Porter Novelli Australia
We do everything you’d expect of a communications firm that’s been a leader in its sector for almost 50 years.
We’ve never stood still.
We’ve always been impatient to evolve, but we’ve always taken the time to listen first, ask questions second — and then act.
We deliver more than the expected and more of the unexpected with effective, creative business, community, brand and government communication and advice every day for clients across Australia’s industry sectors.
Because we are who we are, and we do what we say we’re going to do, we’re confident we can say we’ve been there, done that.
And if we haven’t been there before, be assured we’ll know where to find the answer.
Rhys
Ryan
Managing Director
about
Rhys finds the singular story for companies to communicate with complex stakeholders, to help his clients win in business — not just in communicating.
Following an early stint as a broadcast journalist, Rhys moved into strategic communications, developing expertise in corporate communications for consumer-facing companies in the FMCG, retail and primary produce sectors, as well as obtaining significant experience in B2B marketing.
Arj
Ganeshalingam
Managing Director
about
His commitment to research and insights to uncover creative solutions has delivered award-winning community campaigns for Commonwealth and State governments.
The former General Manager of Porter Novelli Melbourne, Arj has moved to the role of Managing Director at Porter Novelli Sydney, where he leads a team specialising in communications across food, health and wellbeing, property and consumer technology.
Peter
Kent
Chief Executive
about
When it comes to communication planning, he is a strict adherent to evidence-first, and with this commitment he has delivered some of Australia’s most innovative and awarded persuasive campaigns.
Peter’s best work is managing risk and enhancing opportunity where corporate, government and community interests intersect, but he has a particular passion for the industries and people of rural and regional Australia.
Peter is a director of Porter Novelli Australia, a former director of Carers Victoria and Variety Victoria, a mentor with Leadership Victoria and a pro bono advisor to a number of social benefit organisations.
Bree
Taylor
Finance Director
about
CPA qualified, Bree is responsible for a range of business functions including national and global level financial reporting, human resources and training, compliance, and business strategy development alongside Porter Novelli Australia’s Chief Executive Officer.
Bree is process and results driven, believing there is always a better way of doing things.
Patrick
McClelland
Managing Partner
about
A media and politics devotee, Patrick has a knack for connecting the dots between stories and stakeholders, creating meaningful relationships for his clients.
His knowledge and passion for agriculture and rural communities is built upon his deep family roots in grain and livestock farming in northwest Victoria. This enabled him to establish PN Agribusiness, a specialist team of consultants offering an unmatched working knowledge of agricultural industries and a network of engaged stakeholders across Australia.
Laura
Sedgwick
Managing Partner
about
Her passion and expertise lies in the health and wellbeing sector where she works with leading brands, programs and associations including; Kellogg’s Nutrition, Get Healthy at Work (Safework), Australian Mangoes, Australian Lychees, and Diabetes NSW.
Laura understands the often complex and multi-layered stakeholder approach required of public health campaigns, and brings enthusiasm and expertise to every piece of work she leads.
Natalee
Ward
Managing Partner
Natalee has spent more than two decades in journalism, starting out at newspapers in rural Victoria before eventually finding her way to The Weekly Times where she became the first woman in the paper’s 148-year history to be appointed editor, running a 24/7 news website, a newspaper and magazines, plus the country’s premier farming awards. Natalee has a deep understanding of the issues facing agriculture today, the people involved and the opportunities ahead. She has amassed a wealth of business and media experience across print, digital, radio and TV and has won numerous awards for her writing, communication and production skills. With a passion for business and the challenges leaders face, Natalee has worked closely with major Australian brands helping them share their stories with rural and regional audiences, gained valuable business insights while working as an operations manager at News Corp and is undertaking an MBA at the Melbourne Business School.about
Jessica
Hodges
Senior Consultant
Jessica has spent more than eight years managing corporate communication programs and creating compelling content for leading Australian brands and international enterprises. She is skilled at navigating highly regulated environments and managing multiple stakeholders across geographies through her experience across finance, government, technology, recruitment and education sectors. Jessica enjoys distilling complex information into relatable and interesting concepts for key stakeholders. Her curiosity and tenacity also allows her to seek out new ways of tackling communication challenges to help drive business success.about