About ICON
We make it meaningful.
Make it original.
Make it loved.
By blending expertise from different communications disciplines and learning from different lived experiences, we see opportunities that others may not and create solutions that others cannot.
Our approach guarantees clients the best possible outcome - to create the work that matters.
We think big. We collaborate. We bring the right message, to the right audience, at the right time.
OUR JOURNEY
Founder-owned and led, we turn up to make a positive impact on the world. Our journey has been marked by ambition, commitment, and a bold, entrepreneurial spirit.
OUR JOURNEY
Founder-owned and led, we turn up to make a positive impact on the world. Our journey has been marked by ambition, commitment, and a bold, entrepreneurial spirit.
Our makers
We’re a diverse group of creators, thinkers, writers and technologists. Our craft is our passion, our value is our impact. We’ve mastered interdisciplinary thinking and integrated delivery.
Our makers
We’re a diverse group of creators, thinkers, writers and technologists. Our craft is our passion, our value is our impact. We’ve mastered interdisciplinary thinking and integrated delivery.
- Meet the team
OUR PARTNERS
It takes a village. We built a world.
OUR PARTNERS
It takes a village. We built a world. As members of Public Relations Organisation International (PROI) we have on-the-ground access to over 90 agencies in 65 countries.
We tap into language, cultural and demographic insights with 2M Language Services, Polaron Language Services, YoungBloods, Man Cave, Max Solutions, Polity Research, AP2, Island Spirit and GARUWA to bring lived experience to complex challenges.
Other partners include Communication and Public Relations Australia (CPRA), Atomic 212, Xenai Digital, and Shine Solutions.
Our ethos
Being independent means we choose our work and focus on what really matters – navigating shifts in culture and technology that impact people and the planet.
Founders
Joanne Painter
Group Managing Director
As Group Managing Director, Joanne leads the ICON team across four Australian offices, driving the company’s strategic growth agenda while continuing to nurture our purpose-driven culture. Since 2017 she has spearheaded ICON’s national expansion program, opening our first interstate office in Canberra followed closely by Sydney and Brisbane.
With 25 years of experience in communications, Joanne is a recognised leader in Australian public relations, serving on several industry boards and the national Board of the Public Relations Institute of Australia.
With a proven track record in strategic communications, Joanne consults widely to business owners, Directors and the C-Suite on change management, media strategy, creative integration and behaviour change.
Chris Dodds
Managing Director, Growth & Innovation
Chris works with ICON's digital division to help drive strategy, innovation, and client service.
Based in Melbourne, Chris started his career in graphic design before completing a Masters Degree in Digital Media at RMIT University. Since founding ICON in 2002, he has helped build and guide the agency’s integrated service model – combining creative, digital and PR thinking into a cohesive team driven by respect and innovation.
Chris is a member of RMIT University's Industry Advisory Committee, and a board member of Express Media – a NFP dedicated to developing, supporting and promoting young writers.
Leadership team
Michael Knox
Executive Creative Director
Michael is a highly regarded creative with more than 25 years of experience in the advertising and media industry. He currently leads ICON’s Creative team, collaborating with clients to plan campaigns and brands, mentoring key and emerging talent, and elevating ICON’s overall body of work.
Michael is passionate about insight-driven creativity, building sustainable brand and customer relationships, and fostering ambitious, collaborative teams. He is a highly respected industry figure and has won and judged at major award shows including D&AD, The One Show, Cannes Lions and Spikes Asia.
Mat Crompton
Strategy and Head of Change Collective
Mat has 15+ years of experience working in multinational advertising and communications agencies and is a specialist in behaviour change communications. Over the last five years, Mat has developed strategic communications campaigns across key social issues that affect individuals and the broader community, including violent extremism, mis/disinformation, gender equality, aged care, mental health, suicide prevention, food waste, single-use plastics, water conservation and industry superannuation - to name but a few.
Mat is also an expert in addiction, problem gambling and harm reduction.
Gabrielle Gray
General Manager
Gabrielle has 20+ years of experience partnering with creative organisations to drive growth and commercial excellence. Gabi has led teams of CPAs, bookkeepers and coaches as an outsourced finance department providing everything from administration to CFO-level advice.
Gabrielle is responsible for the commercial strategy of ICON, partnering with the executive team to set the growth ambitions and vision while working closely with team and account leads to drive process and operational excellence.
As a people person, Gabrielle has a strong focus on fostering a productive, creative and inclusive culture at ICON, to grow the team of practitioners as the business expands into the future.
Andrew Mackay
Executive Director, Digital
Andrew is a versatile professional with over 20 years of experience leading multi-disciplinary teams delivering large-scale digital, marketing and communication programs. He has held substantive roles across Not-For-Profit, Federal Government, Consulting, and Start-up environments and amassed a broad range of experience around CMS, CRM, and web3 technologies.
Andrew has a depth of experience leading Digital teams in consulting and agency environments, delivering Drupal/GovCMS solutions and web applications for Federal and State Government Clients. His previous clients have included the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Department of Home Affairs, Sports Integrity Australia, Transport for NSW, and ACT Government.
Matt White
UX Design Director
Matt is an award-winning UX design lead with two decades of experience in Australia and the UK. With a deep understanding of digital branding and visual design, Matt designs enriched digital experiences based on user-centred principles. He is passionate about helping brands communicate their story online, and believes in building seamless digital products through championing the people he is designing for.
Matt’s design work has received many awards and accolades including the AWWWARDS, CSS Design Awards, AMI and Golden Target Awards. He has led UX design for clients such as the Department of Defence, Air Force, Mondelez, NDIS, Maurice Blackburn Lawyers, Artbank, ABCC, ASEA, iSelect, Kinetic Super, MCRI, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Sustainability Victoria, and MyGuestList.
David Radestock
Executive Director, Communications
David brings a wealth of experience with some of the biggest technology brands in Australia.
He led the Microsoft account at Ogilvy PR, and has led numerous multi-channel, multi-discipline strategic communications for organisations such as Salesforce, Lenovo, Twitter, Block, CrowdStrike, NBN Co, and Xero.
He pairs deep tech sector knowledge with broad expertise across the full spectrum of communications - corporate and consumer; earned, owned, and paid; government relations; digital; and issues and crisis management.
Mark Forbes
Director of Reputation
Mark is a Walkley-award winning journalist and former Editor-in-Chief of The Age in Melbourne. He has also worked at Four Corners and Channel Seven, in the Federal and State parliament press galleries and as an overseas correspondent.
Mark brings almost 30 years of success at the highest levels of communications practice to his strategic communications services, including issues management, crisis management, interview coaching and media relations.
Specialising in reputation building communications strategies, he has raised the profile of major companies, guided global manufacturers through controversial issues and assisted CEOs enhance their reputations.
Al Munnings
Technical Director
Al brings 20 years of experience to his role as Technical Director at ICON. His proficiency in PHP, Drupal, Laravel, GraphQL, REST, Node, and Python drives his focus on code quality, CI/CD automation, and quality web applications. He has led major projects, including ACNC, NDIS, Defence Force Design System and Cadbury Fundraising, serving diverse clients in government, healthcare, and media.
Al's contributions have earned him awards such as the Gold Stevie Award and the IMA Best in Class. He holds Acquia Drupal and Meta Developer certifications and has spoken at international events including Drupal South, showcasing his industry leadership within the CMS space.
Al continuously drives innovation within the technical team. His hands-on experience and dedication to staying updated with industry trends ensure that ICON remains at the forefront of digital capability.