Sling & Stone appoints Nichole Provatas to newly-created Australia Managing Director role

Communications agency Sling & Stone has today announced the appointment of Nichole Provatas as Managing Director, Australia. Provatas’s appointment will accelerate the agency’s growth in Australia and meet the growing demands of Sling & Stone’s ambitious clients globally.

Provatas is Sling & Stone’s first ever Managing Director in the Australian market, a deliberate investment to deepen strategic guidance for the agency’s clients and deepen service offerings across AI visibility, strategic insights, social, creative and content.

Provatas brings exceptional experience spanning brand, integrated marketing and communications strategy and has driven brand campaigns for global powerhouses including Adobe, Telstra and PayPal that reflect how influence is changing in an AI and social-led world. She joins from We. Communications, where she led the international integrated marketing team, spearheaded new services like AI Search, and created the Future of Communications thought leadership program that helped set a new benchmark for the industry.

Says Provatas: “Communications is being rewritten in real time and the front door to brands has changed. Discovery and trust are being reshaped by AI, creators and algorithms. Sling & Stone is well positioned for this shift: it’s built for ambitious brands and it moves at speed. That’s what excites me about joining Sling & Stone right now.

“My focus is to combine sharp insight, brave creativity and emerging technology to deliver work that travels across channels and delivers real impact. The winners won’t be the loudest brands; they’ll be the most credible, useful and creatively distinctive. Sling & Stone is built for that future, and I’m lucky to help lead it in Australia.”

Her appointment comes as Sling & Stone doubles down on growth in 2026, with a spate of client wins across social networking, consumer technology, energy and deep tech, and a clear mandate to expand how it serves clients at the intersection of strategy, creativity and emerging technology. Provatas’ rare combination of passion for the future of storytelling, strategic acumen, and creative instinct is central to that ambition.

Says James Hutchinson, CEO of Sling & Stone: “The moment we met Nichole, we knew she was exactly the kind of leader we need to take Sling & Stone in Australia to its next chapter. She brings an incredible track record, an instinct for creativity and strategy, and a global perspective on the future of communications. As Managing Director, Nichole will help us deliver deeper strategy, greater creativity and impactful communications for our clients.”

Provatas steps into the role immediately and will oversee the full scope of Sling & Stone’s Australian operations, working closely with the global leadership team to deliver for clients across the region.

Sling & Stone also announced a leadership transition in New Zealand, with Sian Church stepping down as Head of NZ after seven years. Dearra Naidoo, who has been with Sling & Stone for four years, has been promoted to Director and will lead the next phase of growth, deepening client impact and expanding the agency’s strategic capabilities and new service offerings alongside the leadership team.

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