Melbourne, Australia Social change agency Think HQ has made three new senior appointments as it continues to grow its team, all hailed from creative agency Marmalade after it closed its doors at the end of 2022.

Joining Think HQ are Lisa Gumbleton as head of creative strategy, Sam McCarron as head of art, and Nadia Ladson as an account director. The three are expected to bring understanding of the unique and considered requirements of Think HQ’s clients in the market.

Think HQ’s founder and managing director, Jen Sharpe, said it was striking how quickly the trio had slotted into the agency, which works solely on projects that lead to positive social impact.

“Frankly, the work we do is idiosyncratic enough that we’re often training social change communicators up on agency people, or agency people on social impact work. Marmalade worked on a similar wicket to us, so we have the rare opportunity of finding a crop of incredible operators who understand what we’re working on here,” she said.

Prior to joining Think HQ, Gumbleton was partner and director of client service and planning for 16 years before joining Think HQ, which she described as a ‘unique and exciting agency’. 

“There’s no agency in Australia like Think HQ, where so many aspects of audiences and communication come together. Jen has assembled an extraordinarily talented team. I’m excited to be at an agency that puts people and values at the centre of everything and delivers this through insightful work,” said Gumbleton.

McCarron also commented on his appointment, stating, “This is an amazing opportunity and challenge to bring a new creative perspective to Think HQ, working with a passionate, values driven team of people on clients that make a genuine difference in the community,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ladson, with four years as an account director at Marmalade, sees her work as an opportunity to ‘make the world better’. “Working closely with Lisa and Sam for the past three years at Marmalade, I’ve been lucky enough to work on great projects with social impact. I’m excited to expand on this at Think HQ and it’s a genuine delight to be working with two of the best again so soon,” she said.

This follows the appointment of Michael Knox as Think HQ’s executive creative director.