Snap Inc. appoints Chris Lewis as first talent partnerships lead for Australia and New Zealand

Snap Inc., the technology company behind Snapchat, has appointed Chris Lewis as its first talent partnerships lead for Australia and New Zealand, in a move signalling the company’s deepening focus on Aussie and Kiwi creators.

Reporting to Snap’s director of global content partnerships, Jim Shepherd, Lewis will lead strategy, outreach and onboarding efforts with local creators and develop innovative and high-impact partnerships. He will oversee relationships with Australian and Kiwi public figures and content creators – inspiring and motivating them to utilise Snapchat in ways that help unlock their creativity and optimise opportunities for brand partnerships and monetisation. Lewis will also work closely with the global content partnerships team to help hone its editorial perspective for local content.

Lewis has been the senior creative producer for APAC at Snap for the last five years, where he was responsible for managing all production for Snap across the region, from augmented reality to sponsored video campaigns, as well as talent and influencer integration. With his appointment to the newly created talent partnerships lead role, Lewis will draw from over 15 years of industry experience in branded content production, campaign management, media partnerships, and talent management to help local creators build their communities and careers and unlock more opportunities for advertisers to reach Snapchat’s more than 9.5 million-strong audience in Australia and New Zealand.

Says Ryan Ferguson, managing director for Snap Inc. in Australia and New Zealand: “The appointment of Chris as our first talent partnerships lead for ANZ is just one example of how we’re investing further in the growth of our creator community across the Tasman. And I’m really excited about the new opportunities that building out this team will offer advertisers in Australia and New Zealand to connect authentically with our highly engaged Snapchat community via local creators.”

Snapchat presents a massive opportunity for Kiwi and Australian creators, especially at a time of uncertainty for content creators. Over the last year, the number of creators posting publicly on Snapchat has more than tripled, and the Snapchat community loves their content. Snapchat is one of the few platforms in ANZ that provides a multitude of ways for local creators to monetise their content, grow their audience, and build brand recognition. Snap remains committed to evolving and expanding the total rewards available to creators, making it even easier for them to find success and get rewarded for being their authentic selves.

Says Lewis: “As we kick off 2025, I’m really looking forward to connecting with and supporting our growing, thriving and talented local community of Snap Stars. I’m also passionate about helping Aussie and Kiwi creators who may not have engaged with Snapchat or haven’t yet found their footing on the platform to feel confident about maximising all of the creative content creation tools and monetisation opportunities Snapchat has to offer.”

In December last year, Snapchat announced a new unified Monetisation Program that places ads within a creator’s Stories and longer Spotlight videos. Beginning February 1, 2025, eligible creators will be able to monetise Spotlight videos longer than 1 minute.

The Snapchat community continues to grow across the Tasman, with more than 8 million Australians using the platform each month and more than 1.5 million monthly active users in New Zealand. The local team is expanding, with open roles across sales, creative production and legal.