indies. I’ve led creative teams and departments, and managed senior client relationships both here and in the UK, at agencies including BMF, DDB, AMV•BBDO, Publicis, 303MullenLowe, M&C Saatchi, AnalogFolk and Akcelo.

Along the way, I’ve been fortunate to help create some of Australia’s most iconic and long-lasting brand platforms. This includes the popular and long-running ‘Sarge’ and ‘Captain Risky’ campaigns for Budget Direct, XXXX Island, and the globally celebrated ‘McDonald's to Maccas’ rebrand campaign. All of these campaigns found their place in culture and won numerous top creative and effectiveness awards.

Over the last year alone, this run has spanned categories including ETF trading, FMCG, beauty & skincare, and sports marketing. This includes winning major pitches: the first for a new electric car brand entering Australia, and the second for a leading national liquor chain.

In my most recent ECD role, the work I led across three separate campaigns won Media Campaign of the Year and picked up Brand Effectiveness at the TikTok Awards for the Olympics. The work also set the benchmark for effectiveness, with both the Olympic and Christmas platforms named WARC’s Most Effective Ad in Australia and ranked third globally. This work also secured M&C Saatchi as a finalist for TikTok's Creative Agency of the Year.

Right now, I’m also taking everything I’ve learned about building famous brands and applying it to building my own next-generation retail startup from scratch. In a nutshell, I've taken one of my own creative ideas (the kind I've spent years coming up with for countless clients) and built it as a real-world business, covering everything from the strategy and commercials to the branding and physical rollout. It’s an ongoing project, but having my own skin in the game alongside my creative work sharpens the commercial focus I bring to clients.

Creatively, I believe that great work always contains a human truth. I believe in strong opinions, lightly held. I also believe that when you have fun creating the work, you can always see it in the work.

Awards

My work has won accolades at almost every local and international award show, including Gold, Silver & Bronze Cannes Lions, Cannes Effectiveness Gold, D&AD Silver, Caples Golds, Silvers, One Show Gold, Silvers and Bronzes, British Television Awards, London International, ACE / ADMA Golds, Silvers, Clio, Caxtons, UK Campaign Press & Poster, Echo’s Golds, Spikes, Aerial Awards, Eurobest, Webby’s, multiple AWARD pencils, Effie’s Gold and Silvers and many others.

Industry

Juries: Cannes (Outdoor), The One Show, AWARD (Film, Integrated, Press, Poster, Radio, Digital), AdNews, B&T, Young Guns, Adelaide Art Directors Club and others.
Education: Regular lecturer / tutoring at AWARD School and copywriting instructor for the Advertising Council Australia.
Panels: Guest speaker for Mumbrella, AdNews, IPA Planning, and The Work Behind the Work.

Clients worked on

Clients I’ve partnered with include Audi, Liquorland, Afterpay, Australian Federal Government, Woolworths, Amazon, Budget Direct, Carlton United Breweries, TK Maxx, TikTok USA, TAL Insurance, Hyundai Australia, NSW Government, Proximo Spirits, Pernod Ricard, Harley Davidson, McDonalds, Netflix, Qantas Loyalty, Unilever, Lion Nathan, Heineken, Guinness, Reckitt Benkiser, Telstra, British Telecom, IKEA, Coca Cola, Pepsi, Mars, Wrigley’s, Toyota, Pfizer, Gillette, The Economist and many more.

Creative Ambition

On a personal level, my aim is to create ‘Ideas that Move the World Forward.’ For me, that means creating ideas that influence culture, reimagining old problems through new lenses and inspiring people to believe that progress is possible. I also believe the day I stop learning is the day I stop being creative. Luckily, my kids keep me in R&D.

Learn more about me here: ‘Balance The Grind’ Interview