Insights and research agency, TRA announces a raft of new appointments to its client service team to support its new client base. Joanne Reid, joins as New Head of Client Service and Bryce Kelliher and Melanie Kozak as Business Directors. The trio will be based in Auckland.
The appointments come on the back of the agency adding TAB, Datacom, CERT NZ, Tegal Foods, Greenpeace and more to its client roster, and the promotion of Terri Hall to Managing Partner, TRA Sydney, after four years leading the business’ Client Service team.
Co-Founder and MD of TRA, Andrew Lewis says: “Everything we do starts with an insight and if you truly understand the clients you are designing for and delivering to, then you have a far greater chance of solving a client’s business issues. I believe we have found the trio to support our client-focussed proposition and I am delighted to welcome Joanne, Bryce and Melanie to the team.”
Reid joins TRA from Fonterra Brands NZ (FBNZ), where she was Group Marketing Manager, Insights and Innovation. There, she led the brand’s long term innovation pipeline and insights portfolio and strategy, while managing the FBNZ agency village across media, creative, digital, design and insights; creating an insight led, fact-based culture to drive sustainable growth.
Prior to Fonterra, Reid worked on some of NZ’s most iconic brands, including Air New Zealand and Tourism New Zealand, locally and across key international markets such as China, USA, Australia and the UK.
She has successfully steered and designed customer-led insight programs driving customer loyalty and achieving commercial outcomes for businesses across the FMCG, travel and tourism, financial services and logistics sectors.
On her new role Reid says: “I am excited to be joining the amazing team at TRA. Having been lucky enough to work with TRA as a client for 10 years, I know first-hand how valuable and impactful their partnerships with clients are and the difference the work can make to people’s lives through brands, experiences, products and services.
“It is a privilege to join a company that is as people-centric and innovative both in the way they work and the work they do. It is an exciting time to be in the industry and I am looking forward to developing my team, so we can provide outstanding outcomes for clients.”
Reid will be ably supported by Bryce Kelliher and Melanie Kozak both joining as Business Directors.
Newly appointed Business Director Melanie Kozak was most recently Head of VOC at Southern Cross Health Society, and prior to that held senior marketing roles at Air NZ, ANZ and the Heart Foundation.
She brings extensive client-side knowledge to the team plus key capabilities in data-driven marketing, CX, research and strategy plus a passion for understanding business issues facing clients, and providing insights that drive actions and results.
Kelliher brings two decades of client-side insights experience to TRA with significant skills and capabilities in the tourism and retail sectors. Prior to TRA he was Global Manager Insights at Tourism New Zealand and prior to that held client-side roles with The Warehouse Group and Countdown (then Progressive Enterprises).
TRA has more than doubled in size in the past year with key hires and promotions across client service, marketing, design, data and consulting functions and further expansion into Australia. Alongside this raft of senior hires, TRA has also focused on the development of new talent in the marketing and insights industry, recruiting over 12 graduates over the eighteen months, and implementing a dedicated development pathway, which has led to several being promoted within their first year.
Lewis adds: “It’s been a busy year already at TRA with the opening of our Sydney office and welcoming so many outstanding new people to our team to work on fascinating client problems. Joanne, Bryce and Melanie will give us the additional firepower to help us with the increased volume of projects from new and existing clients and influence the direction and thinking of our business. The outlook for 2022 is looking very promising.”
