Bastion hires Joanne Norton to lead Insights arm
Bastion MD of Insights Joanna Norton
Bastion has hired former Bondi Sands and L’Oreal marketer Joanne Norton as managing director of its Insights division.
Replacing former Insights MD Steven Howlett, Norton will join the Bastion team in mid-April and report to group CEO Cheuk Chiang.
The announcement:
“Joanne is a leading strategic insights and transformation executive with more than 25 years of leadership experience building and scaling insight capabilities that drive measurable commercial growth. She has led enterprise-wide insights functions, established data science teams, and delivered multimillion-dollar ROI through advanced analytics and in-house media mix modelling programs.
Most recently, Norton served as Global Director of Consumer Insights and Category Strategy at Bondi Sands, where she guided portfolio direction, investment prioritisation, and consumer-centric growth across global markets. Prior to this, she was Director of Consumer and Market Insights ANZ at L’Oréal and a member of the CMO ANZ Management Committee, leading segmentation strategies across more than 30 brands and transforming how data-informed commercial decision-making.
Bastion CEO Cheuk Chiang said Joanne’s appointment marks an important investment in the agency’s continued growth.
“Joanne brings exceptional commercial acumen and deep expertise in turning consumer intelligence into competitive advantage,” Chiang said. “Her experience across some of the world’s leading consumer organisations strengthens our ability to deliver integrated, end-to-end solutions for the modern marketer. Having a strong client lens ensures we are in tune with what truly matters.”
Joanne said she was excited to join Bastion’s already high-performing Insights team at a time of strong momentum.
“The Bastion Insights team is already delivering exceptional work, and I’m excited to join during this period of significant momentum to further build on that success,” Norton said. “I’ve always believed the best insights don’t just inform decisions, they shape strategy and unlock new opportunities for growth. I’m looking forward to partnering with clients and teams across the business to help turn consumer intelligence into meaningful commercial impact.”
As Australasia’s largest independent marketing and communications agency, Bastion combines the scale and capability of a global network with the agility of an independent, delivering integrated solutions designed for the modern marketer.”
