Experience counts.

No guts, no glory.

For well over two decades, I’ve pioneered creative strategies, shaped brand identities, created cut-through campaigns and delivered impactful design solutions. My journey has spanned the industry, from art directing at JWT, steering creative teams at top-tier agencies like Clemenger BBDO and DNA Design, collaborating with prestigious Blue-Chip companies, fostering innovation as Creative Lead at Ghost Partners and leading my own consultancy - Provenance Creative.

If I have learned anything along the way, it is to understand you can’t do it alone, and that creativity isn’t an exclusive domain, but one everyone contributes to.

Understanding where creativity comes from, how to strike ideas and how to craft work are part of it, but having courage and tenacity are the other key ingredients in the mix in my view.

Taking others with you along the way makes the journey less lonely, but also more fulfilling.

Experience

I lead my own creative consultancy, specialising in strategy, design, and art direction.

This has allowed me to collaborate with a prestigious roster of Blue-Chip companies, Government clients and top-tier design and branding agencies.

I work across small bespoke projects for individuals, contained larger scale pieces of work, and regular ongoing engagements with regular clients.

I can work based on a set fee, use a phased approach using success milestones, on a monthly retainer, or a more traditional estimated hourly rate basis.

At Ghost Partners, I lead the Promise team – the storytellers, brand architects, and communication strategists.

We collaborate with the business to unlock their strategic vision, craft innovative solutions, and deliver impactful creative work.

Our team’s hallmark is meticulous execution, ensuring every project fuels our clients’ ambitions.

My longest stint in one place (eighteen years). I was headhunted from Clemenger BBDO to become the Creative Director.

DNA was one of New Zealand’s most successful Brand and Digital Consultancies and produced some of New Zealand’s most innovative design work.

I ran a team of half a dozen graphic designers across print and digital. DNA moved quickly with the times and became one of the pre-eminent integrated print through digital agencies in the country, which at the time gave us a distinct market advantage.

I was a DINZ Best Awards judge in 2008.

I helped oversee the establishment of the successful Design Studio at Clemenger BBDO Wellington. This included cementing some of Clemenger’s above-the-line clients as long term design clients.

It was a tight, focussed and highly profitable team. We went from being an almost complete unknown in the design industry, to being an industry player; garnered with industry awards and being talked about as ‘serious competition’.

As a result of the merger of the two Clemenger agencies; HKM and Colenso, a new design studio was established to serve the client base.

I helped set up the new studio, secure staff and develop new business through pitching to existing clients. We also went on the hunt, securing work outside the current client roster. We worked to complement what the creative department was doing, often collaborating on art direction and design projects across the teams.

We also happened to win a fair share of design awards.

I was headhunted by the Creative Director of HKM (Hutcheson Knowles and Marinkovich) in early 1993, and ended up joining my writer – Jim Robinson there.

I started as a Junior Art Director in the creative department and ended up helping run the Design Group. Towards the end of my time there I was also Creative Director for all Direct Marketing creative (shit-that-folds as it was affectionately known).

These were the days of long lunches at Il Casino; Remiro Bresolin breezing around with $60 cigars and $120 Cognacs.

After graduating from Design School, I started as a designer and visualiser at J. Walter Thompson. On the second day I was able to purchase a set of 200 Yoken markers and a specialised drawing board.

I clearly remember the smell of wax and cow gum from the finished art studio, and the smell of bromide developer and spray glue, and cigar smoke drifting on the creative floor. There were many late nights and weekends working beneath a Grant Enlarger.

I finished up working as an Art Director alongside some immensely capable writers. JWT was known as the ’University of Advertising’, and I still consider those years the most formative of my career.

AdviceFirst
Air New Zealand
AMP Insurance
Alfa Romeo
All Blacks
Amanda Millar
AMP Insurance
ANZ Banking Group
Apple Press
Armoury
Asia New Zealand
AskYourTeam
ATEED
Audacity Ltd
Auckland City
Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Banks Group
Bank of New Zealand
Brightworks
Buoy Hair
BJ Ball Papers
Capital City Motors
Cathay Pacific
Canterbury University
Census NZ
CERTNZ
Children's Commissioner
Child Youth & Family
Colgate Palmolive
Core Logic
CPI Papers
Creature Design
Croft Wines
Crusaders Rugby
Curtis McLean
Delta Insurance
Department of Conservation
Designworks
DNA Design
Downstage Theatre
Dowse Gallery
Dulux NZ
Ernest Adams Bakers
Edinburgh Pharmaceuticals
Fairfax
Fire and Emergency New Zealand
Fohfum
Footscience International
Formway
Ford Motor Company
Fulton Hogan
GasHub
Gildara Cashmere
Glaxo Pharmaceuticals


Guthrie Bowron
Heritage Honey
Honda NZ
Hui Taumata
Incafe Coffee
Inland Revenue
Internet New Zealand
Jet Bar
Joseph Ryan Wines
Jules Taylor Wines
Kaitahi
Kaitonic
Kanu Bee Venom
Kiwibank
KV Consulting
Lewiss Fabrics
Little Island
Little Yellow Bird
Lumino Dentists
Manaaki Whitebait
Martin Jenkins
Massey University
Maverick Marine
Ministry for Children
Ministry of Business and Innovation
Ministry of Culture and Heritage
Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Education

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Ministry of Internal Affairs
Ministry of Social Development
Mitre 10
Mojo Coffee
Montoux
Motor Industry Association
Mount Ruapehu
MyRaceLab
National Bank
National Library
New Zealand Law Society
New Zealand Milk Products
New Zealand Post
New Zealand Qualifications Authority
New Zealand Story
New Zealand Trade and Enterprise
New Zealand Transport Agency
NZ Rugby
NZ Ski
Ocean Design
Oha Honey
Olivo Olive Oil
Opus Oceani
PEP Worldwide‍

Peter Edwards
PGG Wrightson
Ports of Auckland
Primeministers Office
Pure Peony
QV
Ralston Guitars
Rated Mortgage Bonds
Resene Paints
Rototawai Homestead
Rowing New Zealand
Shoe Connection
Shout Group
Sneaker
Southern Cross Insurance
Southern Cross Tavern
Spark NZ
Stable
Statistics NZ
Steve Laing
Stretchsense
Super Rugby
Surestart
Stroke Wise
Telecom
Te Papa Museum of New Zealand
Te Pukenga
Te Puna Manawa
Te Puni Kōkiri
The Wellington Clinic
Thermalframe
Tower Insurance
TradeMe
Tranzit
Trilogy International
TSB
Tuia Innovation
Unilever Brands
Victoria University
Vitapet
Vodafone
VX Sport
Waterloo School
Watson & Son Honey
Whakapapa Ski Area
Wharekaka
Wild Chef
Well Oral Limited
Wellington City Council
Wellington Newspapers
Woolstore Limited
Working Style
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YY Nation