KAY BALLARD HAMILTON

FOUNDING DIRECTOR

KAY HAMILTON & ASSOCIATES INTERNATIONAL

 Kay Hamilton has had a remarkably varied career that has spanned Australia, the United States and Europe.  Her work has involved liaison at the most senior levels with the media, governments, thediplomatic corps, large corporations and tertiary education institutions.

 Her goal has always been simple: to achieve client objectives in the most effective ways possible, and to share her considerable knowledge of the intricacies of dealing with key decision-makers and their relationships with the media.

 Kay’s career began in Washington DC where she worked as part of the United States Administration in a number of positions in both the US Senate and House of Representatives. The experience and skills she developed during this time were formally acknowledged when she was invited to join the personal staff of the then Vice-President, Nelson A Rockefeller, a role that involved co-ordination of various operations of the White House Press Office and organization of international and domestic media relations under the administration of President Gerald Ford. Kay’s work also required considerable involvement in inter-governmental relations.

 In 1979, after her eight years in Washington, D. C., Kay took advantage of an opportunity to move into the corporate sector in London to work as the personal assistant to the President of Texas Eastern Oil Company. 

 Kay immigrated to Australia in 1982, and subsequently took Australian citizenship. She was quickly able to identify a significant gap in the Australian public relations marketplace at that time for an experienced executive who could act as a conduit between Australian clients and, in particular, the international media.

 The America’s Cup, held in Fremantle in 1986, when the world media’s attention was focused on Australia, provided the ideal opportunity for Kay to exploit her skills. In that year she formed her own company, Kay Hamilton & Associates, aiming to bring the highest levels of professionalism to a client list that grew very quickly.

 Early clients included Deloitte Haskin & Sells, Murdoch University, Western Underwriters Insurance and Leeuwin Estate Winery and Moosehead Beer, the sponsor of the Canadian sailing syndicate.

 After five successful years in Perth, other horizons beckoned and Kay moved to Melbourne in order to expand her business.

 In the 15 years Kay has based her business in Melbourne, her strengths have been recognized by an extraordinarily wide range of organizations and individuals. Clients on both a retained and project level have included Australia Post, The Museum of Victoria, Monash University Science Centre, Brambles Australasia, Blundstone Footwear, prestigious Australian auction house Leonard Joel, Lease Plan Australia and the Australian Business Arts Foundation.

 Kay is also equally adept at assisting clients, which are targeting specific niche markets. Executive aircraft company Melbourne Business Jets, and boutique investment company Pacstone are among this type of client.

 The respect she commands in the business community was evidenced by her appointment in 1998 to the Executive Committee mandated to plan and implement Prime Minister John Howard’s program of Olympic Dinners, a series of crucial fundraising events held in advance of the Sydney 2000 Games, and attended by over 2,000 of the most senior figures in the Australian business, arts, and sporting communities.

 Kay remained on the Executive Committee that organized a similar Prime Ministerial Olympic Dinner in advance of the 2004 Athens Olympics, and has been invited to continue as an Executive Committee Member for the next PMOD for Beijing 2008.

 Other honorary positions have included Committee Member of Save the Children Fund, PR for the Neuroscience Foundation of the Royal Melbourne Hospital;  member of the Monash  University Science Centre Advisory Board, and Honorary Corporate Sponsorship consultancy to John Bell and the Bell Shakespeare Company.

 Kay’s philosophy in business is straightforward: results can only be achieved by unflinching professionalism and dedication to the task at hand. Regardless of whether a client’s requirements are simple or highly complex, Kay’s attitude remains the same. She personally directs all projects she undertakes on behalf of clients, and believes passionately in the need for, and development of, effective and solid working partnerships between the key decision-makers and opinion leaders among both her clients and the media.