Who are you?

Ko Ingarani te whenua ō ōku tūpuna
I tipu ake au i Bournemouth
I te tau rua mano mā waru i haere mai au ki Aotearoa
Kua noho au i Whakatū
Kei Te Whanganui-a-Tara ahau e noho ana
Ko Hemisphere ahau e mahi ana
Ko Sean Barker tōku ingoa.

What’s your story?

I bring my years (eek, am I that old?) of creative experience with brand, marketing, and communications from a wide range of sectors, both here in Aotearoa and the UK.

Born just outside London, I grew up in Bournemouth, on the south coast of England. In 2008, I emigrated to New Zealand and have happily called it home ever since. I spent the first 7 years in Nelson before hopping across the Strait to Wellington. We got off to a rocky start with the reduction in sunshine and increase in wind, but our capital city finally won me over.

What are you passionate about in your work?

I love the power of words. Because how you look is important, but what you say is vital.

What did you want to do when you were small?

Firstly, I wanted to be a professional footballer and got as far as being a part of the AFC Bournemouth Youth Academy and had an (unsuccessful frown) trial for the Under-15 England squad. However, I then got into music which led to my second pursuit of being a professional drummer in a rock n roll band (note, I’m still working on that one!).

What’s your superpower?

I’m a hybrid who can do both the creative thinking and doing; whether it’s brand direction, strategy, campaigns, copywriting, art direction, video scripting, audio recording and more. I can also talk about The Beatles for hours.

Why did you join Hemisphere?

I should say it was the opportunity to work closely with Tim… But I’d also say a slightly bigger reason was the opportunity to collaborate with all the talented crew here who are producing awesome mahi for clients, and the genuine commitment of Hemisphere to improve the lives of all New Zealanders. Plus, I have a pretty choice view of Te Whanganui-a-Tara from my desk.

What do you do at Hemisphere?

Aside from confusing colleagues with my technical coffee making (Aeropress all the way!), I lead our creative mahi which involves creative concepts, campaign development, copywriting, whakawhanaungatanga with clients, and whatever else I find myself involved in.

What do you do outside of Hemisphere life?

I go on adventures in our VW campervan with my wife, Natasha, and our two tamāhine, Skye and Lily, aged 8 and 5. I’m on a journey of learning more te reo Māori and have just started studying He Papa Tikanga Level 3 at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa. I drum and sing in Search For Yeti (single and album to come soon). I have a passion for podcasts, politics, music, NFL, football, coffee, ebikes, and a good pizza crust.