Mark Paterson, FPRIA Principal

Mark provides high-level, strategic counsel to senior management on corporate reputation, influencer marketing, stakeholder and media relations, strategic planning, branding strategy, and issue and crisis management. Mark is President-elect of the Public Relations Global Network, past Chair of the Registered Consultancies Group (Victoria) and his contribution to public relations has been recognised with the title of ‘Fellow’ by the Public Relations Institute of Australia. He is a public affairs commentator and co-host on ABC Radio and a former award-winning journalist and newspaper editor.

Susan McNair General Manager

Susan manages the consulting team at Currie Communications. She specialises in integrated communications strategy development and implementation. She has strong networks across the Australian and New Zealand primary production sector, media and government. Prior to joining Currie in 2007, Susan worked for more than eight years as a journalist, editor and managing editor with Australia’s largest rural and regional publisher, Rural Press Limited. She covered all areas of primary production, including the horticulture, forestry, beef, sheep and dairy sectors. Susan is the Secretary of the Rural Press Club of Victoria.

Gabrielle Sheehan Senior Consultant

Gabrielle has more than 10 years’ experience in agriculture, research and development, and natural resource management with a focus on strategic planning, stakeholder relations and project management. Previous roles include Communications Manager for the Dairy Cooperative Research Centre (CRC), Communications Manager at Melbourne Water and Communications Coordinator for the Victorian Department of Natural Resources and Environment. She also has worked as a journalist in the environmental management and R&D sectors.

Craig Little Senior Consultant

Craig has broad experience in public affairs in both the private and government sectors. He has managed corporate affairs for clients including SEEK, Cadbury and Visy. He has specialised in media and stakeholder relations at Transurban which involved crisis management during the Burnley Tunnel accident in April 2007 and stakeholder and government relations for the M1 upgrade project. He has also been manager of communications for the State Government’s planning portfolio, working with the then State Minister for Planning Rob Hulls, on stakeholder relations and mapping, issues & crisis management strategies, developing communication audits and formal speechwriting and policy statements.

Julia Balderstone Senior Consultant

Julia has extensive experience in public relations following 11 years as a senior journalist and chief-of-staff and 10 years in marketing communications. She is a judge of the prestigious Melbourne Press Club Quill Awards and since joining Currie, she has implemented key campaigns for Australia Post, Australian Unity, Metlink, Meat and Livestock Australia, Opera Australia and the Department of Sustainability and Environment. Julia is a former Deputy Editor of The Weekly Times and a former director of the international consultancy, Hill and Knowlton.

Katrina Walter Senior Consultant

Katrina has more than ten years experience creating communication and marketing strategies for companies such as Village Roadshow, Pacific Brands, Optus and Lion Nathan. Her recent work includes research and development of a communications strategy to influence pedestrian behaviour at high alcohol times for VicRoads, launching a new corporate culture organisation, Walking the Talk, in business media and encouraging greater uptake of Metlink’s customer information tools through online channels. She brings a strong consumer empathy to her work and a keen interest in encouraging clients to embrace elements of new media in their campaigns.

Fiona Davis Consultant

Fiona has advanced research and writing skills that have been developed over many years in rural journalism and through her academic studies. She joined the Currie team in 2009 and has provided editorial and media liaison support on a range of projects, ranging from Meat and Livestock Australia’s ‘Our environment. Our commitment.’ Campaign, the WoolPoll 2009 account and the 2010 Oz Opera regional tour, sponsored by Australia Post. Fiona’s research and writing skills were developed through freelance articles for rural newspapers and then later through working as a full-time journalist at the Country News and later the Stock & Land. Her academic work includes a PhD in Australian History.

Meemee Leong Administration Manager

Meemee is a Certified Practising Accountant (CPA) with more than 20 years’ experience in accounting and finance. As the head of administration, Meemee is the architect of a specialised financial reporting system which the company uses to administer often large and detailed campaign budgets. Working closely with the consulting team, Meemee monitors client budgets and contracts.