WHO
WE ARE
WELCOME TO BASTION COLLECTIVE
Founded in 2009, Bastion Collective is the largest independent communications agency in Australia with a growing presence in the USA, alongside our agency partnerships around the world with representation in Dubai, London, Singapore, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong.
We exist to be the Bastion of Australian ingenuity - creating simple, original and resourceful solutions to our clients' complex problems.
We deliver this for our clients by providing the entire breadth of communications services, delivered by absolute experts in their field combined with owner-operator service.
WHY WE EXIST
OUR STORY
WHY WE'RE DIFFERENT
HOW OUR CLIENTS WORK WITH US
Australia is a country built on ideas. We’ve grown up a nation of dreamers and storytellers who have produced some of humanity’s greatest ideas. Maybe it’s this land of droughts and flooding rains that sparks something in us. Being a long way from anywhere in an unforgiving climate gives us a certain resourcefulness that is required to achieve great things.
We call it Australian ingenuity.
But we’ve lost something. We’ve lost our sense of identity as Australians. We’ve stopped creating. We’ve stopped pushing each other forward and we’ve lost Australian ingenuity as a result.
The future of this country will once again be built on the quality of our ideas. The restless search for a better way in everything we do. The celebration of our diversity. The courage to have a crack and always do what’s right.
At Bastion Collective, this is why we exist. To be the Bastion of Australian Ingenuity. To create, grow, protect and measure ideas. To reimagine the spirit of Australia and who we are as a nation. This is why we are on a mission to create the Great Australian Agency, for our times.
Founded in 2009 by Fergus and Jack Watts, the two brothers started out with bucket loads of energy and a serious drive that is hard to match.
Jack and Fergus Watts are not your typical mad men. They have been on an incredible journey with the support of thousands of people. They have built Bastion Collective into a 250-person agency group in 10 years through a true commitment to creating more opportunities for their clients and their staff.
The boys are fond of the early years, as any entrepreneurs are. The real joy however comes from striving to have Bastion make a dent on the communications industry. A driving passion to deliver ideas that are insight backed and an execution team that is second to none. A passion to continually evolve and create a group that delivers a full-service solution for the modern client. A focus on creating a place that is great to be and great to be part of. That is what this business is all about.
Modern communications has become a challenging and complex task. No longer can we segment consumers based on age and income, nor can we reach the majority of Australians through traditional advertising alone.
We believe that the future of communications is the ability for any brand or organisation to articulate one unifying idea, influenced by data and insights, executed consistently, yet bespoke across every applicable channel.
To effectively deliver this, we believe brands and organisations need the support of an agency partner built for the modern world.
This is why we have built Bastion Collective.
Our clients can access the breadth of communications disciplines, delivered by absolute experts in their field combined with owner-operator service.
Every one of our 250+ staff work together to provide simple, original and resourceful solutions to our clients' complex communications problems.
We call this Australian ingenuity.
Bastion Collective is the hybrid between the large multinational agencies and the small independents. We comprise of 10 mid-sized agencies that work together to form the largest independent agency in Australia.
Each one of our businesses is run by an industry leading owner-operator. Because let's face it, you are more invested in delivering exceptional outcomes for your clients if you have skin in the game.
This means our clients get to deal with the people who run the place. This makes us nimble and responsive in a rapidly changing communications landscape.
Our clients can choose to work with us in one of our disciplines, or, when the time is right, access our range of communications services to deliver truly integrated campaigns.
Importantly, our agencies are complementary, not competitive. This means we genuinely work together to deliver an outcome that is best for the client, not the bottom line.
Our Values
At Bastion we have three core values that underpin everything we do.
Values that look out for our people and our clients; values that protect the bottom line; values that deliver work that's more than worth the effort.
Three values that ensure whether you're one of our staff or one of our clients, your Bastion experience is a valuable one: one that more than meets your needs and expectations.
Make each other’s lives better
01
Deliver World Class Work that gets better every time
02
Run sustainable businesses
03
fergus watts
FOUNDER AND MANAGING DIRECTOR
Thanks to his knack for understanding business quickly and creating growth opportunities, Fergus Watts has assisted some of Australia’s most dynamic companies in charting the future of their marketing and communications. First and foremost, Fergus believes that a company is nothing without quality people growing within it. He has even fostered his own education program, the Bastion Degree, to help turn visionary young workers into well rounded self-starters.
JACK WATTS
CEO - AUSTRALIA
Over the past 10 years, Jack and his team have grown Bastion Collective into the largest independent marketing and communications group in Australia. Day-to-day, he works with Bastion’s wide range of clients to ensure that anyone who walks through the doors leaves satisfied. As CEO, Jack prefers to anticipate Bastion’s next big opportunity rather than relish in its success – he is always looking ahead to see what can be achieved in the near future.
dax cornelius
CEO - USA
Solving organizational challenges as an officer/F-16 fighter pilot to serving another decade in C-Level sales and marketing roles, Dax embraces people empowerment and process. Responsible for US growth, Dax believes Bastion's solution to a fragmented marketing industry is to provide detailed service expected of the smaller owner-operated agencies while also delivering an integrated offering across a number core disciplines by aggregating expert agencies under one roof.
dianne gardiner
CEO - BASTION LATITUDE
Dianne is a passionate researcher and business woman who nurtures a talented team to strive for answers - no matter what the brief. A detective at heart, Dianne pieces clues together to uncover who, what and why, before shining a light on the path forward. Whether it is through listening, observing or questioning, Dianne's curiosity and desire to improve the status quo drives everything she does. With over 20 years’ experience researching all manner of brands, products, and communications, Dianne continues to help shape the world of research.
andrew varasdi
MANAGING PARTNER - BANJO
Andrew has over 25 year’s agency experience and is a founding partner of Banjo. His career started at John Singleton Advertising. Starting as an entry level graduate position, Andrew worked his way up, in 2004 being appointed Managing Director of Singleton Ogilvy and Mather. Andrew has extensive experience as a senior strategic suit and MD and has worked with many leading and global brands. He founded BANJO in 2008, describing it as ‘the best thing I ever did’.
ben lyttle
PARTNER - BANJO
Ben has over 22 years of experience in the industry, following receiving a First Class Honours in Bachelor of Business. He is a multi-disciplinary strategist and researcher with client, media and creative experience. With over a decade in the advertising industry as Planning Director at Singleton Ogilvy & Mather, Carat Media and The Campaign Palace, Ben has worked with clients in almost every industry.
brian walsh
CEO - BASTION REPUTATION MANAGEMENT
Brian has more than 30 years’ experience in media and communications, focusing on crisis issues, management and strategic communications. He was General Manager of Corporate Communications with NAB after working as Corporate Affairs Manager for the AFL. He began his career in newspapers, working with the Herald Sun in a number of senior editorial roles.
Clare Gleghorn
GM - BASTION REPUTATION MANAGEMENT
Clare has more than a decade of experience working in government, public affairs and corporate communications roles in Australia and overseas. Clare was previously the Director of Corporate for the Melbourne office of Edelman and started her communications career with the Victorian Government. She has also worked in the UK with Shell and the UK Government.
Richard Chapman
CEO - BASTION EFFECT
A creative communications practitioner with industry experience amassed over 20 years, Richard is a multi-channel expert who believes in the power of storytelling. He co-founded PR and experiential agency Spark Impact, going on to join one of the top global media and communications agency networks where he spent a decade creating memorable experiences that connected brands with consumers.
Simon Garlick
CEO - BASTION EBA
Simon's diverse history includes working in CEO, C-level and governance roles across Corporate, Brand, Agency and Sport. 15-year career he has negotiated multi-million dollar Sponsorship Deals acting on behalf of brand, property holder and agency across every code and sector in Australia. Simon is a CEO who relishes working directly with his clients, he particularly prides himself on building an environment that allows his team to flourish and deliver world class work.
Gus Seebeck
CEO - BASTION FILMS
Gus has over two decades of experience across sports marketing, management, broadcast, content sponsorship and major events including running ESPN’s Australian operation.
Jane Lu
PARTNER - BASTION CHINA
Jane draws on her own experiences of navigating two cultures to bring a unique perspective to the role as leader of Bastion China, Chinese communications & engagement agency. Jane’s previous roles included Country Manager for Juwai, the largest real estate listing online platform in China, and enterprise manager at UWEI, a popular tourism platform that facilitates Australian businesses to connect with the growing Chinese speaking tourists market; working with clients including SeaLink and Skycity Casino.
Sean Sammon
CEO - Bastion Engage
Sean’s experience spans from working in Government as a political advisor and strategic consultant. Sean established Bastion Engage four years ago with the goal of creating a more strategy focused government consultancy service.
Karen Johnston
DIRECTOR - STABLE RESEARCH
Karen has over 20 years experience in sales and marketing in the corporate environment. Her industry experience at a senior management level includes the retail and cosmetic industries. She also has an MBA.
Pip Hooper
SALES DIRECTOR - STABLE RESEARCH
Pip has over 20 years experience in marketing in the corporate environment. She has worked in a broad range of industries including photographic, financial services, sports marketing, real estate and consulting. One of her favourite roles was Sales and Marketing Manager for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games Organising Committee. Pip is Graduate of the Institute of Company Directors and is on the NSW AMSRS Committee.
michael brown
CHAIR
Michael is Chair of Bastion Collective. He is Head of Strategy and Business at Ticketmaster (Aus/NZ) and works closely with government and private corporations in his private business. He is an Adjunct Professor at Queensland and Deakin Universities and Chair of Reclink Australia who provide life changing opportunities to disadvantaged Australians. His former roles include CEO Hawthorn Football Club, CEO 2015 Asian Cup, Deputy CEO Cricket Australia and Chief Commercial Officer of the NRL.
andrew demetriou
RELATIONSHIP STRATEGY MANAGEMENT
Andrew Demetriou was Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Football League, from 2003 until June 2014. Since 2003, Andrew oversaw unprecedented growth in Australian football and expanded the game nationally and internationally as well as leading the AFL in negotiating a series of record commercial arrangements including broadcast and sponsorship agreements. Andrew now holds the following roles – Director of Bastion Collective, Director of Crown Resorts Limited, Director of BetEasy, Chairman of the Board of Management of Cox Architects and Non Executive Chairman of Capital Health Limited.
jim watts
FINANCE AND SHAREHOLDER LIAISON
A seasoned and experienced CEO, chairman and board director, Jim has been involved with Bastion Collective since its inception. A safe pair of hands, Jim has taken on various roles over the journey. In his current non-executive role, he is challenging internal processes to drive operational efficiencies across the Collective. He is also the conduit for communication between shareholders and the BC board. Jim's passion has always been about the people. Recruit well and build a culture that empowers the individual to maximise potential, and the business results will follow.
david sawicki
AUSTRALIA AGENCY ADVISOR
David is a business advisor specialising in advising B2B service companies including consultancies, agencies and professional service firms. For 25 years, David has been helping companies crack their toughest challenges, and also helping companies to improve their performance and build more profitable businesses. David co-founded Impact Employees Communications, which was acquired by Singleton Group Limited and renamed Ogilvy Impact (award winning communications company with a global network). At Bastion Collective, David invests his extensive client and agency experience into managing growth and development in his roles as chairman of Bastion Effect, Bastion Latitude and Stable Research, as well as being the Australian agency advisor for the Collective.
susan mitchell
GLOBAL HEAD OF OPERATIONS
Bastion was a client of Susan’s very successful financial services business for several years before she sold her company to become our CFO full time. Susan’s astute business acumen and strong financial literacy not only ensures that Bastion Collective is a successful, viable business but she also educates all those around her to be more financially literate & better business operators.
edwina webb
GENERAL MANAGER, PEOPLE & CULTURE
With a career spanning over 20 years, Edwina has worked in media and advertising for businesses such as George Patts, Mojo, ACP, and Conde Naste. Having worked corporate and agency side, Edwina knows the importance of a great work culture. Since joining Bastion, her focus has been building Bastion Collective's Staff Engagement and Learning and Development program to position the business as one of the world's most progressive and innovative employers.