Our team of brand storytellers
Meet our team of brand storytellers

Steve
To say I was raised in an environment rich in stories would be the understatement of my life. From biblical parables through to the wonderful faraway lands of Narnia and Beatrix Potter, stories – and storytelling – is part of my fibre. In adulthood, a love of hiking has taken me on many journeys and adventures. I’ve garnered tales from strangers met along the way as well as from my own adventurous experiences. Over the last 30 years I have worked with well over 200 brands (in many different product categories) throughout Australasia.
Our team https://www.officemax.co.nz/ https://lockwood.co.nz/ https://www.brandiq.co.nz/blog

Nicqui
A multi-talented advertising superhero of 30 years… a writer, editor, project manager, media manager, grammar Nazi, estimator and nit-picker extraordinaire. And clearly an inflated sense of greatness. But it’s true, I’ve spent more than half my life labouring in both small and multi-national agencies, video production and direct marketing, while at the same time co-founding NZ’s first 0900 surf reporting company (WaveTrack), Surf.co.nz and NZ’s first mobile car audio & security business.
Our team https://www.officemax.co.nz/ https://lockwood.co.nz/ https://www.brandiq.co.nz/blog

Marilyn
Aside from my soft spot for dogs, my interests and experience lie in bringing the Yin and Yang to digital marketing. Now, what do I mean by that? Well, as the MD of Austin Digital, Story IQ’s sister company which specialises in building websites and digital marketing, it’s my job to deliver the best of both worlds to my clients – that being, a deep understanding of the technical aspects of building stand-out websites with supporting digital marketing campaigns, balanced with an innate ability to…
Our team https://www.officemax.co.nz/ https://lockwood.co.nz/ https://www.brandiq.co.nz/blog

John
John is on our advisory board.
My marketing career began in FMCG and breweries – a dream job for a young male marketer – followed by hard yards in advertising and brand development agencies. For the last fifteen years I’ve been managing organisations and been heavily involved in education, meeting market needs and creating and implementing new products. Now, as the CEO of the NZ Marketing Association I’ve developed the brand…
An innovative management and marketing specialist with a knack for identifying and leveraging business opportunities, I’ve consistently demonstrated an ability to develop and implement successful marketing campaigns that have made a significant impact on the bottom line.
My expertise encompasses all aspects of business development, branding and marketing as well as financial management and maximising revenues. My core philosophies are “if you don’t ask you’ll never know” and “always give things a go!”
I’m delighted to be involved with Steve and his team on Brand IQ’s Strategic Advisory Board.
Our team https://www.officemax.co.nz/ https://lockwood.co.nz/ https://www.brandiq.co.nz/blog

Ashton
Having a more-than-slight addiction to being highly organized and keeping everyone on their toes is only a small part of what makes me tick. A digital marketing guru with 9 years in the marketing industry, and marketing strategies coming out of my ears, I’ve been told I’m a force to be reckoned with. With my South African heritage, I like to bring the “Howzit” to all things marketing.
P.S. “Stay human, stay compassionate and don’t forget the little guys.” – Captain America
We help CEOs and their executive teams align around a high-level narrative that clarifies strategy and powers success, in sales, marketing, fundraising, web design, product development and recruitment. Our team is led by Steve Ballantyne.

Mindi
It all started with story. A fascination with imaginary worlds and endless possibility was fueled by the gift of a typewriter at age 8. My creativity was sidetracked while earning a master’s degree in Nutrition Science, publishing three papers and realising the best days were the ones spent researching and writing. Done with the degree and at loose ends, I managed a restaurant for a Kiwi chef where I developed a love of wine,
From the U.P. of Michigan to the mountains of Montana and now beautiful sunny Nelson, I’ve tumbled down a rabbit hole and ended up in Wonderland. Today I write, read, am spoiled by my partner’s cooking, and indulge in whims, wine and conversations with my cat (Alice, of course) – while looking forward to the next challenge.
Our team https://www.officemax.co.nz/ https://lockwood.co.nz/ https://www.brandiq.co.nz/blog

Kern
Gamer, husband, father, Star Wars fan, hero of Azeroth and fantasy fan. I am a tireless seeker of knowledge, occasional reader and also, coincidentally, a graphic designer/web designer. Operating at the junction of simplicity and function to answer design problems with honest solutions. I got my BA Degree in Graphic Design and Multimedia, and since then I have been working in the industry both locally and abroad for over 10 years and on this creative journey, I’ve handled various projects ranging from…
Our team https://www.officemax.co.nz/ https://lockwood.co.nz/ https://www.brandiq.co.nz/blog