5th July 2023
Overview
Studying towards a Communications or Marketing degree and keen to hear about where a job in the PR industry could take you? Or, sitting there thinking to yourself ‘what on earth have I got myself into?’.
Come along to this interactive panel event where you’ll hear from five young PR professionals about their experience in the communications and marketing sectors.
They’ll cover off some tips and tricks that you might find helpful when looking for your first gig once you graduate from Uni, and share some of their key lessons that have shaped their careers so far.
Networking from 5:00pm with light refreshments and nibbles, Panel to start at 5.30pm
Your presenters are..
Brooke Hurndell (Ngāti Kahungunu ki Te Wairoa, Whakatōhea) is Co-Chair of the PRINZ (PR Institute of New Zealand) Northern Committee, 2022 finalist of the Sally Logan-Milne Young PR Practitioner of the Year award and a Corporate Relations Partner at Spark where she’s part of the consumer team focused on how Spark’s technology and brand shows up for consumers.
She graduated from AUT with a Bachelor of Communications Majoring in Public Relations and Minoring in Journalism and has been working in the PR and communications industry for nearly seven years.
Brooke ‘cut her teeth’ in agency land before pursuing a career in Sports PR where she’s spent the majority of her career undertaking Communications Manager positions at the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup and New Zealand Rugby League.
With strong foundations in media relations, stakeholder engagement and risk management and a passion for sport in tow, Brooke has recently stepped into governance taking up Board Member roles with the 2022 Softball World Cup and North Harbour Softball Association.
Sophie Wills
GM Marketing & Communications, New Zealand Rugby League
With nearly seven years of experience in the PR and communications industry, plus four years at New Zealand Rugby League (NZRL), Sophie is passionate about shaping rugby league’s narrative among fans, communities and stakeholders.
After graduating with a Bachelor of Communications Majoring in Public Relations from AUT, Sophie began her career as a Corporate PR consultant before pursuing her love for rugby league and sports communication. In her role as General Manager of Communications and Marketing, Sophie is responsible for all of NZRL’s external communications and the organisation’s media, reputation and brand management strategies.
Sophie leads a team of talented marketing and content creators, and her role has seen her lead multiple international communications campaigns, most recently the 2022 Rugby League World Cup tour in the UK.
Anaru Tuhi
Communications Advisor, Lotto NZ
Anaru Tuhi (Tainui, Te Rarawa, Te Aupouri) is a Communications Advisor at Lotto NZ focusing on Corporate, CSR and Māori engagement.
Anaru has a passion for bringing his culture into the mahi he does and last year took a year off to study te reo Māori full-time. Anaru previously held various roles for nearly seven years at Spark NZ, most recently as Corporate Relations Partner.
Besides his roles in PR and comms, Anaru also sits on the board of Copyright Licensing New Zealand and on the Sustainability Advisory Panel for TAB New Zealand.
Morgan MacFadyen
Senior Account Manager, One Plus One Group
Morgan is an enthusiastic and detail-oriented public relations generalist, providing communication advice and support across a range of clients and industries.
With over five years experience, Morgan is skilled in reputation management, internal, external, employee and crisis communications, social media, project management, event management, stakeholder engagement and content development.
Currently a Senior Account Manager at One Plus One Communications, her working portfolio includes roles as a Senior Client Executive at SenateSHJ, a Communications Advisor at Ports of Auckland, and a number of PR internships under her belt.
Morgan holds a Bachelor of Communications Studies majoring in Public Relations and a Bachelor of Business double-majoring in Market Insights (Marketing, Advertising, Retail and Sales) and Management, both from Auckland University of Technology. She is a member of the Public Relations Institute of New Zealand and achieved her Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) in 2022.
Grace MacCormick
PR Business Manager, Bastion Amplify
Although no stranger to the disciplines, Grace is new to PR, having recently joined Bastion Amplify as PR Business Manager.
Grace has a strong understanding of the industry’s core competencies; a Bachelor of Communications with a major in Journalism and experience in a local newsroom, which has honed her nose for news and storytelling skills.
Grace’s most recent experience at Warner Bros. Discovery exposed her to digital marketing, which will be valuable for her Bastion Amplify clients who have an active social media presence. It is Grace’s strong news and editorial sense, writing, campaign and project management skills, however, which have proven most transferable – a daily essential in her new role at Bastion Amplify.
It was her love of writing that encouraged Grace to make this career change; the ability of words to influence reputation remains powerful in today’s world.
