Kelly Rosnell-Shand.
Our Industry Profile takes a look at some of the professionals working across the advertising, adtech, marketing and media sector in Australia. It aims to shed light on the varying roles and companies across the buzzing industry.
Kelly Rosnell-Shand: General manager at Spark Foundry NZ
Time in current role:
One month, and the time has flown. I’m thoroughly enjoying the new role, and I’m excited to get stuck in as 2026 goes on.
How would you describe what the company does?
At Spark Foundry, our vision is to create work that matters – work that delivers real business impact for clients while creating purpose, opportunity and pride for our people. We’re a growth-focused media agency that blends deep human understanding with data and expertise, to help our clients navigate complexity and drive growth.
What do you do day to day?
I’m lucky enough to oversee the overall performance, culture and direction of Spark Foundry. I work closely with clients, partners and our leadership team to ensure we deliver meaningful, effective work - and that our people feel supported, challenged and truly proud of the impact they create.
Define your job in one word:
Ever-evolving.
I got into the industry because:
It’s dynamic, challenging and deeply collaborative. It offers the opportunity to build ideas that move people, shape culture and drive growth - all while working alongside some incredibly smart, passionate people.
What’s the biggest challenge you face in your role?
Building future-fit capability at pace. Upskilling and developing our people so they can thrive through one of the most significant periods of change in our industry, while keeping standards high and career pathways clear.
What’s the biggest industry wide challenge you’d like to see tackled?
AI and automation are forcing the industry to rethink career pathways. The challenge isn’t the technology itself - it’s making sure we evolve how we develop talent alongside it. For those coming into the industry, we need to be clearer on what the future roles look like, what experiences they need, and how we create pathways that keep them engaged, challenged and invested long term.
Who has been a great mentor to you and why?
I’ve never had just one mentor — I’ve been shaped by many. Working alongside generous, high‑calibre leaders at different stages of my career has helped me build confidence, sharpen my judgment and develop a leadership style grounded in trust, accountability and people‑first thinking.
Words of advice for someone wanting a job like yours?
Curiosity is everything. Take the initiative to connect with people in the industry and get hands‑on experience as early as possible. The real learning happens on the ground - by questioning, challenging and bringing fresh perspectives to the table.
If I wasn’t doing this for a living, I'd be:
An Architect or Interior Designer.
My philosophy is:
Be kind. You never know what someone else is going through behind closed doors.
My favourite advert is:
My favourite ad has to be Toyota’s One Big Ad campaign, brought to life collaboratively across Spark Foundry NZ, Saatchi & Saatchi NZ, and Digitas NZ. It stemmed from a brilliant local insight - if one in four cars on New Zealand roads is a Toyota, what if New Zealand itself was already a Toyota ad? The execution transformed that idea into a cultural moment, and sparked a movement where people couldn’t help but notice and count how many Toyotas they passed.
Music and TV streaming habits:
I love Crime, Action, Documentaries and Sci-Fi - so often a mix of all those things depending on what mood I am in!
What do you subscribe to?
Spotify, Inner Dimensions (Yoga), Waking Up, then the usual TV – Netflix, Neon, Apple TV.
Tell us one thing people at work don’t know about you?
When I was younger, I used to be a gymnastic instructor.
In five years time I'll be:
Still working (I love what I do) but hopefully spending more time travelling the world.
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