Branding and design company Hulsbosch strengthens management team with Michele O’Neill appointed to strategy director role

Australian branding and design company, Hulsbosch – Communication by Design, has made a significant addition to its management team with the appointment of Michele O’Neill (middle) to the role of strategy director.

Her arrival strengthens Hulsbosch’s position as the only branding and design company delivering high-level strategic and creative excellence to corporate Australia. The move signals Hulsbosch’s commitment to raising the bar in the business of brand and design, and confirms its number one position in the marketplace.

Returning home to Australia after 20 years, O’Neill was most recently global strategy director with Interpublic Group’s Lowe + Partners, based in London and Paris. During this time she built the group’s global retail agency, launching the operation in Shanghai in 2010. She was previously a board member of Ogilvy London and global planning director Ogilvy Worldwide, having worked with the WPP company for 15 years.

O’Neill’s experience has been built over five continents, with a rich list of companies including Unilever, Nike, Electrolux, Valentino, Seagram, Disney and the International Olympic Committee.

Says Peter Boone, vice president marketing, Unilever Australia, who was a client of O’Neill’s for four years internationally: “Michele is a world class brand and business strategist with a great consumer radar. I am incredibly excited about her return to Australia to join Hulsbosch.”

Says Jaid Hulsbosch, Hulsbosch director (left): “Michele’s appointment is a response to the changing needs of our clients and consolidates our strategic branding and design offer. She brings a depth of global industry knowledge and experience that will complement our efforts to further build the business.”

Working alongside Jaid Hulsbosch and executive creative director, Hans Hulsbosch (right), O’Neill will lead all aspects of the company’s strategic offer across current clients including Virgin Australia, Woolworths and Royal Caribbean International as well as new business development.

Says O’Neill: “Hulbosch is an ideas driven creative company with a real strategic appetite. I’m privileged to be part of this chapter in the company’s growth.

“Australia has a dynamic and visually stimulating culture where brands have a great opportunity to lead. I wonder if the design aesthetic of some brand owners is a little more conservative than their consumers? I’m looking forward to finding out.”