Amanda Syzlo Duncan.
Independent brand consultancy Houston Group has appointed Amanda Szylo Duncan chief strategy officer, joining from global brand consultancy Interbrand where she spent nearly eight years as managing director and head of strategy.
Szylo Duncan brings close to two decades of experience across clients including Coles, Westpac, AMP Capital, HUB24 Group, Allianz and Minor Hotels.
She works closely with Houston founder and CEO Stuart O'Brien and leads a strategy team that includes executive strategy director Cara Meade, based in Melbourne, and strategy director Chloe Jensen, who joined in October 2025.
O'Brien said Szylo Duncan had long been one of the most respected strategists in the market.
"That kind of healthy competition builds real respect, and I've admired her work for years. Bringing her into Houston and working alongside her as a peer as CSO feels like such an exciting step — for her, for us, and for our clients," he said.
Szylo Duncan said Houston's depth of client relationships and the calibre of problems it was brought in to solve was genuinely inspiring for a strategist.
"A lot is changing in our industry but helping clients navigate increasingly complex business challenges — that's the constant. I'm excited for what this next chapter holds, for the team and the clients we get to do it with," she said.
Houston Group's client roster includes Qantas, Western Sydney Airport, MA Financial, NRMA, Metcash, a2 Milk, Wesfarmers Health, QT Hotels, NITV and Belvoir Street Theatre.
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