Simon Webb – Director

Simon is the Director of Ogilvy Illumination. Simon is an experienced social marketer, communications and research professional with a broad background in public policy and communications.

As a researcher Simon has worked for clients across a number of sectors including government departments in Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and at a federal level; peak representative organisations; blue chip private sector companies including investment banks and superannuation funds; as well as a large number of clients in the not-for-profit sector.

Simon managed one of the largest public political opinion polls in Australia and has worked on leading-edge political and social marketing communication campaigns for the union movement, political parties and government clients as well as for clients in the private and not-for-profit sectors.

As a social marketer Simon has worked on leading-edge behaviour change campaigns for State governments on water, for the Industry Super Funds movement and unions at the 2007 Federal Election.

Simon has an Honours Degree from Oxford University in Politics, Philosophy and Economics. He is an experienced quantitative and qualitative researcher, a Qualified Practicing Market Researcher and a Member of the Australian Market and Social Research Society.

Lee Folland – Senior Research Analyst

Lee is a Senior Research Analyst at Ogilvy Illumination with over four years’ experience in market and social research, social marketing and policy analysis.

Since joining Ogilvy Illumination, he has worked on strategic communications research projects for a diverse range of public and private sector clients as well as industry peak bodies. He uses both qualitative and quantitative methods to conduct stakeholder and community perception studies, ad hoc research projects, formative research to inform communications strategies and campaigns, and evaluation of communications campaigns.

Prior to joining Ogilvy Illumination, Lee assisted in two qualitative projects for major humanitarian not-for-profits in Sydney and worked for a leading British lobbying group, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), in Beijing, China. He managed the team’s policy and industry research across sectors, including finance, energy, pharmaceuticals, retail and manufacturing.

Lee holds a Master of Philosophy (Chinese Studies) from the University of Cambridge and a Bachelor of Arts (Politics and International Relations) from the University of Kent. His Master’s dissertation analysed the effectiveness of condom social marketing in tackling the spread of HIV/AIDS in China. Lee is fluent in Finnish and speaks Mandarin Chinese and Spanish. Lee is a Member of the Australian Market and Social Research Society. He sits on the NSW Sexually Transmitted Infections Programs Unit’s Health Promotion Resources Project Working Group.

Catherine Ellis – Senior Research Analyst

Catherine is an Account Manager in Parker & Partners’ public affairs consulting team and is a specialist in research, policy making and issues management.

Catherine has managed a number of extensive research project for clients in the government and not-for-profit sector. She has also worked on research-driven thought leadership and stakeholder positioning projects for clients across a range of sectors. Catherine is skilled at interpreting quantitative and qualitative information from primary and secondary sources. She works to ensure positions put by clients in white papers and submissions to government are supported by evidence-based research findings which are presented in a meaningful way.

While at Parker & Partners Catherine has worked with Origin Energy, Commercial Hospital Operators Australia, Nippon Paper, Bell Shakespeare and Cochlear.

Prior to joining Parker & Partners, Catherine spent three years as an adviser within the federal government, where she regularly researched policy issues and managed community consultation and communications strategies for high-profile policy changes. Catherine previously held roles in human resources and financial markets within the corporate and institutional division of a major Australian bank.

Catherine holds degrees in Business and Arts as well as a Master of Arts (Global Media Communication) from The University of Melbourne. She is a member of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) and an associate member of the Australian Market and Social Research Society (AMSRS).

Alison Pignon – Senior Research Analyst

Alison provides strategic consulting advice based on robust internal research to deliver effective employee communication strategies that support employee engagement.

At Impact, Alison has delivered a wide range of projects spanning research led communication strategy development, communications training, EBA communications, safety awareness campaigns, leadership engagement events and brand launches.

An experienced quantitative and qualitative researcher, Alison has worked on significant employee research projects with clients ranging from large-scale organisations in the infrastructure, finance, energy and pharmaceutical industries to not for profit organisations.

Alison is an associate member of the Australian Market & Social Research Society.

Greg Sam – Senior Counsel

Greg Sam is the Joint Managing Director of Parker & Partners and Director of Ogilvy PR Australia. Greg has a distinguished career in government, corporate and the non-government sectors having worked as a senior executive at federal and state level. He has also worked internationally for the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and World Health Organisation.

Greg provides senior counsel on major clients and accounts of Ogilvy Illumination.

Greg has qualifications in public health, applied science and administration with an emphasis on social policy and health systems planning and applied epidemiology.

Greg is a member of the Institute of Company Directors and holds a number of director positions on peak representative and professional bodies including the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council and Palliative Care Australia.  Greg has also lectured in Health Sciences at the University of Canberra and Canberra Institute of Technology.

Tam Sandeman – Senior Counsel

As one of Impact Employee Communications’ two managing directors, Tam has been developing and driving research based strategic communication campaigns for a range of major organisations across employee, corporate, crisis and issues management and consumer disciplines in Australia, Asia Pacific and the UK for over 14 years.

Much of her work focuses on tackling some of the toughest people challenges which come with today’s ever changing business world.  Her work has covered complex restructures, mergers and acquisitions, outsourcing, culture change and business and brand alignment – with every strategy based on strong, research generated, employee insights and all directed at achieving business goals.

An experienced research facilitator, her clients have included leaders in the pharamaceutical, FMCG, fashion and finance industries. And, while the industries vary, the clients all have one thing in common – large diverse workforces with tough communication challenges. Her research communication work has taken her as far a field as South Africa, Korea, Malaysia and China.

Tam is an associate member of the Australian Market & Social Research Society, the IABC and the PRIA.