Australia – Experienced crisis and reputation management expert, Matt Thomas launches Stake: The Reputation Company which aims to help organisations define their purpose and ensure their reputations thrive.
Stake will work across the full spectrum of brand and reputation, offering end-to-end integrated solutions – that are both inspiring and practical – to bring brand reputations to life. Stake’s key services include Brand + EVP Strategy and Storytelling, Reputation Management and Stakeholder Engagement, Crisis and Issues Navigation, and development of End-to-End Brand Campaigns.
Founder Matt Thomas said the newly formed agency bridges the gap between brand and reputation with a unique approach combining both strategic vision and a deep understanding of the ecosystems in which organisations operate.
According to Thomas, as AI and large language models increasingly gain access to general insights, the real value in today’s fast-paced business world is uncovering the unsaid, the unstated, and the unknown drivers that push or pull people alongside a brand. Stake, he says will take “a contemporary approach to reputation management.”
Thomas said, “At Stake, we’re done with the empty rhetoric and spin that so often dominates the world of branding and reputation; we’re here to flip that switch and overthrow outdated reputation tactics. We believe reputation isn’t just built on promises—it’s earned through action, consistency, and connection. Brands can no longer afford to exist in silos.”
He added, “In a world where organisations need to build meaningful partnerships, we understand that a brand isn’t just a static asset—it’s a living, adaptive reflection of how an organisation shows up in the world. We believe an organisation’s brand and its reputation is earned not owned, built experience-by-experience in the minds of its stakeholders; the customers, partners, employees and collaborators who matter.”
Considered one of Australia’s leading brand, corporate communications, and reputation management strategists, Thomas’s work in the corporate communications and behaviour change sectors has been recognised both nationally and globally.
His expertise in managing complex multi-stakeholder projects has seen him lead some of Australia’s most significant campaigns, including the Victorian Government’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign and a pioneering counter-propaganda strategy against extremist recruitment. In 2024, he was invited to author the reputation chapter for the Oxford University Press Handbook on Social Purpose (2025), cementing his thought leadership in the field.
With a 25-year career spanning senior roles in Australia’s top communications agencies (Ex Havas Red, Think HQ + Icon Agency), Government and the arts, Thomas has advised some of the world’s most iconic brands, including Netflix, Nike, Toyota, Amazon, Airwallex, Roche, Fujitsu, and The Body Shop as well as all levels of Government, supporting start-ups and not for profits.
His expertise extends across brand strategy, crisis and issues management, media and PR, and stakeholder engagement and his strategic leadership skills has shaped reputation-defining initiatives, from guiding major organisations through high-stakes crises to leading executive profiling and thought leadership programs.
At Stake, Thomas and his team will work at the intersection of brand, reputation, and purpose—crafting strategies that don’t just manage perception but transform organisations from the inside out. And expanding the idea of purpose is central to the agency’s ideals.
Thomas continued, “At Stake, we believe that a sole focus on an organisation’s financial stakeholders is a thing of the past; we are passionate about extending the idea of equity to ensure that organisations meet their financial goals, but that they don’t do so at the expense of people and the environment.”
He added, “We aim to redefine how organisations build, protect, and leverage their reputations—not as passive assets, but as powerful drivers of impact and leadership. Our work ensures organisations are not only seen but believed; not just noticed but trusted. And in an era where trust is the ultimate currency, it’s what makes all the difference.”
