For more than a decade, B&T’s 30 Under 30 Awards has propelled the careers of some of the advertising, marketing and media industry’s most promising talent. Some of the industry’s leading founders, directors and luminaries had their first moments in the spotlight at B&T’s 30 Under 30 Awards.
Each week, B&T will take a look back at the journeys of some of our 30 Under 30 winners to find out how they’re still changing the world and why there’s still so much more to come.
Chris Howatson won the Awards in 2010 when his agency at the time, CHEP Network, put him forward without telling him. Whilst winning the award was a surprise (given he didn’t enter himself), Howatson said later that the award helped him to think about his own story.
“What this moment taught me was the importance of narrative – being able to connect many dots into a compelling and motivating story. And secondly, the value of recognising others – how the simple act of calling out someone for their efforts is the most motivating of all incentives,” Howatson said.
After winning, he went on to rise through the ranks at CHEP, serving as group CEO for eight years. In 2021, after 19 years with CHEP, Howatson imagined a new type of agency, seamlessly balancing customer consultancy with creative expression.
Howatson envisioned a legacy agency brand, fully independent and responsible for re-establishing advertising as a multi-disciplinary profession. H+Co has already created a wide-ranging impact, expanding rapidly with offices in the creative precincts of Sydney and Melbourne.
In its first year, the agency grew to 110 people and welcomed 35 commercially and creatively ambitious clients.
“To create work that truly feels new, you have to champion new voices. Part of ‘no house style’ means we keep our work fresh and unexpected. This not only challenges and excites our teams but, more importantly, ensures that the brands we’re working for stand out. We live in an attention economy, and to keep people interested, we need to keep doing things differently. We often say, ‘Be the ref, don’t follow the ref’,” Howatson said.
Are you the next Chris Howatson? Enter this year’s B&T 30 Under 30 Awards to step up and stand out. Late entries close on 6 February 2026.
