What's your story?

Ko Mauao te maunga e rū nei taku ngākau.
Ko Arkengarthdale te riu.
Ko Arkle te awa.
Nō te rohe o te whenua o Ioka ahau.
Ko Tim Antric ahau.

My journey has been about weaving together seemingly opposite worlds —science and people, data and creativity, evidence and intuition. As a Yorkshire-born Pākehā living in Aotearoa, I've had the privilege of growing up in English, Sāmoan and Pākehā homes, as well as living as part of whānau Māori as an adult. These experiences have shaped my perspective on the power of bringing different worldviews together.

I've always been drawn to social justice and community development. From establishing an HIV/AIDS support organisation in the UK to working with young people facing discrimination, my path has consistently led me toward creating positive change. When I came back to Aotearoa in 2001, my career took an exciting turn into social marketing — a field that would become my passion and eventually the subject of my PhD.

Throughout my career, whether working in health promotion, public health, marketing, or advertising, I've seen how powerful it can be when we bridge disciplines and approaches. This is the foundation of Hemisphere's ambidextrous thinking.

What are you most passionate about outside the office?

Mount Maunganui feeds my spirit. There's nothing quite like climbing Mauao at sunrise or feeling the energy of Tauranga Moana. It feeds my wairua and keeps me connected to place. I've loved splitting my time between Wellington and Tauranga these past few years, working with clients and communities in both.

I'm also passionate about learning or, as we call it at Hemisphere, growth — from my youth and community work diploma to my PhD in social marketing, with many other kaupapa along the way. Each learning journey has added another dimension to how I understand and approach complex challenges.

Being part of the Achilles NZ whānau has been incredibly rewarding, as has supporting the Australian Association of Social Marketing. These connections remind me why the work we do matters — it's all about creating meaningful change in our communities.

Describe yourself in three words.

Curious. Connector. Change-maker.

What do you love most about working at Hemisphere?

The magic happens when diverse perspectives and voices come together. At Hemisphere, we've created a place where analytical thinkers and creative spirits collaborate without barriers. I love how we've transformed the agency over the past few years, building a real sense of whānau and connection.

Building together has been key to our Hemisphere journey. Our Tiriti-dynamic partnership with Big River Creative is just one example of working differently. And, likewise, our ongoing participation in Te Huihui o Te Kakau — bringing together Māori, Pasifika and other cultural insights to create work that deeply resonates across Aotearoa's diverse communities.

I'm particularly proud of how we've brought the whakataukī on our wall to life: "E koekoe te tūī, e ketekete te kākā, e kūkū te kererū" —The tūī chatters, the kākā cackles and the kererū coos. It reminds us that we all bring different voices and strengths to the table.

What has been your favourite project at Hemisphere so far?

Reshaping the agency itself has been my most rewarding project. Transforming from GSL Promotus to Hemisphere wasn't just about a new name — it was about bringing to life our vision of ambidextrous thinking and creating a values-led approach to advertising, marketing and behaviour change.

I've also loved establishing Te Huihui o Te Kakau, our cultural marketing partnership with the KŌ Kollective and other partners. Together, we're demonstrating the power of collaborative leadership and authentic engagement across communities.

The relationships with clients that challenge my thinking are awesome too. When we work together on complex challenges — whether it's social or commercial campaigns — that's when we see the real Hemisphere difference.

What's your office catchphrase?

"Talk to me about that."

This is about encouraging people to explain and explore their thinking and ideas. It's about being curious together. To me, curiosity is the foundation of what we do at Hemisphere. When we approach challenges with genuine wonder rather than assumptions, that's when breakthrough thinking happens.

Though if you asked the team, they might say my real catchphrase is "this is why I work from home" — usually uttered when the Hemisphere pun engine goes into overdrive and wordplay bounces around the office!

Want to find out more about what makes Tim tick? Get in touch and ask him about the Hemisphere difference.