Kelly Bennett is a leading figure in New Zealand’s public relations industry.

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Founder of One Plus One, Kelly is one of New Zealand’s most experienced and successful public relations practitioners. Recognised for his contributions to the industry, he became a PRINZ Fellow in 2018 and has played a key role in shaping the PR landscape. Kelly helped establish the Communications Council PRESCom industry group and has judged numerous domestic and international awards, including Spikes Asia. In 2016, he represented New Zealand as the PR juror at the prestigious Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

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A dedicated mentor and team builder, he thrives on nurturing talent and solving real-world business challenges. 

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His favourite part about leading One Plus One is helping bring out the strengths of the younger staff. It fills his cup seeing these team members grow in confidence and ability. 

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His passion for creativity, commerce, and storytelling drives his work, while his commitment to work-life balance fuels his personal growth. With over a decade of success leading One Plus One, Kelly remains at the forefront of New Zealand’s PR industry, focused on growing his agency and fostering impactful client partnerships.

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Kelly splits his time between Auckland’s CBD and Piha on the West Coast, where he enjoys recharging in the natural beauty of the region.

After getting his start in copywriting and publishing, Max made the jump to PR in the communications arm of New Zealand’s leading advertising group, DDB.

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With a depth of experience spanning from corporate to consumer, over the past seven years he has led high-profile clients across a diverse range of sectors including Iwi, Financial Services, Telco, FMCG, Property, Travel and Tech. Max delivers a potent blend of strategic insight, creative perspective and intelligent execution that drives outstanding results.

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Liz Holt is adept at developing and delivering strategic communications that reach and influence the right audiences.

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With 15 years’ experience in public relations and communications, in both PR agencies and in-house, Liz’s skills span the communications spectrum. Liz leads multiple consultants at One Plus One to deliver strategic communications.

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Having worked with a breadth of clients, her experience covers consumer and corporate communications across multiple sectors including financial services, technology, travel, non-profit, and FMCG.

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An experienced relationship builder and connector, Liz champions collaboration to deliver meaningful results.

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Whether her clients, their audiences, or her team, Liz is a firm believer that understanding how to best connect with people delivers the strongest results. 

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Liz acts as an extension of her clients’ teams, she brings a collaborative approach to understanding an organisation’s needs in order to meet and exceed their objectives. Leveraging an insights-driven approach to understanding their target audiences, B2B or B2C, ensures solutions deliver impact.

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As a nurturing team leader, Liz is passionate about mentoring and developing the next generation of communications talent. 

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Liz brings with her varied experience from a range of environments and sectors.

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Liz’s experience spans PR agencies Haystac, PPR, and Mango Communications, seeing her work across multiple sectors including tech, travel, non-profit, FMCG, retail and professional services. In-house roles in the telco sector with Chorus and Spark rounding out her career to date. 

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At One Plus One, Liz works with clients including nib, Binance NZ, VeVe, Cannabis Clinic, New Zealand Food Network, Prospa, and Farm Focus.  

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Liz has developed and executed communication strategies and campaigns that get noticed and awarded.

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A testament to her dedication to delivering work of the highest calibre, Liz has worked on campaigns that have received accolades and awards from PRINZ, Communications Council Pressie Awards, Effies, and D&AD. 

Magenta Boyd is a communications all-rounder having worked both agency side and in-house in PR, corporate affairs, sales and marketing.

Starting her communications career as a PR practitioner at Mango Communications she worked on a range of well-known clients across telco, FMCG and travel. At Intelligent Ink, Magenta led strategic communications and thought leadership for a range of tech, FMCG, HR, and property clients.

More recently Magenta was a Communications Advisor for leading telco One New Zealand working on internal and external corporate communications for the business including Te Rourou, and Vodafone Aotearoa Foundation.

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Magenta has successfully led some of One Plus One’s largest clients and projects.

She has a proven track record of delivering excellent results for clients and building strong collaborative working relationships. Some of the clients she’s worked with include nib, New Zealand Food Network, Prospa NZ, Binance and Newmarket Business Association. 

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In between managing client relations and supporting her account teams, Magenta is always looking to upskill.

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Having placed huge importance on being the best leader she can be for her team, in 2023 she completed the Communications Council’s Level 3 Senior Leadership Course. 

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A busy career woman and mother to two small children, she has mastered the skill of managing multiple priorities on the go.

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Outside of the office, you’ll find Magenta spending time with her young family and friends.

A talented writer and communications practitioner, Damien Venuto’s creative flare and leadership are a true asset to the One Plus One team.

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Damien joined One Plus One off the back of a successful decade in New Zealand journalism, which included a full remit of print, audio and digital storytelling.

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His work has been recognised in industry awards for magazine journalism, podcasting and most recently public relations.

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In 2017, the Magazine Publishers Association awarded Damien the Supreme Editor of the Year accolade at the annual MPA Awards ceremony, the most prestigious editorial award at this event.

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Damien had a successful career at the NZ Herald as the online business editor, a role in which he interviewed some of the top business and marketing minds in the country. 

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He also hosted the Herald marquee daily podcast, The Front Page, which he and his team grew to a cumulative audience exceeding two million listeners.

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Damien brings his reputation as an insightful columnist to One Plus One.

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Since joining the One Plus One team, Damien has applied his extensive knowledge of business storytelling to the strategic needs of his clients, applying a level of nuance and consideration that can only be attained through hands-on experience attained in New Zealand’s most demanding newsrooms. 

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Damien leads a team of experienced PR practitioners for clients spanning the telecommunications, healthcare, property, and insurance sectors. Some of these include 2 Degrees, Oceania Healthcare, Aon and CMC Markets.

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Notably, a recent 2 Degrees campaign, led by Damien and his team, saw them win Silver for Best Social Content Creator or Influencer Marketing Campaign at the 2024 Pressies Awards, for their work with Paddy Gower. An appeal was sent to the public, calling on Kiwis to send their support to our Olympians ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Having started her career in journalism before jumping into public relations, Erin McKenzie knows where a good story lies and how to tell it.

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Erin’s career started writing for industry blog StopPress.co.nz and NZ Marketing magazine where she was the youngest ever editor. 

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She was named Rising Star at the 2018 Magazine Publishing Awards. At those same awards, she led StopPress.co.nz to win Best Digital Brand - Trade in 2018, before seeing NZ Marketing magazine named the Supreme Magazine of the Year in 2019.

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With four years of experience leading editorial and advertorial direction, Erin made the move into public relations. 

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She was keen to lift the lid on clients, uncover their points of difference, and translate that into impactful corporate and consumer communication strategies. Her well-known clients span a range of sectors in Aotearoa including Fonterra, Kiwi Property and Dairy NZ. 

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Most recently at Lassoo Media, Erin was an Account Director leading and executing campaigns including traditional media relations, events, activations and social media. Erin has seen the number of media channels multiply and takes a considered approach to telling the right story, to the right audience at the right time.

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Now at One Plus One, Erin always has her finger on the pulse and is utilising her diverse skill set.

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Erin leads Mastercard, Milford Asset Management and Kiwi Mobile to tell engaging stories to business, consumers, industry and government audiences.

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She is passionate about establishing relationships with her clients and takes pride in delivering results for their businesses.

Having grown up participating in dance and theatre, Emily Ding brings her passion and dedication into her career as a PR practitioner.

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Emily joined One Plus One in early 2021 after gaining hands-on experience through internships in advertising, graphic design, website development, marketing, and production. With a Bachelor of Communications from AUT, she quickly progressed within the agency, entering as an Account Executive and now thriving as a Senior Account Manager.

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Emily loves creating compelling content that brings brand stories to life.

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Emily leads the development of communications strategies and serves as a key point of contact for clients. She manages a diverse portfolio of clients across the insurance, health, energy, finance, agency, FMCG, and not-for-profit sectors.

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Recent career highlights include her work with the New Zealand Food Network, the country’s largest food support organisation to create and execute the successful Pitch In fundraising campaign, and supporting health insurer, nib, with their regular Parenting and Workplace Wellbeing Surveys to communicate how Kiwis are really feeling in today's tough socio-economic landscape. 

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Her ambition and drive don’t go unnoticed, Emily has been recognised among industry peers.

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Emily received a Special Mention at the 2023 PRINZ Awards for the Sally Logan-Milne Young Practitioner of the Year Award as the youngest and the only agency practitioner amongst the finalists. More recently in 2024, she was recognised as a finalist for the Young Practitioner of the Year at the Pressies Awards.

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She is also passionate about amplifying Asian voices in the media and is involved in the Kiwi Asians in Media and Communications (KAIMAC) group, recently facilitating a full brand redesign, and helping them establish a strong professional identity.

Lebron Davis (Ngāpuhi) is a dynamic PR and communications professional with a diverse background in the not-for-profit sector, technology, finance, FMCG and NZX-listed companies. 

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She currently finds herself supporting a range of corporate and consumer clients, such as Mastercard, Milford Asset Management, Prospa NZ, Newmarket Business Association and Wonky Box.

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With a love for storytelling, Lebron enjoys working closely with clients to understand their needs and share their stories authentically. 

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Lebron is passionate about empowering Māori and Pasifika communities and always seeks to improve her Te Reo Māori and understanding of tikanga.

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Her favourite campaigns are the ones that aim to make a difference in the world, no matter how big or small. To date, some of these campaigns include her work in Fiji for her client Mastercard, capturing content and managing local media for the launch of DUAPAY, a digital payments app created for small business owners and vendors. The app was created with women in mind, who are often underserved in Fiji’s financial ecosystem.

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Lebron’s drive and desire to learn and grow have seen her achieve exciting milestones in her career to date.

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In 2018 while working as a full-time flight attendant, Lebron made the decision to study a Bachelor of Communications, with a major in public relations and a minor in media. During that time, Lebron was awarded multiple awards of excellence, the Pike Ake Kake Ake Scholarship and while at One Plus One, received Highly Commended for the 2024 PRINZ Sally Logan-Milne Young Practitioner of the Year Award.

Hannah Kronast is an experienced communications professional with a passion for developing and executing meaningful campaigns.

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Hannah joined One Plus One as a Senior Account Manager in June 2024 where she now manages key clients including 2degrees, Aon, CMC Markets, Oceania, and Ronald McDonald House Charities NZ (RMHC). 

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Her experience spans a broad range of sectors including healthcare, FMCG, tourism, major events, transport, education, insurance, and finance. While she has worked across corporate and consumer sides of public relations, Hannah has particular expertise in issues management, media relations, and corporate communications.

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Hannah had an early stint in journalism before making the move to public relations and communications, merging the best of both worlds.

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She completed a Bachelor of Communications degree at the Auckland University of Technology (AUT) with a major in journalism and a minor in public relations before she joined media organisation Newshub as a Digital Reporter.

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In this role, Hannah covered a series of high profile events including the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns, the New Zealand and USA 2020 Elections, the Tokyo Summer Olympics, and the America’s Cup.

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Merging the best of creativity and communications, Hannah continues to flourish in her career.

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In 2021, Hannah joined communications agency Anthem, where she worked as a consultant on a vast array of clients including Aged Care Association, DoorDash, Frucor Suntory, Fullers360, Pfizer, Spark Health, and Tātaki Auckland Unlimited. 

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A key highlight was managing the Aged Care Association’s account and media relations activity for The Domino Effect campaign, which has been recognised in the 2024 PRWeek Global Awards, PRWeek Asia Awards, and PRINZ Awards.

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In her spare time, Hannah is proud to volunteer with the Community Comms Collective, which provides free communications services to community organisations.

Rosalie Basham is a proactive communications practitioner, with a passion for current affairs, storytelling, and making a real difference through her work. 

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Since joining the One Plus One team in 2021, she has grown alongside an inspiring team of PR practitioners, creating impactful results for businesses across finance, healthcare, media, insurance and the not-for-profit sectors. 

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Working with a diverse range of clients, Rosalie has honed a versatile skill set that includes media relations, issues management, content creation, project management, and more.

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Rosalie is driven by finding human interest stories behind every project that people can relate to.

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She is motivated by the power of strategic storytelling in helping businesses achieve their goals. In her time at One Plus One, she has built strong relationships with media contacts, ensuring her clients’ stories reach the right audiences in meaningful ways.

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Personable and intuitive, she seamlessly connects with clients. 

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She has harnessed a deep understanding of their vision and ensures her work reflects exactly what they want to achieve.

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In the past, she gained PR experience working for a major New Zealand fashion label, after completing a Bachelor of Communications at Auckland University of Technology.

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With her commitment to excellence and enthusiasm for impactful communication, Rosalie brings a thoughtful and reliable approach to every client project.

Sydnee Krum is a creative and intentional communicator, specialising in transforming complex themes into compelling deliverables that drive client success.

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With a background in politics, Sydnee has a keen understanding of the power and influence of effective communication in shaping public discourse. 

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She has honed a strategic skill set in copywriting, media relations, social media strategy, engagement, visual design, research, and branding, enabling her to provide clients with a comprehensive offering that not only meets but exceeds their goals.

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Sydnee is a bright and ambitious PR practitioner with a diverse and experienced background. 

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She has worked in strategic communications roles, collaborating with clients across the tech, start-up, infrastructure, insurance, government, and transport sectors. 

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Leveraging her expertise in visual communication and political nous, she implemented strategies for prominent organisations such as Air New Zealand, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency and Kāinga Ora. Her role at one of New Zealand’s leading mental health charities, I Am Hope, further sharpened her ability to craft forward-thinking messages that engage stakeholders.

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A trustworthy and reliable member of the team, Sydnee is often leaned on to ensure large-scale projects run smoothly.

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Working on finance, health, insurance, and corporate accounts, including Binance NZ and AU, nib, Cannabis Clinic, and VeVe, Sydnee approaches each project with care and intelligence. From crafting thought leadership pieces in New Zealand’s top media outlets to delivering full-scale campaigns from conception to execution, Sydnee consistently delivers results that are both dynamic and on-point with client objectives.

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Sydnee holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Media Studies from Victoria University of Wellington.

An outgoing and creative generalist, James Tapp continually looks to bring a fresh and exciting approach to how organisations can tell their stories.

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After getting a taste in student media interviewing experts and politicians, James has taken his experience to help craft stories that capture the attention of the media. At One Plus One, he continually looks to create unique media opportunities for clients, from talkback radio to feature articles.

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A dedicated PR practitioner, James takes pride in ensuring he understands the nuances of each of his client's respective industries including financial services, FMCG, technology, energy, telco and local business.

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Dedicated to providing exceptional client service, James brings more than media relations to the table.

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With a strong understanding of what it takes to create cut-through in the modern media landscape, James has a proven track record in producing engaging social media content for clients and insights as to what people are talking about.

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A team player, James helps ensure the backend of accounts is kept in shape, delivering clear and concise reporting. A self-titled ‘jack of all trades’, James regularly offers up his skills or the enthusiasm to try something new, whether it’s developing unique campaign ideas or putting his copywriting skills to the test.

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James enjoys going one step further to make a positive difference.

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Regularly looking to take his skills and passion for media well beyond the four walls of One Plus One, James takes pride in giving back using his professional skills, having organised an industry panel Q&A with some of Aotearoa’s top young journalists, alongside volunteering for the Community Comms Collective.

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James holds a Bachelor of Business and Bachelor of Communication Studies conjoint, majoring in advertising creativity and international business strategy from Auckland University of Technology.

An innovative and results-driven content specialist, Zarina is passionate about creating compelling stories that resonate with audiences across different platforms.

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With a keen eye for strategy, Zarina thrives on developing communication initiatives that cut through the noise and engage diverse stakeholder groups. At One Plus One, she collaborates with industry leaders to craft campaigns that drive meaningful conversations and media coverage. Whether it’s a media interview or a social post, she understands the power of a well-crafted story.

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Zarina spent three years building and producing powerful brand narratives for high-profile shows like Duncan Garner: Editor In Chief at MediaWorks.

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Beginning her career in the fast-paced world of digital media, Zarina honed her skills in social media strategy, talent and brand management, and media relations, working alongside senior executives and talent, to boost engagement and visibility.

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In 2023, Duncan Garner’s podcast was named a Breakout Creator by Spotify Australia & NZ, ranking in the top 10 most popular podcasts in New Zealand within its first three months. Starting from zero social media followers, Zarina built a thriving online presence across Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube, amassing over 55k followers in under two years.

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Zarina’s background also includes producing and hosting at 95bFM, where she developed a deep understanding of live broadcasting, content creation, and audience interaction. These experiences have shaped her approach to communications, making her a versatile and adaptable professional who thrives on creativity and innovation.

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Zarina knows that effective PR isn’t just about what you say - it’s about how you make people feel.

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At the heart of Zarina’s work is a commitment to making an impact, whether through crafting thought-provoking social media content or developing high-impact campaigns. She’s always eager to try new things and bring fresh perspectives to her clients' communications strategies.

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With a passion for storytelling and audience engagement, Zarina is driven to deliver results that elevate brands and foster lasting connections with their audiences.

Paul Cheal is an experienced financial and corporate communications leader with over 20 years of experience working with bluechip Australian and global brands to build and protect their reputation.

He leads and directs select One Plus One clients that are based in Australia, working closely and collaboratively with our New Zealand team.

Based in Sydney, Paul brings a breadth of experience across brand positioning and messaging; strategy development; issues and crisis management; stakeholder management; investor relations; M&A transactions; change communications; content creation; and media relations.

As a consultant to One Plus One, Paul brings deep knowledge and relationships of the Australian corporate landscape, helping to build and protect brand reputations through proactive and strategic communication programs.

Paul has completed a Masters of Public Communication, is a Fellow of Communication and Public Relations Australia (CPRA) and is a passionate advocate for measurement in public relations.

When not working, Paul can be found running long distances and spending time with his young family.

Danielle Veivers is a senior consultant to One Plus One supporting our Australian financial services clients, including Binance and CMC. 

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With almost a decade of in-house and agency experience, Danielle has deep expertise in the full-spectrum of financial services and corporate communications. 

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With a passion for the power of strategic, well-executed, and aligned communications, Danielle supports her clients with end-to-end PR programs. 

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This includes strategy development; media relations and training; marketing, website, and sales enablement materials; investor communications; internal announcements; change and transformation programs; and issues management. 

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As a consultant to One Plus One, Danielle brings her deep expertise and relationships in financial services to our clients looking to establish or strengthen their Australian brand and reputation.

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Danielle was named a Finalist in B&T’s 30 Under 30 Awards and has led several award-winning client campaigns. Danielle is a former Committee Member of the Communication and Public Relations Australia (CPRA) Young Guns Committee. She completed her studies at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), graduating with honours in a dual-degree in Business (PR) and Journalism. 

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Based in Brisbane Australia, Danielle enjoys exploring Queensland’s natural beauty, attending cultural events, and travelling abroad whenever she has the opportunity. She believes in working with good brands, enjoying good company, and sipping good wine.

As Financial Director of One Plus One, Rachel manages all elements of our business including but not limited to our accounts, management reporting, payroll and much, much more.

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She brings two decades of relevant financial management experience and through forecasting and deft financial stewardship, has helped One Plus One further improve both productivity and profitability. Joining in 2023 (our tenth anniversary year) and based in Wellington, she is also the mother of two teenage children.

Paul is an experienced strategic communications adviser, specialising in corporate affairs, crisis communications and issues management, and public affairs strategy.

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Paul is a former press secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister of New Zealand and has extensive expertise in a range of industries including telecommunications, energy, aviation, and the tertiary education sector.

Shayne is of Ngāti Kahungunu descent and has held executive and governance roles across multiple sectors. Specialising in Māori engagement and strategy, Shayne’s recent roles include Chief Executive Officer of Ngāti Porou Holdings and Chairperson of the Hawke’s Bay District Health Board.

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With a foundation in the primary sector and leadership across govt services, Shayne is actively engaged across economic development throughout Te Matau a Māui – Hawke’s Bay.

Jeff has over a decade of experience across print and screen design, and maintains a genuine passion for delivering great work.

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Having accumulated valuable skills operating within advertising agencies, TV production, digital and design agencies has equipped him with the knowledge and skills to deliver considered and high quality design solutions for a diverse array of brands and businesses.

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Jeff supports the needs of a diverse array of One Plus One clients by providing services that include but are not limited to the design of marketing collateral, web sites, social content and annual report / presentation documentation, to name just a few.

Bonnie Flaws most recently worked as a business and farming reporter at Stuff.

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Prior to that she spent a decade in London writing, producing and directing financial and business video content for the likes of The Financial Times and CNBC. She has been responsible for branded content campaigns, documentaries, news coverage and creative editorial projects. She loves turning raw material into engaging content, whatever form it takes.

Mark has over 25 years of experience working in New Zealand, Australia, and the UK and is an expert in research, insight and strategy.

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Mark is passionate about the continued evolution of the research industry, having served on the Board of the Research Association of NZ and also acting as a course mentor to students at the University of Auckland.

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He brings a unique perspective to his work having led insight teams within large corporates such as Gillette and Spark, as well as contributing to the success of a diverse range of brands across financial services, telco, retail, FMCG, property, travel and technology as a consultant.

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Mark has carved out a strong reputation through his innate ability to identify and harness opportunities for clients by delivering insights that ignite action.

One of New Zealand’s most successful advertising figures, Mike is currently Executive Director of Image Centre Group, a multi channel communications company, with publishing, printing and digital new media interests. He is also an Adjunct Professor at AUT, a founder of Colenso and ex Managing Director of Saatchi & Saatchi.