Houston Group has appointed Amanda Szylo Duncan as Chief Strategy Officer, strengthening the independent brand consultancy’s executive leadership team.
Szylo Duncan joins after nearly eight years at Interbrand, where she held the joint role of Managing Director and Head of Strategy.
She brings nearly two decades of experience helping brands navigate complex change, with a client portfolio spanning Coles, Persol Group, Westpac, AMP Capital, HUB24 Group, NRI, Allianz, and Minor Hotels.
In the new role, Szylo Duncan will lead Houston’s strategy team and work closely with founder and CEO Stuart O’Brien to continue to build the agency’s strategic direction and capabilities.
O’Brien said Szylo Duncan had long been one of the most respected strategists in the market.
“Amanda has long been one of the most respected strategists in the market, and someone we’ve had the pleasure of going up against more than once,” O’Brien said.
“That kind of healthy competition builds real respect, and I’ve admired her work for years. Bringing her into Houston and working alongside her as a peer as CSO feels like such an exciting step – for her, for us, and for our clients.”
Szylo Duncan said she had admired Houston from afar for years.
“The people here are talented, generous, and genuinely committed to each other, the clients and the work,” Szylo Duncan said.
“I’m looking forward to working alongside Stu, Cara and Chloe as we continue to shape and strengthen the strategy offering. And getting to join Alex Creamer & Alex Toohey in the creative team again is the icing on the cake.
“A lot is changing in our industry but helping clients navigate increasingly complex business challenges that’s the constant. The depth of relationship and the calibre of problems Houston gets brought in to solve is genuinely inspiring for a strategist. I’m excited for what this next chapter holds, for the team and the clients we get to do it with.”
Expanding strategy function
Szylo Duncan joins an expanding strategy function that includes Executive Strategy Director Cara Meade, based in Melbourne, and Strategy Director Chloe Jensen, who joined in October 2025.
Jensen brings more than a decade of experience from DesignStudio, now Further, Moving Brands and Designworks across London and Auckland.
Her experience includes multi-market brand transformation projects for Virgin, Four Seasons, World Rugby, TUI, The University of Cambridge, The Office Group and DP World.
Houston Group said the appointments signal its continued investment in strategic talent.
The agency’s client roster includes Qantas, Western Sydney Airport, MA Financial, NRMA, Metcash, a2 Milk, Wesfarmers Health, QT Hotels, NITV and Belvoir Street Theatre.
Main Image: Amanda Szylo Duncan