Wes Hawes has joined creative-ed specialist agency, Outside In as creative partner. The ex-72andSunny CCO joins as the agency enters its second year.

Outside In was founded by Grace Leat, Jacque Kelly and Lucie de La Chaise,  launched in 2025 with a unique model that draws on the in-house experience of the ex-Modibodi creative team to work directly with founders, CMOs and CEOs to boost brands’ internal creative and strategic firepower. Since then, the agency has built a reputation for creating culturally-led campaign and branding work, with clients including Lyka, VUSH, P3 Recovery, Australian Marine Conservation Society, and Ardour Hotels.

One of the few female-founded independent creative agencies in Australia, Outside In has built its identity around a hands-on partnership model, working closely with clients, and drawing on the Founders’ experience across both major agencies and high-growth brands.

The addition of Hawes brings decades of world-class creative leadership into the business. The Ex-BBH London alumni has held CCO and ECD roles at some of Australia’s most famous agencies. He is known for fostering thriving creative cultures, nurturing talent, and shaping culturally impactful work for brands such as Hyundai, Lynx/Axe, Samsung, NRMA Insurance, KIA, and Tiger Beer

Hawes has worked with the Outside In’s founders across multiple agencies over the last decade, including CHEP Network, Marcel Sydney and Innocean. “My most rewarding creative experiences always seem to come from plugging directly into brands to work with the CEOs, CMOs or Founders. It’s the most effective way to get to the most impactful and nuanced creative. The Outside In mantra of ‘removing the middlemen’ struck a chord with me, and perfectly sums up the fiercely creative and business-minded personalities of founders, Grace, Jacque and Lucie.

“By removing the traditional agency layers and structures we’re able to work as a true ‘in-house’ partner, giving marketeers unprecedented access to the most passionate, talented and bloody lovely creative leaders in Australia.” 

Grace Leat added, “Bringing Wez into the business feels like a huge moment for us. When we started OUTSIDE IN, we wanted to build something that felt closer to clients and more agile, creatively ambitious and commercially switched on than the traditional agency model. Wez gets that completely, which is why this feels like such a natural next step.”

Lucie de La Chaise added, “We’re super hands-on, invested in our clients’ businesses, and probably a bit too obsessed with making things great. Having Wez’s experience, perspective and creative energy in the mix gives us even more firepower to keep pushing the kind of work we want to see in the world.”

Jacque Kelly commented, “For CMOs and Founders who want more direct, flexible access to senior creative thinking, this is our little nudge to try us. Outside In was created to make world-class creative more accessible and Wez joining us only makes that offering stronger.”

Cover image l-r: Jacque Kelly, Wes Hawes, Lucie de La Chaise & Grace Leat