Brisbane-based PR agency Aruga announces new HQ and changed ownership structure 

L-R: CFO Richelle Power, co-founder Donna Kramer, group account director Natalie Ogbourne, agency director Tracy Llewelyn, co-founder Adam Brunes

Independent PR outfit Aruga has unveiled its new Brisbane headquarters, senior leadership team and a changed ownership structure.

The leading Brisbane-based independent was founded in 2017 by PR wunderkinds Donna Kramer and Adam Brunes in partnership with Rumble Strategic Creative founders Remy Brassac, James Burchill and Nancy Hartley, whose pioneering ‘Rumbletown’ village model of specialist agency siblings has spawned five successful ventures.

On the eve of Aruga’s seventh birthday, co-founders Kramer and Brunes have announced a partnership buyout, with the pair taking on full ownership together.

Says Brunes: “Aruga was born out of mutual admiration and shared values, and we are indebted to Nancy, Remy and James for their belief in us and Aruga’s potential from the jump.

“We couldn’t have asked for more encouraging and motivating business partners who have nurtured and supported us in our professional journeys, planting the seed of ambition from the outset that the natural time would come for us to ‘fly the nest’.

“That time has come and we are proud to carry the Aruga brand and legacy forward independently, with Nancy, Remy and James remaining our biggest champions and lifelong friends.”

Outgoing partner Hartley said the “conscious uncoupling” was cause for celebration: “The Rumbletown model was founded on identifying star talent and providing a supportive network and environment for them to take charge of their own destinies.

“Under Donna and Adam’s headship, Aruga has thrived, and it fills us with great pride to see the pair embark on this new era independently. We have no doubt Aruga will continue to rewrite the rules, as it has done from the outset, and continue to grow from strength to strength.”

Aruga’s meteoric rise has seen the boutique agency scale to become Queensland’s leading consumer communications agency, now home to a loyal team of 24 and an enviable client roster that includes Tourism & Events Queensland, Brisbane Economic Development Agency, Subway, The Cheesecake Shop, Brisbane Festival, Queensland Symphony Orchestra, The University of Queensland Business, Economics and Law Faculty, Supercheap Auto and RSL Art Union.

Commemorating the new chapter, Aruga has cemented its senior leadership team, with agency director Tracy Llewelyn, group account director Natalie Ogbourne, and chief financial officer Richelle Power joining Kramer and Brunes to steer the creative company’s future growth.

The first order of business – a new, purpose-built headquarters in the heart of Brisbane’s cultural precinct.

Says Kramer: “Arts and culture, major events and tourism are intrinsic to Aruga’s DNA so it was essential for us to base the agency in the thick of it and we are so excited to continue to call South Brisbane home.

“The space has been designed especially for our team and how we work together, balancing work and play, inviting creativity and inspiring pride and passion.

“We look forward to welcoming loyal and new clients to our new creative home over the coming months.

“It’s been an exciting quarter that’s for sure, but something tells us that the best is yet to come.”

For more information, visit aruga.com.au.

Picture credit: Jacqueline Bawtree