Bastion Aotearoa promotes Holly Dean to Executive CD and welcomes four new hires

Bastion Aotearoa is doubling down on creative craft, welcoming four new hires and promoting Holly Dean to Executive Creative Director as it continues to build a creative department capable of producing bigger, more culturally relevant ideas with impact well beyond traditional advertising.

The appointments strengthen Bastion Aotearoa’s creative offering across creative, design, social and earned, building a more connected team equipped to deliver integrated solutions for the modern marketer.

Joining the team are Senior Creatives Bayleigh Way and Molawin Evangelista, alongside Intermediate Designers Jemima Christie-Limbrick and Stella Wilson. The appointments come as Zoe Kerr moves into the newly created role of Social Creative and Holly Dean is promoted to Executive Creative Director.

Way joins from Droga5 London with international experience across major brands including Tourism Australia, John Lewis and Mondelēz with a focus on earned, social and integrated campaigns. Molawin arrives from Previously Unavailable, while also running his own boutique design studio and retail space, bringing a strong conceptual art direction and filmmaking background.

Christie-Limbrick joins from Milk NZ and Wilson from Colenso BBDO, adding further depth to the agency’s design capability and focus on craft. Kerr has already made an impression in her new role, working on Skinny Mobile’s new content series ‘Savvy Savers’, alongside social-first work for Essano, DoorDash and KFC.

Says Danny Carlsen, Head of Design at Bastion Aotearoa: “We’ve had a massive run of growth across the design business and with the work getting bigger, braver and more ambitious, bringing in seriously good people matters. Jemima and Stella are two huge additions to the Bastion design crew, bringing fresh energy, sharp thinking and a real care for craft. We’re stoked to have them on board and can’t wait to see what we create together.”

Together, the appointments reflect a broader evolution of Bastion Aotearoa’s creative product. As ideas increasingly move across advertising, social, earned and experience, the agency is building one creative team with the breadth of expertise to develop ideas that can move seamlessly between them.

Alongside the new hires, Dean (pictured below) has been promoted to Executive Creative Director, with an increased focus on social, creators and earned. The expanded remit brings earned-first thinking closer to the heart of creative leadership, ensuring cultural relevance and participation are considered from the beginning rather than as amplification after an idea has been developed.

Says Toby Sellers, CEO of Bastion Aotearoa: “Great agencies are built around great people, and the calibre of talent joining and stepping up within Bastion right now says a lot about where we’re heading.

“Bayleigh, Molawin, Zoe, Jemima and Stella bring new perspectives and serious creative talent to the agency, while Holly has already made an enormous contribution to the work and culture we’re building. Investing in people like this means we can keep raising the standard of what we deliver for our clients and put them in a position of strength.”

Says Oliver Green, Chief Creative Officer at Bastion Aotearoa: “There’s a lot to be excited about with this group, bringing serious creative pedigree and fresh thinking.

“Holly’s promotion is equally important. She’s a brave and passionate partner for me. Bringing her earned and social expertise further into creative leadership makes our creative product stronger from the outset. It’s a brilliant mix of talent and exactly the kind of team we want to keep building. When you have talent like this, every problem is a playground.”

Together, the appointments strengthen Bastion Aotearoa’s connected creative offering, combining the agility of an independent with the scale and capability of a global network to deliver integrated solutions that puts our clients in a position of strength.

Main image (L-R): Danny Carlsen, Molawin Evangelista, Bayleigh Way, Holly Dean, Zoe Kerr, Jemima Christie Limbrick & Stella Wilson

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