Proximity expands team by six following a raft of new business wins across the agency

(Pictured L-R: Courtney Watt, Michelle Burke, Sharyn Martinovich, Katie Ruscoe, Devon Bayer, Pip Hamilton)

Proximity NZ is continuing to strengthen its multi-disciplinary offering with six new hires across the agency.

Spanning creative, client partnerships, production and marketing automation, all six hires come off the back of several new account wins, with each hire having already immersed themselves into the work.

Sharyn Martinovich joins Proximity NZ as head of project management, following a stint of freelance work for the agency. Martinovich is a veteran delivery specialist who will oversee and allocate project work across the agency and manage several key accounts, including DairyNZ, Spark, Easy Crypto, and Procare.

Says Martinovich: “I love the idea of being an integral part of the machine that moves work through the agency effectively and am looking forward to working with many of my peers again in a great culture with great people.”

Pip Hamilton fills the role of project director for marketing automation, having returned from Melbourne, where she was working for CHEP Network. Hamilton will be supporting the tech team to deliver a wide range of work across the agency’s clients, including ANZ and Tourism NZ.

Says Hamilton: “Marketing automation is a growing industry and many clients need support from agencies like Proximity to deliver effective strategies. It’s great to be working with such a talented team to deliver complex communications solutions for our clients.”

Joining Martinovich and Hamilton, Michelle Burke has also taken on a project director role, mainly focusing on the Spark account.

Says Burke: “I am thrilled to be working across an iconic brand such as Spark. The result of Covid has seen the retail landscape change significantly, and an innovative approach is required to move forward. With an incredible leadership team across the agency and Spark, we are set to deliver some exciting projects this year.”

Filling a newly created CXM senior account manager role, Devon Bayer joins Proximity from Digitas and Katie Ruscoe fills an intermediate writer position after finishing up a contract role at Dentsu.

Says Bayer: “I’m excited to work in a constantly evolving space and have access to the latest technology, which will ensure our clients get the very best CXM solutions for their businesses.”

Says Ruscoe: “Proximity is an incredible agency and to be part of the creative team driven by innovation and doing things differently is an amazing opportunity.”

Completing the team of six, Courtney Watt has joined the agency as project coordinator where she will focus on helping drive projects forward in the Spark team.

Says Chris Pescott, CEO of Proximity NZ: “At the heart of everything we do is our people. Proximity is all about investing in our team, who are passionate, creative and intelligent thinkers. This new group of highly motivated individuals represent our business well. We look forward to watching them succeed and continue to grow alongside the rest of the agency over the next 12 months.”

Based at 318 Richmond Road, Proximity NZ works with many of New Zealand’s biggest brands, including Spark, ANZ, Tourism NZ, Mazda, Frucor, Fidelity Life, Latitude, Kiwi Property, Pink Batts and House of Travel.