Special Group opens Melbourne office with Paige Prettyman and Rebecca Stambanis at the helm
Special Group has opened a Melbourne office led by Paige Prettyman as its general manager, and founding partner Rebecca Stambanis.
The opening follows Special Group winning the creative account for Melbourne-based client Bonds earlier this week. The office will also service Carlton & United Breweries, an account which Special Group has serviced since 2018.
Rebecca Stambanis and Paige Prettyman
Special Group opened in Australia in 2014 with Lindsey Evans as CEO. Alongside Bonds and CUB, its clients include Kayo, Uber Eats and Tourism New Zealand.
Evans said the new office will continue to attract world-class talent to Special Group.
“In just six years Special Group has built a strong business attracting world class talent from across the globe and Bec and Paige are no exception; their rare skills and knowledge are second to none,” she said.
“Bec and Paige make a phenomenal team and it gives me every pleasure to be on this adventure with them.”
Special Group Australia will continue to operate as one agency.
Prettyman joins from Clemenger BBDO Melbourne where she was group business director for five years. She has previously spent time at George Patterson Y&R (now part of VMLY&R) and Marketforce.
“I am thrilled to be joining such an incredible and talented team at Special Group,” she said. “While there are many things to be excited about, I really look forward to working with Bec to help expand the rapidly growing Melbourne offering.”
Stambanis, meanwhile, has been working with Special Group since 2018, first on a contracting basis and joining in an official capacity in 2019. She returned to Australia after spending 11 years in the US with agencies Wieden + Kennedy, TBWA/Media Arts Lab and Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, taking on top strategy positions such as global chief strategy officer on Apple and global group strategy director on Nike.
Stambanis described working with Special Group as ‘coming home’.
“I am over the moon to be working with Lindsey again and feel incredibly fortunate to have been part of the brilliant team at Special Group Australia,” she said.
“In addition to being a remarkably nice human, Paige builds incredibly strong partnerships not just with her clients but within the agency as well. Paige is already an asset to the team and I can’t wait to see what the future holds with her in tow.”
Last week, Mumbrella’s former senior content journalist, Abigail Dawson, joined Special Group as brand director.
so great to see a local independent agency thriving and growing.
congratulations and best wishes for all concerned
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