Host/Havas has announced the promotion of Managing partner Ant Moore to the newly created role of managing director.  In the new role, Moore will expand his responsibilities for the agency while continuing to be hands-on with clients including Reckitt, Tourism Fiji, and the Australian Federal Police. James Wright, CEO, Havas Creative Network said Moore has been a “crucial player” in many of the team’s successes, from client relationships, campaigns and building a winning culture.  “Last year was a prosperous one for the agency, as well the success and recognition our creative work has received (and continues to receive) around the world. With Gayle joining as CEO at Host/Havas, I am excited that Ant will be taking an elevated role in shaping the future of the agency,” Wright said.  Ant Moore said the team at Host/Havas are “incredibly talented and make his job easier”.  “I’m really proud of everything we have achieved together, particularly over the past fe

Jake Challenor has announced the launch of Sound Story, a strategic public relations and comms agency Sound Story and will provide services including corporate and crisis communications, media relations and publicity, executive profile building, sponsorship management, and stakeholder engagement. Joining the agency alongside Challenor are Brian Lawlor, general manager, and Zanda Wilson, senior communications specialist, with offices in both Sydney and Melbourne.  Challenor said he is ready to begin the work alongside Lawlor and Wilson and with the support of UNIFIED investments.  “We are building Sound Story to support leaders and founders who are disrupting the entertainment industry for the better and building the blockbuster brands of tomorrow. As a journalist, I found myself writing more and more about many of these organisations in recent years — Australia’s entrepreneurial spirit is truly remarkable. “As the business of entertainment continues to enjoy exponential

Sling & Stone has been appointed as the agency of record for Tracksuit, a New Zealand-born startup on a mission to shape the future of brand tracking, across Australia and New Zealand following a competitive pitch process.  The agency will grow Tracksuit’s brand presence among marketing decision makers including founder profiling, tapping into Tracksuit’s datasets on consumer trends and positioning the platform as a crucial tool in the marketers toolkit.  Mikayla Hopkins, head of marketing, Tracksuit said Sling & Stone share the “same core values of innovation, integrity and a relentless pursuit of excellence” as Tracksuit is.  “From our very first meeting with the Sling & Stone team, the vibes were clear. We place a high value on team and culture here at Tracksuit, so finding an agency that not only acts as a partner, but as an extension of our Tracksuit family was paramount. Sling & Stone is exactly that,” she said.  James Hutchinson, Global Head

Berkeley Communications has announced its launch down under, welcoming Povel Torudd managing director.  Chris Hewitt, CEO of Berkeley Communications shared the news on LinkedIn saying the group “would not have found a better managing director in a good friend and pioneering storyteller Povel Torudd”. “He'll be growing and leading a team out of our Sydney office adding to our other thriving international subsidiaries in Germany and the US plus our amazing partners around the world,” Hewitt said.  Torudd said he is excited about the opportunity to “build and lead” the local team in Australia.  “I’ve seen a lot of inspiring business and brand storytelling in my career, but nothing comes close to the level of strategy, creativity, and process that Chris Hewitt and his team build into it for the brands the agency represents around the world. And now, finally, in Australia too,” he said. Torudd heads to Berkeley Communications from his most recent position as the h

Mediabrands Content Studio (MBCS) has expanded its senior creative team, appointing Marshall Campbell as general manager, client service and Luke Simkins as group creative director.  Marshall Campbell’s remit will focus on senior strategic advice and client service leadership, while Luke Simkins will be responsible for creative direction and leadership across the agency’s creative team.  Olivia Warren, Managing Director of MBCS said Simkins and Campbell join at a time of strong agency growth and is glad that MBCS’ clients will now benefit from an even stronger creative offering. “Marshall and Luke are exactly what we hope for in creative leaders. They are rare talents who are both innately driven to make great work and achieve successful outcomes for their clients; what’s more they are just really good humans who care deeply about the people they work with. “When I sat down with them and talked about what we collectively believe makes not just great work but a great

Integrated communications firm Icon Agency has announced expansion in Queensland, appointing two senior hires in its PR and Digital divisions. Kate Ward joins the agency as Director of Consumer PR and Communications and veteran digital and digital transformation specialist Shane Weddell takes up as Icon’s Head of Growth, Digital.  Icon Agency Group Managing Director Joanne Painter said Queensland was the natural next step in Icon’s national expansion strategy.  “Queensland is a challenging and exciting market offering a natural fit for Icon’s strong government and corporate communications practice, along with our long-established web development and creative services. “With the Olympics only a decade away, Queensland presents blue-sky opportunities as Icon scales its consumer and tech portfolios which have both experienced rapid growth over the past year. “We’re thrilled Kate and Shane have agreed to take up the challenge and lead our northward expansion. With the

Brand strategy and design consultancy, Houston has appointed award-winning strategist Daye Moffitt to the role of Executive Strategy Director, in Sydney, and promoted Cara Meade to Executive Strategy Director, in Melbourne.  Both join Houston’s senior leadership team reporting directly to Founder and CEO, Stu O’Brien. O’Brien said developing the agency’s strategic capability across large brand transformation, start up and strategic product strategy, comes at a pivotal period in Houston’s evolution. “Our investment in top-tier strategic talent will pioneer a new era in the business’ go-to-market strategic execution as we continue to play a key role as a trusted strategic brand advisor for iconic brands such as Lendlease, Ampol, and Macquarie Bank. “Strengthening our strategy offering is game-changing for Houston.  Investing in outstanding talent comes at exactly the right moment as our clients are looking for commercial solutions to increasingly complex strategic