‘What sets us apart is our breadth of knowledge and expertise across corporate and government organisations.’
Behind every successful woman, is a community of women. CEO Kate and Executive Director Naomi are supported by a team of communication professionals with a diverse range of knowledge and expertise.
Each has the know-how to make an impact on your organisation and audiences, deliver exceptional results and act as an extension of your team.
Meet The Team
Kate Lord
Chief Executive Officer and Founder
Naomi Wilton
Principal Consultant and Executive Director
Sofia Polak
Senior Consultant
Adelaide Haynes
Consultant
Alex Dickson
Consultant: Government Relations
Megan Dingwall
Consultant
Priscilla Gordon
Consultant
Deanna Thomson
Executive Assistant
Meet The Team
Kate Lord
Chief Executive Officer and Founder
Kate has more than 15 years experience in public affairs. Kate brings a strong balance of skills and perspectives combining strategic campaigning and careful stakeholder management. She has appeared before Senate Estimates and has managed significant media events as a spokesperson, including leading crisis response situations. Kate regularly provides media and crisis response training for C-Suite executives and government leaders. Kate has strengths in leadership, high-level corporate advocacy, delivering stakeholder campaigns, writing, Ministerial level government engagement and communications. Recently, Kate recently led the launch of the Technology Council of Australia and continues to manage their portfolio, along with multiple other corporate clients.
In December 2022, her media expertise was recognised by being named as one of the winners of Campaign Asia’s 40under40.
Meet The Team
Kate Lord
Chief Executive Officer and Founder
Kate has more than 15 years experience in public affairs. Kate brings a strong balance of skills and perspectives combining strategic campaigning and careful stakeholder management. She has appeared before Senate Estimates and has managed significant media events as a spokesperson, including leading crisis response situations. Kate regularly provides media and crisis response training for C-Suite executives and government leaders. Kate has strengths in leadership, high-level corporate advocacy, delivering stakeholder campaigns, writing, Ministerial level government engagement and communications. Recently, Kate recently led the launch of the Technology Council of Australia and continues to manage their portfolio, along with multiple other corporate clients.
In December 2022, her media expertise was recognised by being named as one of the winners of Campaign Asia’s 40under40.
Meet The Team
Naomi Wilton
Principal Consultant and Executive Director
Naomi is a professional communications specialist with experience in both the Australian Public Service and the private sector. Naomi has developed, facilitated and implemented communications across all levels of government. Her experience includes strategic communication planning and delivery, discovery and segmentation of users and their needs, and ensuring stakeholders are engaged effectively.
This has included digital content development, event planning, ministerial liaison, and executive messaging.
Meet The Team
Naomi Wilton
Principal Consultant and Executive Director
Naomi is a professional communications specialist with experience in both the Australian Public Service and the private sector. Naomi has developed, facilitated and implemented communications across all levels of government. Her experience includes strategic communication planning and delivery, discovery and segmentation of users and their needs, and ensuring stakeholders are engaged effectively.
This has included digital content development, event planning, ministerial liaison, and executive messaging.
Meet The Team
Sofia Polak
Senior Consultant
Sofia has over 14 years experience in communications, account management, and events across government and the corporate sector. Her expertise includes public relations, events, stakeholder engagement, campaign management, and leadership.
Sofia is a creative thinker who is focused on delivering outcomes that exceed her client’s expectations, raises their profile, and cut through to the right audiences. She has a keen eye for anything visual and is passionate about delivering campaigns that elevate her client’s brand profile and engage target audiences through the power of storytelling.
Meet The Team
Sofia Polak
Senior Consultant
Sofia has over 14 years experience in communications, account management, and events across government and the corporate sector. Her expertise includes public relations, events, stakeholder engagement, campaign management, and leadership.
Sofia is a creative thinker who is focused on delivering outcomes that exceed her client’s expectations, raises their profile, and cut through to the right audiences. She has a keen eye for anything visual and is passionate about delivering campaigns that elevate her client’s brand profile and engage target audiences through the power of storytelling.
Meet The Team
Adelaide Haynes
Consultant
Adelaide has over seven years of experience working across a range of communication, marketing, web, social media, event and media across government, not-for-profit and the university sector. Adelaide is passionate about creating and nourishing meaningful relationships to understand and exceed clients’ needs.
She is a creative and strategic operator, who applies care to her work to achieve excellent results. Adelaide is a natural storyteller who is driven by curiosity to get to the heart of any story and connect with diverse audiences across multiple platforms to engage with and inspire audiences.
Meet The Team
Adelaide Haynes
Consultant
Adelaide has over seven years of experience working across a range of communication, marketing, web, social media, event and media across government, not-for-profit and the university sector. Adelaide is passionate about creating and nourishing meaningful relationships to understand and exceed clients’ needs.
She is a creative and strategic operator, who applies care to her work to achieve excellent results. Adelaide is a natural storyteller who is driven by curiosity to get to the heart of any story and connect with diverse audiences across multiple platforms to engage with and inspire audiences.
Meet The Team
Alex Dickson
Consultant: Government Relations
Alex is an experienced government relations, policy and stakeholder management professional. Alex served as a Policy and Communications Advisor to two Senior Ministers and the Premier of Queensland, specialising in innovation and international education policy and communication campaigns for government members.
He was a Senior Government Partnerships and Policy Advisor for The University of Queensland and coordinated policy projects, events and agreements with local, state and federal government. Alex earned an undergraduate degree in government and international relations and is passionate about policy, the mechanics of government and backing industry opportunities.
Meet The Team
Alex Dickson
Consultant: Government Relations
Alex is an experienced government relations, policy and stakeholder management professional. Alex served as a Policy and Communications Advisor to two Senior Ministers and the Premier of Queensland, specialising in innovation and international education policy and communication campaigns for government members.
He was a Senior Government Partnerships and Policy Advisor for The University of Queensland and coordinated policy projects, events and agreements with local, state and federal government. Alex earned an undergraduate degree in government and international relations and is passionate about policy, the mechanics of government and backing industry opportunities.
Meet The Team
Megan Dingwall
Consultant
Megan is an experienced media professional who has worked in journalism and communications for more than 15 years. She has extensive experience across content development, stakeholder management, social media and digital communications.
Megan is passionate about helping clients tell their story – and to find the audiences they want to reach. Many years in a newsroom has developed her strong understanding of the media landscape and a sharp eye for writing and editing. She is a skilled problem solver who approaches tasks creatively and strategically, and enjoys collaborating to deliver quality communications products.
Meet The Team
Megan Dingwall
Consultant
Megan is an experienced media professional who has worked in journalism and communications for more than 15 years. She has extensive experience across content development, stakeholder management, social media and digital communications.
Megan is passionate about helping clients tell their story – and to find the audiences they want to reach. Many years in a newsroom has developed her strong understanding of the media landscape and a sharp eye for writing and editing. She is a skilled problem solver who approaches tasks creatively and strategically, and enjoys collaborating to deliver quality communications products.
Meet The Team
Priscilla Gordon
Consultant
Priscilla is interested in all areas of communications and media and knows that great outcomes start with great relationships. Prior to joining Akin, Priscilla worked in a community engagement role where she provided support for the Board, coordinated sponsorship, and managed a variety of social media channels and events. Priscilla brings strong attention to detail and consideration to her work to ensure clients are supported to achieve their goals.
Meet The Team
Priscilla Gordon
Consultant
Priscilla is interested in all areas of communications and media and knows that great outcomes start with great relationships. Prior to joining Akin, Priscilla worked in a community engagement role where she provided support for the Board, coordinated sponsorship, and managed a variety of social media channels and events. Priscilla brings strong attention to detail and consideration to her work to ensure clients are supported to achieve their goals.
Meet The Team
Deanna Thomson
Executive Assistant
Deanna Thomson is the Executive Assistant for Akin Agency. With over 25 years of experience working as an Executive Assistant in vastly different companies throughout her career, Deanna has worked to improve processes, communication, and policies in her workplace.
Deanna is highly organised with an eye for detail. She is flexible, accommodating of others and able to work under pressure. In addition to supporting our CEO, she is essential to ensuring our Agency and team run smoothly by organising events, managing schedules and assisting the team and clients in any way she can.
Meet The Team
Deanna Thomson
Executive Assistant
Deanna Thomson is the Executive Assistant for Akin Agency. With over 25 years of experience working as an Executive Assistant in vastly different companies throughout her career, Deanna has worked to improve processes, communication, and policies in her workplace.
Deanna is highly organised with an eye for detail. She is flexible, accommodating of others and able to work under pressure. In addition to supporting our CEO, she is essential to ensuring our Agency and team run smoothly by organising events, managing schedules and assisting the team and clients in any way she can.
As Akin continues to grow and evolve, our values have remained ever-strong. At Akin, our core values are:
- Respectful. We are respectful of our clients and eachother. We are considerate of people’s needs. We listen carefully to understand the brief. We are allies, we are in your corner.
- Creative. We are creative in our approach to delivering excellent results. We think big and are driven by curiosity. We bring vision and passion to our work to deliver innovative results.
- Connected. We are connected to Australia’s leaders. We create meaningful partnerships.
- Invested. We are invested in our staff and committed to building meaningful relationships. We back ourselves. We are invested in inspiring and supporting women’s success.
How we work
At the heart of Akin Agency is a message of empowerment, a story about two amazing women who turned their dreams into a force that reverberates in every connection, every interaction, and every outcome. Akin Agency is an ode to the power of working together, being honest, and having the courage to make your own future.
Amidst this tapestry of collaboration and connection, Akin Agency embraces a profound purpose – to empower and inspire women, in a world where the strength of a woman’s touch is often underestimated, Akin Agency stands as a beacon of change. For Naomi and Kate, success is aimed to redefine norms, challenge conventions, and showcase the formidable power of strong women.
Since inception, our values have been our pillar to growth and consistent results:
- We are respectful: Through cultivating harmonious relationships we nurture an inclusive environment to understand, appreciate and become your alliesin your corner.
- We are creative: In every interaction, every partnership, and every milestone, Akin Agency exemplifies a creative approach that goes beyond – it’s a narrative of empowerment, transformation, and the relentless pursuit of excellence.
- We are connected: to Australia’s leaders, decision makers and media outlets. Together, we collaborate and connect clients with the right people to create meaningful outcomes.
- We are invested: in our team, clients, relationships and inspiring and supporting everyone we work with.