Kat Thomas to depart One Green Bean after 18 years
One Green Bean’s founder and CCO Kat Thomas has announced she will leave the agency later this year.
Sharing the news via Linkedin on Thursday, she said it’s time to “finally hand over the keys”.
She founded One Green Bean in 2007 in Sydney, alongside Anthony Freedman, and led the agency for 18 years. In 2011, Havas acquired the agency, as well as Freedman’s creative agency Host, which helped it grow into a multi-award-winning creative communications agency.
Kat Thomas
Under her leadership locally, it was the first Australasian PR agency to win a Cannes Lion for PR, and receieved Agency of the Year accolades annually for a decade.
In 2015, Thomas relocated to London to launch the UK arm of the agency, in what was essentially a takeover of the “languishing” Havas PR. In 2021, the agency also set up an office in Amsterdam. It was then that One Green Bean repositioned, introducing its ‘Creativity That Powers Conversation’ proposition.
“When you build a business, in my case two, and go on the journey of selling it to a network, it’s fair to say many founders move on pretty quickly. Not so in my case. I can honestly say it’s been an incredible chapter … several really, and I’ve loved it,” she wrote on Linkedin.
“Today we have strong teams on both continents and fantastic clients, so it feels like a good time to pass the baton into very capable hands.”
Havas’ recently promoted group CEO of ANZ James Wright said One Green Bean has “come a long way” over the years, and he thanked Thomas for her leadeship.
“One Green Bean was one of the very first genuine creative communications agencies, it introduced a new breed of PR that went above and beyond,” he told Mumbrella. “Kat remains a good friend of the agency.”
Havas’ UK chair and group chief creative officer, Mark Whelan, added that the legacy Thomas leaves behind is one “to be proud of”.
“I’d like to thank her for her hard work, camaraderie and occasional mischief over the years. She’s ensured the team is excited to move forward into the agency’s next chapter and I wish her all the very best for the future,” he said in a statement.
Thomas will remain in the role for the coming months, to ensure a smooth leadership transition. UK operations will continue to be led by managing director Richard Tompkins, while the Australian business will be led by recently promoted CEO Amber Abbott.
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Lauren McNamara was the associate editor at Mumbrella. She joined in November 2022 as editorial assistant, after completing a Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) at UTS. She left Mumbrella in August 2025.
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