Bastion Amplify strengthens social team with new hires
Bastion Amplify is expanding its social media offering with the appointment of three senior industry specialists, Nicola Swankie, Katy Andrews and Nel Wolf.
Swankie will join the agency as group business director – social, while Andrews will take on the role of business director – social, and Wolf as senior account director.
L-R: Nicole Swankie, Katy Andrews, Nel Wolf
With a strong agency pedigree across Australia and the UK, Swankie has spent time leading social at Leo Burnett, SOCiETY for Mediabrands and Haystac. In the role of group business director – social, she will manage a fast-growing team of social experts while providing ongoing strategic direction for the business and covering general manager of social, Shirley Tat’s role while on maternity leave.
Swankie is passionate about insight-led strategy driving client performance, using digital to drive brands forward as well as taking global trends and applying them to a local context.
Joining from client-side, Andrews will spearhead Amplify’s activity across Microsoft and Xbox in her capacity as business director -social.. Integrating closely with our specialist business units she will strengthen an already solid track record top tier projects well as providing insightful, strategic guidance and stewardship to solidify Microsoft’s leadership in technology and gaming.
Finally, Wolf, as senior account director, will oversee Amplify’s work for Xbox, which has included incredible integrated social and experiential campaigns including dropping a car from a plan to promote Forza Horizon 5.
The new hires come as Bastion Amplify has continued to expand, with a growing client roster, including Harris Scarfe and Toll Ambulance and Rescue.
In addition to the existing client portfolio, Bastion Amplify has won the social business for Sydney Metro Airports, Swedish camping brand Dometic and the world’s fastest growing food technology company NotCo in recent months.
Bastion Amplify CEO Richard Chapman said these senior hires demonstrate Amplify’s leadership as a competitive social agency.
“As our social offering has grown over the past three and a half years, we’ve been delighted to see our team consistently grow. It is a testament to the work we are winning that we are bringing these three extremely talented specialists in to continue to chart this path,” said Chapman.
“Katy, Nicola and Nel are aligned in our goal of making Amplify the market-leading integrated PR and social offering in Australia and we’re focused on seizing on our rapid growth to create a multi-faceted, future-facing Bastion Amplify.”
Swankie joins Amplify from Haystac where she led Social for the agency and the broader Dentsu group. Prior, she held numerous directorial and head-of roles across social strategy, creative & content at agencies such as The Remarkables, Mediabrands, Leo Burnett, TCO, McCann and Y&R.
“I am so excited to be joining the team at Bastion Amplify and the broader Bastion group of agencies at a time where social is evolving at a rapid rate. It truly has become the connective tissue across integrated marketing and a growing part of our clients’ investments rich with creative opportunity,” she said.
Andrews joins Amplify from five years at Activision Blizzard leading marketing and driving commercial results for their Call of Duty product across APAC and later ANZ. Prior to this Katy worked to launch Xbox One at Microsoft as well as working across a range of agency roles at Soap Creative (now Dentsu) and Liquid Interactive working on Pixar and Disney.
Wolf previously led social at Essence where she drove results for clients including Salesforce, JLL and Nutrien AG, previously also working at Circul8 and 1000Heads.
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