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Bench Media
Team PROFILE
Agency Type
Media
Ownership
Independent
tagline
We Turn Opportunity Into Breakthrough
LEADERSHIP TEAM
Ori Gold
Co-founder & CEO
Shai Luft
Co-founder & COO
Liam Garratt
General manager
Jess Torstensson
Client growth director
Aaron Janson
Director of commercial & media operations
Erin Fraser
Head of client services
Key Stats
Offices
Sydney
Headcount
27
Gender Balance Staff
M: 40%
F: 60%
Gender Balance Leaders
M: 75%
F: 25%
Client book
Client Wins
7
Client Losses
6
Client retentions
5
Largest clients
Australian Catholic University
University of Technology Sydney
Cook Islands Tourism
Agency Scorecards report
It was a solid year for the Bench Media crew in North Sydney.
Growth was delivered through a mix of new business wins and deepened existing relationships, including Prospa, Hays Recruitment, Hisense (which it won in 2026) and Bikes Online alongside expanding scopes of clients such as Sydney Airport, ACU and Nudie.
The year was defined by connected thinking across channels and disciplines, while AI was used as an enhancement tool for research, segmentation and media efficiency rather than automation-led transformation.
In its work for the ACU, Bench Media demonstrated the power of behavioural sequencing across media touchpoints.
For Sydney Airport, the agency helped redefine emotional positioning in a category dominated by price competition.
And for Nudie, Bench enlisted Sophie Monk to illustrate that humour-led performance creative, in the form of a ‘nudie shot’ can still drive measurable FMCG growth.
Bench maintained a lean team of 27, while hiring and promoting senior staff. This included the promotions of Jamison Milessis, Jamie Auciello, Erin Fraser and Nate Vella (who has since left).
Late in the year, Jesicca Torstensson was appointed client growth director and joined the senior leadership team.
The agency reported no median gender pay gap, although it leadership team is male heavy.
Bench Media's take on 2025
It was a strong year of performance and momentum for Bench Media, defined by consistent growth, deeper client partnerships and measurable commercial impact.
We expanded key relationships including nudie, Sydney Airport and ACU through competitive reviews and evolving scopes, while delivering results across education, retail, travel and healthcare.
Our focus on connected, full-funnel planning has enabled clients to drive both brand and performance outcomes in an increasingly complex ecosystem. This has been underpinned by continued investment in senior capability and a team model where strategy, activation and data operate as one, improving speed, accountability and effectiveness.
We also strengthened our internal systems, further integrating planning, measurement and optimisation into a more unified workflow.
In a market under pressure, Bench has remained focused on what matters most: independent thinking, strong partnerships and delivering outcomes that genuinely move the needle.
Nate Vella, Head of Strategy
Nate Vella, who recently left the business to move abroad, brought strategic clarity, creative edge and high performance in 2025, deeply understanding client objectives and delivering research-led solutions that drive growth.
If we were a band, we'd be...
David Bowie
Always pushing the envelope and reinventing himself, yet always unmistakably Bowie.
That balance resonates with us. As a long-standing independent media agency, we’ve evolved with the media landscape while staying true to who we are, constantly seeking the next innovation and challenging the status quo.
Bench Media
B&T's Agency Score
7.4
Previous season: 8
Critic's Comment
“Bench Media dropped some bangers as a result of fine-tuning its strategy, strengthening its crew and delivering clients commercial hits.”