In this series, AdNews spotlights young talent in the Australian media, marketing and advertising sector. This time it's The Company We Keep's Digital Producer Charlotte Leite Hansen.
Time in current role/time at the company:
I started working at The Company We Keep in March 2022 - almost 2.5 years ago.
How long have you been in the industry?
5 years! Since I graduated from Macleay College in 2019.
How did you get here? Was this always the plan?
Not exactly. I studied Advertising and Media because I wanted a career where I could be creative, but it was the digital courses that really grabbed my attention. After uni, I landed a job as a Digital Coordinator at Media Merchants and quickly moved into a Digital Producer role by jumping at every chance to take on more responsibilities and digital projects. I also learned a ton from our in-house developers and senior producers, which helped me grow fast.
I didn’t even know what a "digital producer" was when I started, but it feels like everything’s come full circle. I’ve always been a bit of a self proclaimed tech whiz—growing up, I was always on my computer. I used it to download ROMs and emulators for console games and was messing around with basic HTML to create (some pretty terrible) websites in my younger years. Now, getting to build on that passion in my professional life has been amazing, and I’m constantly learning new things.
Who is your right-hand person/who guides you day to day?
That would be Whitney. Whitney Eglington is our tech-savvy team leader, a senior producer with many years in the industry. Her attitude and confidence are admirable. I've been lucky to have female role models as colleagues in both of my industry workplaces, which can sometimes be rare in the digital field, but it has been extremely encouraging for me.
What’s the best thing about the industry you work in?
The constant challenges and need for problem-solving keep things interesting—there’s never a dull moment. I love the variety of projects I get to work on, so no two months are the same. Events can be intense with the pressure of everything happening live, but that feeling of relief and accomplishment when it all goes smoothly is unbeatable. Plus, the industry’s enthusiasm for new tech is contagious, and I still get to tap into my creative side, which is a huge bonus.
And the biggest challenge?
There’s been no lack of challenges whilst working at The CWK. Creating digital activations for in-person events or running live streams for online events is a completely different ball game. With something like a website launch, deadlines can often change, but with events, there’s no room for delays—whether you’re ready or not, it’s happening.
The fast-paced nature of the industry means every project brings its own set of challenges, but that’s what pushes us to raise the bar. I’ve learned that even in high-pressure situations, we don’t just aim to get things done—we're always pushing to go above and beyond. That drive to keep improving keeps the industry vibrant, and it's awesome to see how quickly we can achieve impactful results when we stay in that 'never settle' mindset.
Whose job have you set your sights on in the future?
I don’t have a specific title in mind, but expanding on The CWK’s digital service is my priority. It would be great to grow our digital department to include more digital producers and in-house developers, creating a stronger, more specialised unit to tackle bigger projects down the line.
Where do you turn for inspiration?
I usually go online for research, whether that’s through social media, search engines, signing up for newsletters, or attending webinars. I’m also fortunate to be exposed to a lot of fresh ideas through the events we work on. Plus, we’ve got a dedicated Slack channel where we share any cool stuff we come across. And of course, nothing beats a good brainstorming session with the team.
Tell us one thing people at work don’t know about you?
I’m an ambivert! I thrive both in solitude and in company, which is why I highly cherish our ‘work from anywhere’ policy.
In five years' time I'll be…
Older, wiser, and hopefully keeping up with the ever-changing digital landscape.
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