Coming to Ocean by way of Te Herenga Waka, Ria is a multilingual learner of te reo Māori and an experienced researcher. Ria leads and supports cultural growth in the way we and our clients work and uses her knowledge of mātauranga Māori to shape insights and brands and organisations through a te ao Māori lens. When Ria isn’t at Ocean, you’ll find her hanging out with her two tamariki, Ocean and Karearea, and training on the ocean with her waka ama team, Rehutai.

Charlotte brings her skills of organisation and efficiency along with her signature cool, calm and collected approach to the Ocean client services tīma (team). Charlotte is passionate about communication, learning and sustainability. Charlotte is a big fan of second-hand shopping and is a cheese scone connoisseur — ask her where to find the best scones in Wellington.

Clare is a deeply experienced designer who likes to ‘lift the bonnet’ to uncover what makes an organisation tick. She knows that all organisations are different and takes the time to listen and genuinely understand what makes people get out of bed each morning. Clare’s secret power is her empathy and she thrives on collaborating and connecting talented humans. A newcomer to gardening, Clare loves nothing more than getting her hands dirty and dreaming about what she’ll plant next.

Owner of Ocean, Blair has over 25 years' experience as a designer. He believes that design in its purest form is a problem-solving process, and that is what our clients need from us. Be it branding or communication design, the principles remain the same. Focus on and understand the people who the design will touch, and then, and only then, may you actually have a chance of succeeding. Speaking of success, Blair is a lifelong Liverpool supporter.

Charley is our office manager extraordinaire and uses her enthusiasm, positivity and can-do approach to keep Ocean running smoothly. In 2021, Charley graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Te Herenga Waka–Victoria University of Wellington with a triple major in Psychology, Education and Sociology. Once upon a time, Charley was a nanny in Brooklyn, New York City for a couple of creatives and their kids — the perfect training ground for her role at Ocean.

Sam defies labels. Ocean's renaissance man, he is equally at home helping a client formulate a complex digital brief as he is building a wall in our offices. Nearing 15 years at Ocean, Sam has built an unmatched level of trust and respect with our clients as an agile and dedicated problem solver. Extremely pragmatic, Sam holds an unerring eye on the future and the implications this may hold for Ocean and our clients. He once had a pet chicken called Chooky. Don't ask.

A graduate of Massey University Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa in Visual Communication Design with Honours, Amrita worked with us on a number of projects before we made her an official member of our Ocean tīma. Amrita is known for her thoughtful approach, her intelligence, and her cool and calm manner. Outside of Ocean, Amrita loves to get out on a long-distance run or park up in a café with a good book.

Designer, Matt works effortlessly across design and technology. Matt's work transcends established forms of design. His creative problem-solving is helping our clients communicate in more innovative and spellbinding ways. Matt loves creative coding as a means to explore and bring data, digital, and design together. Matt is a surfer. Enough said.

Anna brings a wealth of experience in client liaison and account services to our Ocean team. She’s honed her talents over a diverse and highly practical background: from marketing farm machinery, to managing a YouTube account for an electrical manufacturer - she’s done it all. Anna’s a highly skilled communicator who works with a calm, attentive and meticulous approach. Originally from Denmark, she boarded the wrong ferry one day and ended up in New Zealand. We’re extremely grateful.