Thrive has continued its charge to prove the strength of mid-sized independent PR agencies, with the appointment of four new senior hires across the business.
New roles include the two senior appointments in the Sydney office, and leads for both the Brisbane and Auckland operations.
Kristi McDonough has joined the Brisbane office as associate director and Brisbane lead (pictured above). With a career spanning nearly two decades in the Australian and US markets, she brings expertise in PR and brand strategy, marketing and events. Her accomplished sporting background (including state representation for rowing, hockey and snowboarding) has given Kristi the critical foundations for teamwork and leadership. Prior to Thrive, Kristi ran her own agency in the US (California and NYC) working on a multitude of local and global brands, specialising in the sports and lifestyle sectors. Recently returning to home soil, Kristi brings a rock solid performance history to the agency and will lead the team in the Queensland market.
Amanda Gormley and Kim McMillan have joined the Sydney team as senior account director and account director respectively. Both join Thrive from multi-national agencies.
Gormley has worked in Australia and the UK on some of the world’s most famous brands, including ALDI, Nespresso, Mars, Johnson & Johnson and Glenfiddich. With a proven ability to lead and manage mass scale campaigns, Amanda also specialises in event management and influencer relations. A strategic and creative thinker who is well-practised at turning brand stories into powerful news generation, Gormley’s experience also includes working on integrated marketing initiatives on both a global and local scale. She joins Thrive following a successful career at Weber Shandwick.
Gormley said, “thrive pr + communications is on an exciting path right now, with a growing and diverse portfolio that will play to my strengths and present new opportunities for growth. I’m looking forward to bringing my experience in food and retail to the role and joining the agency as it embarks on new and exciting challenges.”
McMillan joins Thrive as a senior B2B and tech specialist from Text100. For nearly ten years she has delivered PR, marketing and digital services to leading local and global brands including Adobe, Amazon Web Services, Beats by Dr. Dre, Menulog, Skype, Universal Pictures and WeChat. She has worked with budding startups through to the world’s best enterprises across consumer and business technology, property, education, health, finance, HR and FMCG.
She has a passion for telling a great business story and a knack for moulding Thought Leaders. She commonly works with CEOs and executive teams on their profiling and positioning. Kim takes a measured, strategic and content-centred approach to her PR campaign work to deliver standout results for clients.
McMillan said, “I’m excited to be part of a dedicated, growing Aussie agency with influence and network across the country, second to none. Working with the best local and global brands each day to deliver impactful, integrated campaigns is just the icing on the cake.”
Lucinda Kennedy (nee East) has joined the Auckland office to lead operations with specialised experience in New Zealand and abroad. In both Auckland and New York City, Lucinda has led public relations campaigns for a host of world-renowned clients such as Marcus Samuelsson Group, AvroKo, Pop Up Globe and Bird on a Wire. She has also worked as a journalist at both ACP Media and Bauer Media Group and consequently has a deep network of contacts as well as an insider’s understanding of how the ever-changing media industry works.
“I am thrilled to be joining the Thrive team,” said Kennedy. “Thrive is a nimble independent agency, working with some of the biggest brands. I am excited to be delivering innovative and effective strategies both to the New Zealand market and across ANZ.”
Thrive managing director Leilani Abels, “I am delighted that Thrive continues to attract the best local industry talent. As an independent mid-sized agency, we invest in resources and our team like a major global agency yet we behave like a nimble, boutique agency with first class, hands-on service. Thrive has unique capabilities and elasticity which is a real advantage to our clients.”
