Initiative boosts Perth team with five new hires
Initiative’s Perth office has expanded with the addition of five hires, including Steve Hare as group business director and Brianna Wells as senior investment partnerships manager.
Hare will relocate to Perth from London, where he was head of publishing, digital trading, and cinema at the agency, working with clients including Amazon, Converse, Deliveroo, Lego, Patek Phillippe and the Premier League.
In his new role, Hare will lead the Lotterywest, P&N Bank, and Tourism WA accounts, reporting to managing director Luke O’Sullivan, who called the hire a “massive coup”.
Wells and Hare
“It’s a massive coup for us to have an executive of Steve’s talent and experience joining the agency,” O’Sullivan said.
“He has outstanding media smarts from the front line of the UK and international industries and this will greatly benefit our clients and client teams. The team are all incredibly excited to have him on board.”
Hare added that he has “already been welcomed with open arms and cannot wait to start working with great clients producing work we can all be proud of”.
Wells, meanwhile, joins from Mediabrands stablemate UM, where she was senior partnerships manager in Sydney working across the Lion portfolio on brands like XXXX, Heineken, Furphy, and Tooheys. In Perth, she will focus on Initiative’s RAC Insurance work.
Three new team members are also joining Hare and Wells: Sarah Leavesley as investment partnerships executive, and Tia Sullivan and Alex Thomassen as investment partnerships associates.
Ali MacKellar has also been promoted from communications design manager to team leader for Lotterywest and P&N Bank.
“Our team did an exceptional job riding out 2020 and with 2021 starting even stronger, it is critical that we attract the right talent to complement the best media team in town,” O’Sullivan added.
“I’m ecstatic that we’ve got such strong established and emerging talent joining the agency and excited for the great work to come.”
The announcement is timed with global CEO Mat Baxter’s elevation to global chair of Initiative, in addition to a yet-to-be-revealed IPG leadership position. Amy Armstrong, Initiative’s US boss, has replaced him as global CEO.
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Brittney Rigby was Mumbrella's deputy managing editor - news and analysis. She left Mumbrella in April 2021.
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Alex Thomassen
Brianna Wells
Initiative
Initiative Perth
Luke O'Sullivan
Mediabrands
Sarah Leavesley
Steve Hare
Tia Sullivan
