Australian influencer marketing agency Hypetap has appointed Andrew Baxter as a Non-Executive Director.

The former Publicis CEO joins Hypetap chief executive Detch Singh, CTO Dhruv Singh, former CEO of Mindshare Australia John Petropoulos as well as recently appointed former Havas Executive Chairman Mike Wilson on the board.

Baxter said that “Hypetap have built a terrific, sustainable and scalable business, and I’m looking forward to supporting them as they continue to grow.”

A fintech start-up is promising to democratise loyalty by launching what it claims is Australia’s first credit card- and bank-agnostic rewards program.

Loyalty Republic is launching an app that will enable consumers to earn one reward point for every $1 they spend when they use any debit card anywhere, including retailers, restaurants and airlines, and bonus points when they shop with the company’s partners.

Loyalty Republic was co-founded by former American Express executive Tom Ingham and former MOJO Marketing and advertising director Katrina Gravelle, who are the majority shareholders. The board includes former Velocity Frequent Flyer CEO Neil Thompson and former Publicis and Ogilvy CEO Andrew Baxter.

Mavardo co-founder Ant Mangos chats to Andrew ‘Billy’ Baxter about his career, how he stays at the forefront of trends, and the biggest learnings from the last 18 months.

Think Andrew could help you with a career or business challenge? Book a time on Mavardo now.

On this episode of the Mi3 Podcast, global executive search specialist Anna Whitlam, Commtract’s Vanessa Liell and Australian Pork’s Andrew ‘Billy’ Baxter warn that change is accelerating. Those that fail to quickly adapt “will just miss out…and we are already seeing that.” But Australian brands appear live to the threat: demand is soaring for comms professionals that can build relationships internally and externally – “deep specialists” that can drive reputation and integrate with marketing to deliver growth – and balance risk with reward.

It’s not surprising, given Andrew Baxter’s background in marketing that he’s come up with a catchy concept for his new consulting business. The 24HR Business Plan is a product rolled out in four workshops of six hours each, with a total price tag of $24,000.

The business brings together a group of experienced business people, some of whom, like Baxter have put together portfolio careers after leaving executive jobs. 24HR Business Plan is aimed at companies employing between 50 and 1000 employees who, Baxter argues, are ready for a re-set after the challenges of lockdowns and a pandemic.