Mel is the founder and Managing Director of Elevate Communication. She started the company in 2007 and has built it into one of the most successful, independent communication agencies in Australia.

In a career spanning more than 20 years, Mel has worked for some of the world’s top companies and brands in Europe, Australia and New Zealand including Diageo, Westpac, Domino’s Pizza, Frosty Boy Australia, QSuper, Sodexo and the Surf Life Saving Foundation to name a few.

With an enviable network of contacts worldwide, Mel specialises in issues and reputation management, stakeholder engagement and strategic communication advice and management.

Mel holds a Bachelor of Business (Public Relations) from Queensland University of Technology and a Diploma of Business German from the University of Queensland.

She is a professional member of the Registered Consultancy Group and currently holds the position of Queensland President of the Public Relations Institute of Australia.

Mark is an experienced business manager responsible for Elevate’s business development, finance and operations.

He has more than 20 years’ experience with international organisations, including multinational alcoholic beverage producer Diageo.

His commercial and business savvy make Mark an invaluable member of Elevate’s senior management team.

A multi-skilled operator, Mark negotiates acquisitions for property and assets, and financially forecasts and budgets to ensure the ongoing success and growth of the company.

An experienced and passionate communications leader, Mai has led high-performing agency teams in both the UK and Australia in a career spanning almost two decades.

Mai oversees the Elevate team with a focus on providing strategic and creative guidance, driving operational excellence and consistently seeking ways to add client value.

Specialising in strategic communication, she has extensive experience in integrated campaign management, PR and media relations, issues and crisis management, digital marketing and copywriting. Key clients have included Procter & Gamble, American Express, Land Securities, Pernod Ricard, Johnson&Johnson and adidas, for whom she headed up retained global agency accounts from London, UK.

Mai holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Manchester.

Allison Grant has a natural flair for engaging hearts and minds through the power of storytelling. In fact, she has done just that for some of the world’s most iconic brands, from McDonald’s and Emirates Airline through to Australia Post and Suncorp, which is why she relishes the role of Communication Director with Elevate.

Her strengths lie in helping brands to genuinely communicate to and engage with their customers, with extensive experience in FMCG, franchise systems, property, tourism, elite sport, government (local and state), not-for-profit, manufacturing, FMCG, B2B and the media, in a range of senior agency and in-house roles.

After 27 years in the industry, Allison boasts significant experience in communications, public relations, marketing, event management, issues and crisis management, stakeholder and community engagement, and publication management.

At Elevate, her focus is on working with clients to solve their business problems through the identification and creation of opportunities, and the delivery of strategic, end-to-end campaigns that cut-through the clutter.

Allison holds a Bachelor of Communications from QUT and a Certificate of Public Participate from IAP2.   

As a professional and dynamic Marketing professional with a growth mindset, Sally brings end to end fundamental marketing skills that have been developed over 25 years experience in advertising and marketing. Her expertise spans across agencies, business consultancy and in-house marketing and communications positions. Her passion for gaining a deep understanding of business objectives forms the basis for the development of evidence-based marketing strategies and solutions that drive business growth results.

Her high level of digital marketing expertise has achieved successful campaign outcomes across a broad range of industries including finance, automotive, food & restaurants, tourism & leisure, superannuation, retirement living & aged care and legal. Sally’s guiding principle is being a true marketing partner with Elevate’s clients.

Sally oversees and guides the Elevate digital team to deliver strategic marketing solutions that take the customer from “what is this?” to “I want this”.

Rachel is a creative and passionate communicator with extensive experience across the media, retail, training and events industries.

With a career spanning more than two decades, the former journalist, educator and events producer has a flair for building authentic relationships with her clients through meaningful stakeholder engagement.

An innovator, out-of-the-box thinker and creator, Rachel has worked closes with local government, and in the retail, property management, beauty and major events industries and has created an impressive network of contracts across a diverse selection of industry sectors.

Rachel holds a Bachelor of Arts, Majoring in Irish Literature from Griffith University. 

Maree is a communications powerhouse with a strong creative streak and extensive social, print and broadcast media knowledge.

Her skills in traditional PR and stakeholder engagement pair perfectly with her background in journalism to give her an understanding of both sides of the industry.

During her five years with Elevate, Maree has managed strategic communication programs for clients such as NightOwl Convenience, Surf Life Saving Australia, Eagle Boys Pizza, Bondor, Mr Rental and Frosty Boy Australia.

Maree holds a Bachelor of Mass Communication (Media Production and Journalism) from the University of Southern Queensland and is a professional member of the Public Relations Institute of Australia. 

Christine Retschlag is a Brisbane-based travel journalist with 32 years’ experience in Australia, Hong Kong, London and Singapore.

She writes tourism and travel features for newspapers, magazines and online, in Australia, the Pacific and south-east Asia.

In 2018, she won Best Travel Blog (www.theglobalgoddess.com) at the Australian Society of Travel Writers’ Awards (ASTW) and for the third year in a row, was named as a finalist for Best Travel Writer in the NTIA Awards.

In 2017, she won the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Gold Award for Travel Journalism. She has been a member of the ASTW since 2001.

Christine is passionate about south-east Asia and has travelled to Thailand on assignment for Australia’s major travel newspapers, magazines and online at least a dozen times.

With a passion for digital media, Olivia brings a contemporary approach to the PR and communications field.

Building on a platform of visual content and a constant search for innovative digital opportunities, she has quickly built a reputation for achieving results for clients across a range of platforms with solid integration into digital marketing tactics, web and more traditional PR offerings. Capitalising on her technical and digital skills, Olivia has converted many clients to alternate communication platforms, over and above traditional media and corporate channels. Coupled with her likeable personality, strong organisational skills and determination to achieve results, Olivia has proven herself exemplary in managing integrated communication programs for a suite of clients.

Olivia has worked in agriculture, aviation, government/international relations, property, manufacturing, not-for-profit and lifestyle sectors, engaging with clients and media both in Australia and abroad, utilising her excellent people skills to create and maintain exceptional relationships regardless of where they may be located.

In 2018, Olivia was awarded the Public Relations Institute of Australia’s Future Leader Award for her leadership in digital communication and her ability to integrate contemporary digital channels into a PR agency’s offering.

With the support of Elevate’s professional development program, she has positioned herself as a leader in strategic digital content creation and marketing. This influence has filtered through to Elevate’s internship program, the Queensland University landscape and professional networking groups, where she mentors young professionals in the digital communication space.

Olivia holds a Bachelor of Communication majoring in Public Relations from the University of Queensland and is a professional member of the Public Relations Institute of Australia.

Jose Abad is a seasoned communicator with over 20 years’ experience in corporate communication strategy, planning, implementation and media management in Australia and internationally.

Jose commits to his clients, learns their business and engages strategically and effectively to deliver outcomes while remaining vigilant for opportunities and risks.

He manages every detail of the client experience from strategy development, media, marketing and communication plans, issues and crisis management, social media, client liaison and project delivery.

He has expertise in working in both consultancy and in-house communications management positions in the corporate, property, food, agribusiness, mining and not for profit sectors.

Jose holds a Bachelor of Arts (Majors in Journalism and Communication) from the University of Queensland and is a professional member of the Public Relations Institute of Australia and Australian Institute of Marketing.

Jackie has helped Australian businesses grow their audience, brand awareness and revenue through strategy development, content writing and media liaison.

With eleven years experience in agency and in-house communications roles, Jackie is an established industry professional who has managed the PR accounts for McDonald’s Qld/NT, Baskin-Robbins, Sunny Queen Australia, Crime Stoppers Queensland, Propell National Valuers and many more.

Jackie is outcome and results driven, and works hard to ensure clients continue to see the value in a public relations investment. She is adept at responding to challenges and change quickly and efficiently and ensures all activity contributes to overall business goals and vision.

Jackie holds a Bachelor of Communications majoring in Professional Communication from Central Queensland University and a Post Graduate Diploma in Business majoring in International Event Management from the University of Queensland. 

Kim’s impressive count of events has hit 300 and is rapidly rising. She has produced everything from large charity campaign events and stakeholder roundtables, to multi-day annual conferences and community forums.

Over the past 14 years Kim has accrued vast experience across all aspects of event management: from lead generation to post-event evaluation to everything in between.

She is also a highly skilled project manager, overseeing the development of internal communication channels, change management programs, corporate communication materials and online portals.

Kim holds an Advanced Diploma in Marketing from APM Training Institute specialising in Sports and Entertainment Management and is an active member of the Public Relations Institute of Australia and the Professional Conference Organisers Association.

Yevonne is a passionate, award-winning PR practitioner with a career spanning across the healthcare, not-for-profit, consumer and lifestyle industries.

With four years’ experience in agency, Yevonne’s strengths lie in strategic communications, media relations and content writing. She is driven to exceed client expectations by delivering strategic thinking that achieves measurable and tangible results for her clients’ objectives and goals.

Yevonne understands the power of storytelling and strives to craft meaningful messages that stand out in a crowded market.

In 2019, Yevonne was awarded with ‘Highly Commended’ as Mumbrella CommsCon’s Best New PR Talent for her achievements and contributions to the PR industry, which recognised her use of strategic and innovative communications to make impactful differences for her clients as well as her leadership in mentoring the next generation of PR professionals.

Yevonne holds a Bachelor of Creative Industries (Entertainment Industries) and a Bachelor of Business (Public Relations) from Queensland University of Technology.

Matt is a highly skilled media and communications professional, having worked for over five years across both Australia and the UK within in-house and agency settings. Most recently he has returned from working in London for several years where he oversaw large projects with well-known brands within the tech, gaming and entertainment spaces. There he further refined his talents in creative writing, editing, media and publicity, digital trends, internal communications, event management and more.

He has also managed multi-staged campaigns for domestic and international clients across a broad range of sectors, including FMCG, franchise, not-for-profit, health, beauty, mining, construction and turn-key FF&E packages. He has a proven track record and has procured fantastic results for his clients with national and international media in print, online, TV and radio.

With his vast experience across multiple sectors, he is a creative wordsmith and an accomplished all-rounder with a keen knack for big picture thinking, creative problem solving and providing expert advice on implementing communications in effective ways.

Matt also has experience as a freelance writer for several print and online publications, including News Corp and SBS Australia.

Matt holds a Bachelor of Journalism from the Queensland University of Technology.

Tom’s passion for digital advertising, data capture, and statistical analysis help our clients to dive deep into their data, and properly understand their marketing funnels.

He has experience managing multi-channel digital campaigns for clients from large international corporations to small start-ups.

With a straight forward approach, Tom focuses on drilling down into what is truly most important for our clients. Making sure to provide the best quality results at the most fundamental level.

Tom holds a Bachelor of Commerce, Majoring in International Business and Finance, at Victoria University of Wellington.

Results driven and outcome focused, Joshua has a strong desire to see clients excel in their organisational pursuits through communication excellence.

His experience in agency positions and across multiple industries has allowed him to develop a broad, yet fine-tuned, toolkit which he uses to help Elevate’s clients achieve their communication objectives.

Josh has developed a keen interest in working alongside corporate clients as they navigate the business minefield and enjoys helping them identify their niche. He upholds a strong belief that articulating a client’s point of difference through the power of storytelling is the key to achieving a voice in a crowded landscape.

Josh brings to the Elevate team his strong writing and content creation abilities. Coupled with a results-driven approach, Josh will strive to ensure outstanding outcomes are achieved for all of Elevate’s clients.

Joshua holds a dual Bachelor of Business and Journalism, majoring in Public Relations, at the Queensland University of Technology.

Jeremy looks to add another dimension to Elevate’s comprehensive repertoire, through the application of his marketing and advertising background.

He enjoys taking the time to think analytically about brand identity before developing an effective strategy. Jeremy understands that to create a truly successful marketing and message strategy, a deep understanding of the client and their consumer must be achieved.

He has a passion for delivering creative social media campaigns by engaging his clever copywriting skills to penetrate today’s digital noise. This, along with his knowledge of digital analytics and advertising, couple to create integrated marketing strategies that deliver results for our clients.

Jeremy holds a Bachelor of Business Management majoring in both Marketing and Advertising at the University of Queensland.

From creating high quality content to supporting clients, Micayla is enthusiastic in her approach to public relations.

Working with Elevate, Micayla is passionate about soaking up experience from her colleagues, in order to ensure she delivers the best results.

She has a passion for creating and delivering effective digital campaigns, with the utilisation of her creative and copywriting skills. As well as this, Micayla strives to bring fresh ideas and existing knowledge of the market and industry to the Elevate team to deliver positive results for clients.

Micayla is ambitious and constantly seeking new opportunities to learn more about the industry and her clients, in which her excellent people skills enable her to do so.

Micayla proved her potential during an internship with Elevate and is now an integral part of the team as a Communication Assistant.

Micayla holds a dual degree consisting of a Bachelor of Business majoring in Public Relations and Creative Industries majoring in Fashion, at the Queensland University of Technology.

Passionate and driven, Madeline looks to expand on her existing communication and content creation skills through her role with Elevate. Madeline has a strong background in written communication and brings a creative approach to challenges.

Her experience includes media relations and campaign execution in the not-for-profit sector, which achieved media coverage to encourage the enrolment of disengaged youths in vocational education programs.

As part of Madeline’s time in the non-profit sector, she facilitated workshops to help young adults who had exited formal education gain work-ready skills. When COVID-19 prevented face-to-face sessions, Madeline built an online platform to engage audiences with virtual content.

Following an internship with Elevate where she demonstrated her knack for copywriting and acute attention to detail, Madeline joined the team as a Communication Assistant. She has a keen interest in literature and the technical side of writing which has allowed her to create impactful written materials for clients.

Madeline is interested in working with clients who empower the communities they operate within.

Madeline is in her final year of university, studying a Bachelor of Communications and a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Queensland.

Ankita has an eagle eye for detail and a thirst for perfection honed over 20 years in bookkeeping and financial services.

She provides Elevate with professional bookkeeping and accounting services, keeping all finances in check.

Her professional insight and advice are invaluable, and have proved pivotal for Elevate’s ongoing growth and success.

Ankita is a qualified Chartered Accountant, a registered BAS agent and certified cloud accounting specialist with strong professional experience in accounting and consulting services.