Meet our team of brand storytellers
To say I was raised in an environment rich in stories would be the understatement of my life. From biblical parables through to the wonderful faraway lands of Narnia and Beatrix Potter, stories – and storytelling – is part of my fibre. In adulthood, a love of hiking has taken me on many journeys and adventures. I’ve garnered tales from strangers met along the way as well as from my own adventurous experiences. Over the last 30 years I have worked with well over 200 brands (in many different product categories) throughout Australasia.
With the art of brand storytelling tucked under my arm, I have gone about my career proving and testing my ideas in this field, involving myself in 8 business start-ups… some worked brilliantly, others not so well. And this is precisely where my own personal brand of value lies – in the great sense of commercial reality I bring to everything I do. And I wouldn’t change a thing, because all roads have led me to this point – the point at which I can spread and share my skills with companies and leaders who so desperately need to compete. Are you one of them?
Gamer, husband, father, Star Wars fan, hero of Azeroth and fantasy fan. I am a tireless seeker of knowledge, occasional reader and also, coincidentally, a graphic designer/web designer. Operating at the junction of simplicity and function to answer design problems with honest solutions. I got my BA Degree in Graphic Design and Multimedia, and since then I have been working in the industry both locally and abroad for over 10 years and on this creative journey, I’ve handled various projects ranging from importing point of sale from China, creating social media campaigns on Facebook, to designing and building conversion optimised websites.
A multi-talented advertising superhero of 30 years… a writer, editor, project manager, media manager, grammar Nazi, estimator and nit-picker extraordinaire. And clearly an inflated sense of greatness. But it’s true, I’ve spent more than half my life labouring in both small and multi-national agencies, video production and direct marketing, while at the same time co-founding NZ’s first 0900 surf reporting company (WaveTrack), Surf.co.nz and NZ’s first mobile car audio & security business.
Oh, and somewhere in the middle I brought two wee daughters into the world, now in their 20s. My personal passion is horses – training, riding or simply sitting on a bean bag in the paddock, observing them. It’s blissful downtime – time out from the busy-ness of business, because they’re really not interested in anyone’s stories but their own. They have a fun, easy life – racing on the beach, charging through the forest, picnics by the stream. Things that give them their own tales to tell each other – because even animals love stories.
Having a more-than-slight addiction to being highly organized and keeping everyone on their toes is only a small part of what makes me tick. A digital marketing guru with 9 years in the marketing industry, and marketing strategies coming out of my ears, I’ve been told I’m a force to be reckoned with. With my South African heritage, I like to bring the “Howzit” to all things marketing.
It’s fair to say that most of my free time is spent drinking large almond milk mochas at the local café with my one year old boy Jethro, and our Schnauzer Pippa. Being super-organised myself, there are a couple of things that ruffle my feathers – when people don’t meet deadlines and when “the Husband” doesn’t put the rubbish out in time. In my down time I fantasize about being on a beach in Mauritius with my adoring husband and baby, and a cocktail in hand *insert heart emoji*. What a happy ending to the story!
P.S. “Stay human, stay compassionate and don’t forget the little guys.” – Captain America
John is on our advisory board.
My marketing career began in FMCG and breweries – a dream job for a young male marketer – followed by hard yards in advertising and brand development agencies. For the last fifteen years I’ve been managing organisations and been heavily involved in education, meeting market needs and creating and implementing new products. Now, as the CEO of the NZ Marketing Association I’ve developed the brand…into one of the one of the most progressive professional associations in New Zealand. The revitalisation of the brand, with a clear purpose of “We help Marketers be brilliant”, is backed up with creative innovative programmes. The success of this campaign is reflected in the NZMA’s latest membership survey where 75% of respondents described the MA as a passionate organisation and our advocacy rating improving from 36 in 2019 to 74 in 2021.
An innovative management and marketing specialist with a knack for identifying and leveraging business opportunities, I’ve consistently demonstrated an ability to develop and implement successful marketing campaigns that have made a significant impact on the bottom line.
My expertise encompasses all aspects of business development, branding and marketing as well as financial management and maximising revenues. My core philosophies are “if you don’t ask you’ll never know” and “always give things a go!”
I’m delighted to be involved with Steve and his team on Brand IQ’s Strategic Advisory Board.
It all started with story. A fascination with imaginary worlds and endless possibility was fueled by the gift of a typewriter at age 8. My creativity was sidetracked while earning a master’s degree in Nutrition Science, publishing three papers and realising the best days were the ones spent researching and writing. Done with the degree and at loose ends, I managed a restaurant for a Kiwi chef where I developed a love of wine, Kiwi accents and a knack for taking brash chances. I sold everything I owned and moved to NZ. After several years working retail and a stint on Stewart Island, I took a leap. With life as my experience and passion for words as my training, I applied for my dream job: freelance content writer.
From the U.P. of Michigan to the mountains of Montana and now beautiful sunny Nelson, I’ve tumbled down a rabbit hole and ended up in Wonderland. Today I write, read, am spoiled by my partner’s cooking, and indulge in whims, wine and conversations with my cat (Alice, of course) – while looking forward to the next challenge.
