Thrive PR rounds out 2025 with fresh appointments

November 17, 2025 11:10

(L-R): Tiana Miocevich, Clare Basire, Snezna Kerekovic, Kyra Shakspeare

Thrive PR and Communications has announced several promotions and appointments for its Australian and New Zealand teams.

On Monday morning, the agency revealed that its Sydney general manager and executive director, Clare Basire, has been promoted to managing director for Sydney.

Basire joined the business in August 2017 as a business director, after working as a group account director at Adhesive PR. She will continue to serve on Thrive’s ANZ executive team.

In a media release, Thrive’s CEO and founder, Leilani Abels, said Basire’s appointment is “a testament to her strategic capability, her ability to nurture meaningful client partnerships and the high-performance culture she inspires across teams”.

People and community executive director, Snezna Kerekovic, was also elevated, to acting managing director for Melbourne, tasked with recruiting a new general manager for the city. Similar to Basire, Kerekovic remains a member of the agency’s ANZ executive team.

Leilani Abels

Former Havas Red Australia client services director, Kyra Shakspeare, was unveiled as a client partner, with responsibilities including leading and expanding Thrive PR’s Queensland team, while Tiana Miocevich was named New Zealand agency lead.

“At Thrive, we recognise and back the leaders who contribute to client success and building this business. Our investment in female leadership and entrepreneurship is central to our growth,” Abels continues.

The agency attributes its recent promotions to the success of its “Excess Earned Attention” (EEA) proposition, which is designed to deliver “disproportionate measurable results for brands outside of organic earned media attention, owned media and paid media placement.”

(L-R): Louise Jones, Brad Grey, Anna Porter

According to Thrive, EEA “is immersed in culture and creativity”, which prompted the business to appoint new talent to its culture and creative team.

Ex-Ogilvy PR head of social Louise Jones is one of the new faces. Hired as Thrive’s head of social, Jones will be responsible for leading the business’s social, creative content and influencer team.

Former Icon Management senior talent manager, Anna Porter, and Leo Australia’s ex-senior creative, Brad Grey, are also joining Thrive as senior specialist: culture, creator and brand partnerships, and creative lead for Thrive ANZ, respectively.

Thrive’s clients include Lego, NewsCorp, Diageo, TikTok, Cisco, Stihl, Harley Davidson, Blackmores, Chobani and many others.