Independent earned-first creative agency We Are Different has announced senior hires, promotions and expanded training initiatives.
Jenna Orme joins as head of Difference, bringing more than 18 years of global agency experience across business leadership, integrated communications and crisis management.
Orme, formerly managing director at TBWA's FleishmanHillard, joins Different's senior leadership team, strengthening the agency's people-first approach with a focus on team growth and creative excellence.
Siobhan Veddovi-McCaughan has been promoted to group performance director. Since joining Different in January 2024, she has played a key role in delivering work across consumer tech, travel and food and beverage verticals. Veddovi-McCaughan joins Different's senior leadership team, overseeing earned-first creative work, client partner excellence and team development.
The agency also welcomes Helaina Young as performance executive, joining from Alt/Shift in a newly created role within Different's earned division.
"When teams are supported, challenged and trusted, it shows up in the work," said We Are Different founder and director Stuart Terry.
"We're offering clients an agency culture where ambitious people at all levels are empowered to do the best work of their careers. Partners feel that in the passion of the team, the quality of the thinking and the great results we achieve together."
Alongside new hires and promotions, Different is announcing a six-figure investment in staff development initiatives, designed to build long-term capability and consistency for team and clients.
Coaching Culture celebrates the difference of every employee and the need for highly individualised support. Every team member has access to an executive coach for one-on-one and group sessions. Led by industry veteran and former One Green Bean chief executive Claire Salvetti, the programme unlocks leadership capability at every level by building confidence, sharpening judgement and affirming the power of doing things differently.
Culture Club immerses teams in the creative spaces shaping how people think, feel and behave. The programme draws inspiration from counter-culture movements - from art to astrology, activism to the creator economy - to provoke different thinking and sharpen cultural instinct.
Different Academy blends hands-on learning, live client briefs and applied AI capability to upskill the next generation of earned-first leaders. The programme embeds learning into the agency's day-to-day operations, translating directly into stronger strategy, sharper creative and more effective client outcomes.
"People investment is our competitive edge. It's fundamental to doing work that earns attention, builds trust and delivers real commercial impact. Our clients benefit from teams that combine craft excellence with a genuine desire to do things differently," Terry said.
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.