Vivian Bryant – Director & MD

A Graphic Designer by trade, Vivian established Brand Spanking in the spare room of a Ponsonby flat in 2002. She has been the constant force in the agency’s evolution and has garnered widespread respect from both clients and industry peers over the last 15 years, playing a key role in the evolution of the Comms Council’s PRESCOM (PR, Experiential and Social Committee) and regularly judging at the EFFIES, Beacons and Marketing Awards. Today she retains a major shareholding and heads up key client accounts including Independent Liquor, T&G Global, Hutchinson’s and 2degrees.

Outside of work, Vivian raises two young children with her husband Nathan and now lives back in Ponsonby, where it all started. Her past life includes a six-year stint in Japan and stunt work in films and television shows such as King Kong and Xena.

Jeremy Hunt – Director & CFO

Jeremy merged his campus marketing operation into Brand Spanking in 2004 and continues to hold a major stake in the agency. As well as being Brand Spanking’s CFO he oversees major accounts including Nespresso, Cottonsoft, and MARS, and takes a particular interest in sponsorship work for clients like Gatorade. At an industry level, he was the Treasurer of EMANZ (the Experiential Marketing Association of NZ) for many years and has judged awards such as the EFFIES and the NZ Radio Awards.

Jeremy moved to Havelock North in 2010 and now spends 2-3 days per week in Auckland, leaving wife Christina and three children in “the Bay” to enjoy the sunshine and lack of traffic. Dig deep into his past and you’ll find everything from a degree in Swedish to time spent lecturing corporate strategy at the University of Auckland Business School.

Chelsea Came – Account Director

After completing a Bachelor of Communication Studies in Marketing & PR at the University of Waikato, Chelsea spent two years at the PR Institute of NZ in a Comms Advisor role. In 2015 she moved to Fairfax as the Marketing Lead on their events team, managing a wide range of events from the Night Noodle Markets to the Central Districts Field Days. Clients lucky enough to have Chelsea at the wheel managing a wide range of in-store and experiential projects include Nespresso, GSK, Kellogg’s, and MARS.

Outside of work, Chelsea is your go-to girl, for all the top craft beer and vegetarian joints in town! She’s got the know as soon as one opens, closes, expands or has a new menu. 

Courtney Brown – Talent Manager

Courtney oversees our Auckland-based talent and is a key point of contact for our regional coordinators in Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. She literally crossed the road in mid-2016 after spending two years at KAM Models and Talent as their Senior Talent Booker. Prior to that she completed a Bachelor of Communications at Unitec. 

She has two dogs who have yet to grace the office with their presence and loves spending her spare time outdoors, with trips to Great Barrier a particular favourite. 

Claudine Pausma – Account Manager

While studying for her Bachelor of Arts in Marketing and Event Management AUT, Claudine gained valuable experience working as a brand ambassador for Synergy and Copper. She then moved to SPUR as an Account Executive, working primarily on the Spark account, before moving to Brand Spanking early in 2017. Claudine now works for clients including 2degrees, Hutchinsons, MARS and Cottonsoft across projects ranging from in-store sampling to social media. Away from the office Claudine takes an active interest in social media and her life highlights reel also includes stints dancing on X-Factor and cheerleading for both the Vodafone Warriors and SKYCITY Breakers.

Surene Singh – Account Manager

Surene joined the team after seven years at TRN/NZME where she started out as a radio traffic manager before turning her hand to keeping clients happy for a living. Before entering the “real world” she graduated from the University of Auckland with a Bachelor of Film, TV and Media before completing a Diploma in Broadcasting at the Radio Training School here in Auckland.

When she’s not keeping clients like GSK, Western Union and Kellogg’s happy, she loves taking her 94 year grandma for KFC car picnics at the airport lookout and jumping on planes to the US where she has a lot of family. We’re yet to ask why but her closest friends and family call her Minnie.

Britney McDowall – Channel & Insights Manager

After studying Graphics and Website Development at Yobee, Brit worked in an Architectural  Hardware Company, before she found Phenomenon and entered our industry over three years ago. 

She now utilises her close relationships with Grocery departments nationwide to benefit both agencies’ clients. Her years of experience and in-depth knowledge allow her to provide valuable advice when it comes to securing the perfect locations for our client’s activations, as well as delivering timely and actionable insights from the data our team record in the field.

Ever heard of Les Mills Grit? Brit definitely has – her dedication to her Grit addiction put’s the whole office to shame, with their workout routines. Her lunch hours and Friday evenings are spent burpee’ing and pumping iron! 

Charlotte Brodie – Account Executive

Charlotte brings an eclectic background to the team with her BA in Psychology and Criminology striking fear in the heart of any brand ambassador that tries their luck with her while her five years experience working in a butchery provides the yin to Chelsea’s vegetarian yang. Charlotte also spent several years in the Air Cadets, travelled through Europe last summer, and has expensive taste when it comes to makeup, so has a pretty wide repertoire of conversation should you find yourself sitting next to her at a bar indulging in a cheeky cocktail.

We keep Charlotte out of trouble by keeping her busy delivering campaigns for Independent Liquor, Farrimond, Freshmax and others. She is also responsible for making sure the All Blacks have their Gatorade wherever they may be in the world, no pressure!

Fraser Hoffman – Activation Manager

Fraser moved from our brand ambassador team into a full-time role in early 2018 after completing his Bachelor of Performing & Screen Arts at Unitec. His role provides a roving commission to monitor and manage the quality of our executions in the field, from in-store sampling sessions to event activations. With several years experience working in a New World in his home town of Christchurch, as well as his passion for acting and drama (of the theatrical kind), Fraser is well-placed to judge both the compliance and behavioural aspects of our work.

Fraser has many hidden talents, including Jazz band singing, dabbling in guitar, and the ability to slot seamlessly into a Barber Shop Quartet. His other claims to fame include having hundreds of family members in Southland and being a very distant relation to Paul McCartney (he claims to have proof).

Megan Kikuchi – Account Executive

Megan crossed the threshold in mid-2018 as an intern while studying Marketing and Sport and Recreation at AUT. By the time she’d finished her exams later in the year she’d succumbed to our charms and we hers and she had become a full-time Account Exec. Her (work-)life now revolves around making sure clients like Nespresso, GSK, Dole and Cottonsoft continue to be blown away by how well their campaigns come to life.

While studying, Megan worked at Petal Cupcakes for two years so if you’ve got anything that needs a good slathering of icing she’s your go-to person. She’s also a competitive athlete (feel free to ask for more details if you don’t mind being made to feel just a little lazy) and is half Japanese, lived there for 3 years and can speak the language.

Jane Lai – Talent Manager (AUK)

Graduating from AUT in International Hospitality with Event Management, Jane furthered her love for brand ambassadors and talent by working for Auckland Transport and QMS – helping Coordinator staff for major events in Auckland. Now working with Brand Spanking, Jane manages our Auckland talent team, finding suitable candidates for all our campaigns and tailoring them to whatever our client’s requirements may be. 

If she’s not out scouting staff, you’ll find Jane at her local dog park, patting any furry friends she can get her hands on. 

Liam Ryan – Lower North Island Regional Manager

Liam manages the lower North Island (alongside the excellent Rachael) and he’s been doing that since time immemorial. Innumerable years, indefatigable Mahi, institutionalized knowledge and an institution-able sense of fun. Liam’s region has been one of the top-selling locations, for many years, regardless of the product. 

With a love of music led to DJ’ing and radio for Liam. Radio led to event management,  which led to sales and finally, Brand Spanking! 

Olivia Brown – South Island Regional Manager

Olivia currently manages our Christchurch and upper-South Island activations, having provided support for some-time to our previous coordinator Briar who is currently on maternity leave. Olivia graduated from the University of Canterbury in 2017 with a First Class Honours MCom, majoring in Management before departing on a 13 countries in five weeks tour of the UK, Europe and China. 

When she’s not recruiting talent, field managing shifts and completing admin, Olivia loves spending time with her friends, family and dog Scoota. She hopes to do the Milford Track in 2019 and further overseas travel beckons, with Barcelona top of the wish-list currently.

Bella Wharry – Central North Island Coordinator

Bella couldn’t get enough of working as a Brand Ambassador for Brand Spanking, so she became one of our Central North Island Coordinators. 

Outside of her duties recruiting, training, booking, and field managing staff, she is studying a Bachelor of Law and Business. Bella also works part-time selling French baguettes and chocolate pastries to Hamiltonians. Away from work and study, a bit of Mount Maunganui surf is right up Bella’s alley. Catching some of NZ’s ‘narly’ waves and water skiing is how you’ll find her relaxing in summer. 

Rachael Knight – Lower North Island Coordinator

Now with us for over three years, Rachael originally trained in Hotel Management and managed major functions and conference for large corporates. She then worked for Unilever for 14 years as a Territory Manager, with her own team of 8 merchandisers, and later on, became an Account Manager for Foodstuffs for the Lower North Island. She also has seven years of industry experience in California, working for major outdoor festivals and traveling the US whilst doing so. 

With a passion for animal welfare, Rachael is a dog fosterer, who has provided a temporary home for over 80 dogs. In 2018 she won the SPCA NZ Fosterer of the year. If you see her around Wellington you’re likely to spot her in her 1966 Mustang convertible with her crazy pooch, Sprocket. 

Taria Given – Central North Island Coordinator

After studying Communications at the University of Waikato, Taria got into the world of marketing. Working for both a  local Hamilton company and Brand Spanking –  she coordinates staff for all our campaigns in the central North Island. This is everything from recruitment, inductions, brand training, and on-field management in her region. 

Outside of her work, she is a keen boxer and enjoys reliving some stress at her local club, and then practicing her breathing and meditation with a bit of yoga.