Special Wellington grows with three new hires across creative and business teams

Special Wellington has announced the appointment of three new powerhouses: Alana Allen as Senior Business Director, Rosie Bea Stoddart as Business Executive and Holly Gascoigne as Junior Art Director.

The appointments follow after a slew of new business wins for the Wellington team last year and will allow them to continue going from strength to strength to deliver world-class creative work for its diverse portfolio of clients.

Allen brings more than 10 years of experience agency side, with a wealth of business know-how across a diverse range of public and private sectors for some of New Zealand’s biggest organisations including, the Ministry of Social Development, New Zealand Defence Force, Ministry for Primary Industries, Stats NZ’s Census, Te Pūkenga, EECA, and more.

Says Allen: “I’m joining Special at a very exciting time, where we are expanding at an impressive rate with some incredible new clients and campaigns in the pipeline that naturally demand attention and talkability. I’m eager to get stuck into it and see where this year takes us.”

Stoddart, who recently graduated from Te Herenga Waka with a degree in Marketing and Communication Design, joins the team as Business Executive. With a fresh perspective and tenacious attitude, she will collaborate with the business management team across their range of clients.

Says Stoddart: “With a shared purpose and passion for connecting with people and exploring creative approaches to help build a better Aotearoa, I couldn’t think of a better place to start my career.”

Says Special Wellington’s Lead Business Partner, Matt Barnes: “We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Alana and Rosie Bea into the fold. Alana’s proven capabilities and experience will have a huge impact on our team and clients, and Rosie Bea’s eagerness to grow and passion for the industry will see her become an integral part of the team.

“As we continue to grow, we want to ensure that our service remains world-class, so making these hires was a logical step for us.”

Gascoigne, Special Wellington’s recently appointed Junior Art Director, also joins from university where she completed a Bachelor of Design, majoring in Visual Communication Design at Toi Rauwhārangi, College of Creative Arts.

Gascoigne is excited to expand her range of design skills and knowledge through an advertising lens with the support of her Special Wellington team: “Design and visual communication are part of everyone’s everyday life, so knowing how to deliver effective creative work can be a catalyst for positive change, not just in Aotearoa but around the world. I’ve seen this through following Special’s previous work, so I’m eager to join the team and contribute to creating visually engaging work that makes an impact.”

Gascoigne will work closely with Special Wellington’s Executive Creative Director Mark Forgan who says: “We’re incredibly excited to bring Holly into the fold. She’s put in the work harnessing her craft and creativity at university and is already brimming with brilliant creative solutions. We’re excited to nurture her knowledge and skills to deliver award-winning work for our clients.”

Based in the Wellington office, Allen, Stoddart and Gascoigne have joined Special with immediate effect.

Pictured (clockwise): JP Twaalfhoven, Holly Gascoigne, Bethany Omeri, Mark Forgan, Rosie Bea Stoddart, Alana Allen, Matt Barnes, Jess Skyler

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