Stephen has a diverse range of experiences across the areas of integrated marketing communication (IMC), brand planning, and social trends analysis, gained over the past six years since graduating from a Marketing Degree. Stephen has held positions with the multinational advertising agency J. Walter Thompson (JWT) and been a casual project team member and independent consultant on a wide range of communications projects. Along the way, Stephen has gained competence in most aspects of communications from copy writing through to rebranding, for SMEs and large corporates.

Stephen's specialty is cultural trends. With JWT he was deeply involved in a global cultural/values trends project and won the 2002 International Advertising Association's (IAA) traveling scholarship for an essay (published in Ad News Magazine on "Is advertising a component of free speech?"). Stephen has also been interviewed by both the Herald Sun and the Melbourne City Weekly for their feature articles on Australian social and cultural trends.

This diversity, and solid grounding in trend analysis, formed the foundation for Stephen’s recent shift towards ‘Strategic Foresight and Futures Studies’ – which provides the deeper frameworks and understanding of change that have furthered his interests. His current work is focused on the development of an Integral framework for building brands, and understanding the sources and roles of creativity and ideas involved in imagining alternative futures.

Experience

Stephen’s experience includes:

• Over three years of strategic brand planning experience with global top-five advertising and branding agency JWT, working on large clients such as Kraft Foods, SMEs (e.g. Laser Sight Centres), and government initiatives (such as the Victorian Sustainable Energy Authority). He was also JWT’s Knowledge Manager and main research contact for two years;
• Work in Melbourne, London and Milan;
• Strategic foresight consultant to strategic marketing consultancy i2i Group; and,
• Writing for a global cultural/values trends consultancy based in Milan, Radar Trend Distillery, whose clients include large multinationals such as Fiat.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor of Business (Marketing) degree from Monash University – results placed in top 5% (Golden Key National Honour Society membership);
• Diploma of Creative Advertising & Copywriting from the Australian College of Journalism;
• Completion of short courses with Market Research Society of Australia; and,
• Currently in the final year of a Masters of Science in Strategic Foresight at the Australian Foresight Institute.