This week we are delighted to be welcoming a new addition to our team. Bryony Hamilton Kelly joins us as Studio Operations Manager, taking a leading role in running the day-to-day affairs of our studio while also contributing to strategy, account management and communications.
Bryony joins us having previously worked as a project manager at branding agency Keel London, project planner at Marks & Spencer, and studio manager at interior design studios Cinimod Studio and Reed Creative Services. With a variety of strings to her bow, Bryony is sure to make a lasting impact on our studio by bringing her expertise and experience in operations, project management and HR.
We sat down with Bryony following her first few days to ask a few questions about her new role:
Underscore: What first attracted you to Underscore?
Bryony: The clean, slick and professionally finished website jumped out at me on LinkedIn. I thought this is an agency that cares about attention to detail, then I read further and discovered all the amazing clients / projects. The more I read about the agency, the more excited I got. The agency is extremely London-centric, extremely ‘relevant’, and forward-thinking, which is a really attractive prospect as you know there will be a shared enthusiasm and passion within the team (and my instincts were right!)
U: What elements of the role are you most looking forward to?
B: I love to get my teeth into something multi-faceted with plenty of challenges and variety, so initially I am most interested in developing all the existing systems. I love a good working process! Going forward, I’m looking forward to understanding more about all of the many, many fantastic projects the agency has on board / has undertaken, and developing within the business side of things.
U: What do you see as the main goals of your role?
B: In a nutshell: to make the underlying infrastructure work well for the creative team. My motto is simplicity; if you can make things work well with a transparent, robust and scalable system then everyone is happier (and more creative!). I also hope to help oversee the commercial / financial side of the business with Neil and really help drive the agency forward into the next phase.
U: What are the most important things for you to achieve this year?
B: Firstly, to understand and immerse myself into all the projects and gain familiarity with the history in order to create a standardised way of financially managing them going forward. It will also be important to help the senior account team, Neil and the head of design, and make their life easier / free up their time by producing and maintaining systems to aid the work they do.
U: How do you work best?
B: I like to observe, listen and take lots of notes, then come back with a plan of action once I’ve had immersion time. I am, however, pretty good at thinking on my feet / thinking sideways. You have to in this industry; even the more mundane admin tasks need creative thinking and invigoration!
U: What motivates you?
B: Passion, transparency and a happy working atmosphere are key elements for me. To come into work every day and work with an enthused team who communicate openly is exciting and fulfilling for me. And that passion and openness, in my experience, is only possible when the attitude is the same at the top; as a leader you have to lead by example!
U: Who is your role model, and why?
B: Can I say my grandmother? She was engaging, intelligent, loquacious, quick-minded, loving and creative. She used to sew her own couture clothes (from 1960’s Vogue dress pattens to pieces she had designed herself) which were later showcased at Castle Howard, throw the most amazing dinner parties with food she had cooked from scratch, breed labradors (there were at least 7 at any one time), read at least 4 books a week, finish the Times crossword in under 30 minutes, and make her 2.5 acre garden look like something Capability Brown would have been proud of! I’d love to have half the energy she had!
With Bryony now settled in and getting started, all that’s left to say is good luck, and here’s to a successful future together.