Auckland, New Zealand - Raydar, New Zealand’s leading strategic and creative shopper activation agency, is heralding in
exciting new leadership with the appointment of Kristyna Hotchin as General Manager and Nigel Hooker as Creative
Director, announced today.
Kristyna will be responsible for leading the agency and supporting clients to ensure they are achieving their business
goals will be a key part of her role.
With a deep focus on retail, Kristyna steps into the role of general manager with more than 14 years’ experience leading
teams in account service for locally and globally recognised agencies with household names including BP, Peugeot,
Beiersdorf, BMW, Westpac, Farmers, Kiwi Property, Sanitarium, Pernod Ricard and Spark.
First working with Clemenger Group in 2009, Kristyna left the company in 2012 to work in the UK before returning to
Raydar 2015, and then more recently 99 as client services director. She will report to newly appointed Chief Executive
Officer of Proximity Chris Pescott.
Pescott says “Kristyna has a stellar reputation within the group, and we’re delighted to see her lead the Raydar
business. Driving results for the work is what gets Kristyna most excited and she’s known for building strong
relationships to unlock the best work, both creatively and strategically,” says Pescott.
Nigel Hooker also returns to Raydar as creative director, after three years in Melbourne agencies and will take
responsibility for the agency’s overall creative product, reporting to James Mok, Chief Creative Officer of Proximity.
With extensive experience in shopper marketing, Nigel has worked as a creative director in agencies in both New Zealand
and Australia. Most recently he worked across a wide range of well-known brands including leading the shopper creative
for Carlton United Breweries, TAB, Channel 10 and Westholme in Melbourne.
On leading the creative shopper team, Pescott says Nigel will push boundaries and help achieve a point of difference
from the competition.
“The retail environment gets more challenging each year and Nigel brings the ability to think outside the box and get
his team to adopt this way of thinking too.”
Commenting on his return to the group, Nigel says “It’s exciting times at Richmond Road and I am looking forward to
working with Kristyna, James and the whole agency to build on the great work and culture that Raydar is passionate about
and respected for.”