Talent

In news that will come as a huge relief to the snacks in the kitchen, I am saying goodbye to Talent. Eight years is a long time at one company for a marketing leader, but Talent has had more eras than Taylor Swift since I started. From a founder-led scale up, to a PE-backed category market leader. And now, a diverse global group with revenue circa $1bn and more brands than you can poke a dashboard at. In my first six months, I stood on stage alongside our founder Richard Earl and presented a new direction for the brand. Our strategy was simple: “break from the pack.” In an industry that is bland at best and maligned at worst, the opportunity to be a “purple cow” was tantalising and we took it with full force. What followed exceeded our boldest expectations. A sales enablement engine unlike any in our industry. The only company in our region and sector to post a gross profit improvement after COVID. Regular mainstream press coverage. A trophy cabinet overflowing with awards. Marketing earning a seat at the table. Best of all, constant envious “bloody Talent” comments from competitors. In the process of achieving these results, we had so much fun. It was fast-paced (“quickly quickly” as Mark Nielsen likes to say), yet we always found time to laugh every single day. Unsurprisingly, I can count the Sunday scaries I had there on one hand. Most important to me, though, were the brilliant marketers I had the privilege of working alongside. It was an honour to coach them, learn from them and, on occasion, steal their chips. (Sorry again, Brit 😬) Thanks to everyone who made my Talent era the best one yet. Eight years, what feels like 64257 campaigns and just the right amount of “forced fun”, courtesy of Amanda Vitucci. What’s next? Other than bravely sourcing my own snacks, I’ll be working on something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. Watch this space 👀

Great morning at the Talent offices hosting our Procurement event: Procurement Beyond Cost: Creating Value Through Collaboration & Strategic Alignment. Really valuable discussion around how procurement teams can move beyond cost focus and become true strategic partners to the business. Big thanks to Ben Everingham , Albert Bass MCIPS (Chartered) and Chaitali Bharati for sharing their insights, and to Thomas Mackenzie, MAICD for hosting. Looking forward to the next one!

I said I’d only do HYROX once. Turns out… I’m a liar. Back in 2025, I completed my first HYROX in Sydney and it was incredible… but I very confidently declared “never again.” Fast forward 3 months ago — along comes Mark Nielsen , the kind of “inspirational” leader who signs you up for things for your own good! This time: mixed doubles in QLD. His logic? “So you don’t work every weekend and actually do something for yourself.” Rude. Accurate. Effective. Now, I’m competitive… so of course I committed. But let’s be honest — along the way I seriously considered: • Faking an injury • Simply not showing up • Disappearing entirely Yet somehow… I kept training. And I showed up. And I’m so glad I did. It was HARD. Like… “why did I agree to this?” hard. I’d never: • Lunged with 20kg on my back • Pushed or pulled 150kg • Questioned my life choices that many times in one day …but now I have. Huge shoutout to my partner in crime Thomas Haire — absolute legend. Brought the energy, the positivity, and kept us moving the whole way. Couldn’t have asked for a better teammate. Mark — thanks (I think?) for the push. You were right and your always my biggest supporter. And to the Talent family who showed up and cheered — that support means everything. Proof that sometimes the things you try hardest to get out of… end up being the ones you’re most proud of. Now excuse me while I go “retire” from HYROX again…