Who are you?

Kia ora, ko Zalán tōku ingoa. I’m a thespian, book worm, Taurus, and Project Executive at Hemisphere.

What’s your story?

While I’m a Hutt City boy at heart, I fell in love with Te Whanganui-a-Tara while studying at Victoria University, where I graduated with a BA in Film and Theatre. I focused my studies heavily around Queer and Indigenous art and performance, topics which have been a big influence on my work as a performer and designer. Following my studies, and a year of retail drudgery, I sought bigger and better opportunities, leading me to Hemisphere’s doorstep. I’ve been here ever since, growing every day and loving the work that I do.

What do you do at Hemisphere?

I started at Hemisphere as an intern and have since worked my way up to be a Project Manager. In my role I help to deliver inspirational campaigns and projects for clients, mostly Government. I also lead the Hemisphere content team, making sure we turn out great work for our website and social media. My role is multi-faceted, and every day looks different to the rest, which keeps things interesting!

What are you passionate about in your work?

Working with Government clients means that we’re often involved with social marketing campaigns. I’ve always thought it important to join social movements for positive change, and being able to do that in my work is super rewarding. As I grow in my role, it’s exciting to contribute more and more to the changes I want to see in Aotearoa.

What did you want to do when you were small?

When I was a kid, I wanted to be something different every week – it usually depended on which movie I was obsessed with at the time. At one point, after watching Dr Doolittle, I really wanted to be a vet, and at another point I was adamant I would become a lawyer after watching Legally Blonde. All in all, though, that lead me down my route of loving film and theatre and wanting to become an actor or director. Deep down that desire lives on… I’m still hoping I run into Taika Waititi at the supermarket and he’ll scout me for a role in his next film.

Why did you join Hemisphere?

I never really knew I had an interest in marketing until I saw the Hemisphere job online and thought “Hey, this is right up my alley.” I wanted a job that would be constantly challenging, that would use the skills of my degree, and that would propel me to the next stages of my career. My hunch was definitely right – this is exactly what I should be doing.

What’s your superpower?

I would say my sassy mouth, but I’m sure the rest of the team would call that a super deficiency rather than a superpower.

What do you do outside of Hemisphere life?

I’m a pretty big nerd, so I’m usually reading books, collecting vinyl LPs, and watching old movies. I’m obsessed with history so I especially love the classics – books by Dickens, movies by Hitchcock, music by Paul Simon. I’m also a big lover of nature and will be outdoors whenever I can. An ideal day for me would be spent at the beach or river, swimming and sunbathing, with a cool drink and beautiful people.