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.

Frances has applied her great attention to detail over a broad range of clients: from not-for-profits such as Sir Peter Blake Trust and Paralympics New Zealand, to large corporates like Westpac, DB Breweries and Hotels.com. She also had a stint working client side at Unilever developing account strategy plans for some of their biggest brands. She’s now lending her Project Management skillset to Ocean and our clients to facilitate great relationships and above all, results.

Designer, Hannah honed her design skills working in different studios around the world, before coming full circle back to Wellington. She’s pretty keen on all things design - from a beautiful typeface through to a carefully considered annual report. She loves the small details of design craft and the creativity required to solve problems through design. Hannah is currently renovating her house and spends her free time making things from clay. You could say she is a bit potty. We wouldn’t dare.

Maraea is a recent graduate from Victoria University’s design school with a string of accolades: she was the recipient of both a Victoria University of Wellington Taihonoa Scholarship and a Victoria Achiever Scholarship. After seeing her impressive portfolio, Ocean snatched her up and made her an offer she couldn’t refuse. She has a bucket load of raw talent across design and illustration. Watch this space - she’ll tell us something funny once she’s settled in more.

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.

Our Cultural Consultant, Anthony is highly skilled in Tikanga and fluent in Te Reo. He helps Ocean and our clients to engage with Mana Whenua and Iwi where needed to gain Māori community input and insights. His wisdom, mana and inclusiveness creates powerful connections. From the small town of Pōrangahau, population 250, Anthony grew up with a love of Elvis. ‘All shook up?’. We are!

Frankie loves a good story. An exceptional storyteller, her special sauce is a mix of curiosity and asking questions, but most of all, listening. As Ocean’s in-house writer she’s here to solve complex design challenges with smart strategic content. Experienced at creating content for different channels and platforms, she’s written for websites, social media and eDMs and print. Frankie loves nothing more than a kōrero about kai – don’t be surprised if she asks you what you’re making for dinner.

Taylor comes to us from Victoria University of Wellington, with a diverse background in International Business, Marketing Management, Education and hip-hop dance. She brings this unique melange of skills to Ocean as Executive Assistant and all-round Ocean Activator, hustling the everyday rhythm of the office and the team.

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.

Jaz is our Account Director, responsible for building stellar client relationships. Over 11 years in the creative industry with previous clients from FinTech to fashion, her wide range of experience is matched only by her smile. She’s got a real knack for managing creative teams and is skilled in delivering solutions across the whole branding gamut - all the way from identity to execution. She delivers excellent work and - as a dyed-in-the-wool millennial - is passionate about smashed avocado.

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.

Rhueben brings an intuitive approach from his human-centred design background. A creative thinker, Rhueben is experienced at taking complex ideas and translating them into strategic and compelling design. He’s adept at helping brands and organisations bring their stories to life through visual identity. Outside of work, he’s a spearfishing free diver. We’d call him our Aquaman, but that seems too obvious.

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.

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.

Darryl is an experienced creative and brand strategist who has worked for some of the world’s largest creative agencies. He cares deeply about developing solutions that drive results for our clients. With a huge talent in bridging brand thinking with Tikanga Māori value sets to develop powerful, effective and meaningful brands, Darryl brings enormous depth to our kaupapa. We are so privileged to have him as part of the team. Ka mau te wehi DJ!