Australia and New Zealand’s largest experience network, Big Red Group, has announced the appointment of Toni Westlake as its new Head of Brand and Marketing.
Bringing a decade of experience to the role, Westlake initially joined Big Red Group in 2020 as Brand Manager for its adventure marketplace Adrenaline – stepping into the role of Senior Marketing Manager a year later.
The brand has gone from strength to strength during this period, with Westlake championing fresh creativity in Adrenaline’s cross-channel retail campaigns, in addition to leading the marketing team through a digital transformation and rebrand set to launch this year.
As Head of Brand and Marketing, Westlake will play a critical role in building out the marketing team and supporting long-term sustainable growth for Big Red Group and its portfolio of consumer brands – including RedBalloon, Adrenaline and ExperienceOz.
She will report to the company’s Chief Customer & Sustainability Officer, Jemma Fastnedge, and is based at the headquarters in Sydney.
Of the company’s latest appointment, Fastnedge said:
“In a multi-brand business such as ours, it’s of the utmost importance that our leadership team can get under the skin of our brands, understand what makes them and their respective consumers tick – and then make strategic decisions that support the wider business to make an impact and move forwards.
“That’s why Toni’s appointment as Head of Brand and Marketing is one that just makes sense. Over the past four years, she has proven herself to be a highly-skilled and well-respected member of the team whilst making an incredible impact on Adrenaline.
“On behalf of the entire team, I’m delighted to be welcoming Toni to her new role at Big Red Group – and I’m looking forward to working with her to help unlock the business’ next stage of growth.”
Westlake said she felt privileged to be working across three strong brands within Australia’s tourism and experience sector – and looked forward to plotting the trajectory of each.
“I’ve relished the opportunity to work on Adrenaline for the past four years – and am incredibly excited to be taking the next step by applying my expertise across the Big Red Group portfolio.
“As we gear up for the busiest trading period of the year for our brands, my priorities are ultimately challenging the way we work and think, building out a new creative team – which we haven’t had since 2021 – and dedicating full-time resources to brand growth and asset building.
“Of course, the cost of living crisis has presented its own challenges – with consumer discovery changing significantly – and with very different target markets for each of our brands, we need to ensure we’re showing up in the right places at the right time. With an incredible team around me, I know I won’t be alone as we push ahead to set Big Red Group up for success and further establish our position as ANZ’s leading experience network.”
