Hardhat bolsters senior team with three new appointments and multiple promotions

(Pictured L-R: Jade Mittermair, Katy Ross, Mark Tompkins)

Independent creative agency Hardhat has continued to grow, adding three new senior team members and announcing a string of internal promotions. The new hires come in response to the considerable growth from new and existing clients in the last quarter.

Says Issy Bonin, general manager at Hardhat: “We’re proud to welcome a team of new Hardhatters who are as talented and ambitious as they are genuine. After a sustained period of growth in the last quarter, we can say with great confidence that we’ve found the right people to accelerate and support the great work we do and the relationships we have with our clients.”

Hardhat senior hires include creative director, Mark Tompkins, who joins Hardhat from TBWA Melbourne, where he helped develop campaigns for the likes of Nissan, Bumble, Seek and Mattel. Prior to this, Tompkins was the digital creative director at Big Red where he led multiple teams across Coles and Optus.

Katy Ross has joined in the newly created role of operations director, driving resource efficiency as the agency scales for growth. Prior to Hardhat, Ross was at The Royals where she led resourcing and operations.

Account director, Jade Mittermair joins Hardhat from Saatchi & Saatchi, where she worked on major accounts such as Bank of Melbourne and led accounts including Visa Aus & NZ, as well as several L’Oreal skincare brands. Prior to this, Mittermair was previously with The Royals and Cummins & Partners.

These hires follow Hardhat’s recently announced appointment of Ken Chan as head of strategy.

In addition, Hardhat celebrates the internal promotions of Lesley Baker as client service director and Victoria Beranger as group account director, as well as several mid-level and junior promotions, solidifying their strong team of client service leaders.

Says Bonin: “It’s always a moment worth celebrating when Hardhat sees members of our internal team reach new goals. Les and Vic are incredibly deserving of their titles and always lead with hustle, humility and heart in mind.”

Hardhat was founded in 2005 by Dan Monheit and Justin Kabbani. The agency, now a team approaching 50, builds brands through a combination of creativity and behavioural insights. Hardhat clients include DocuSign, Superhero, Bega Dairy & Drinks, Victoria University, Steggles, Lilydale and Simply Energy.