30 August is a significant date for Outlook Creative. Any guesses why?
Yes, it’s the penultimate day of the summer (*cries in British weather*). No, it’s not the collective sigh of relief at it almost being time for the kids to go back to school.
It’s actually way more significant than that.
We’ll give you a clue: for us this year, summer’s not the only season drawing to a close with the arrival of September.
That’s because on 30 August, we bid a fond Outlook Creative farewell to two of our longest serving and much-loved Seekers. Jason, our Design & Digital Director, and Amie, our Operations Director.
With a combined 51 years of service between them, both Jason and Amie have played key roles in shaping the Outlook Creative we know today—which it’s fair to say is completely unrecognisable from the place they joined over 20 years ago.
We’ll miss them hugely, and it’s impossible to thank them enough for everything they’ve done over the years. But before we get too mushy, as with all goodbyes it’s only right that we take a good old trip down memory lane.
You ready? Step inside the Outlook Creative time machine…
The year is 1996. Spice Girls’ Wannabe is top of the charts. Acid-wash denim is all the rage. The nation’s buzzing with the hopeful prospect of football coming home (too soon?).
Jason, however, is walking through the Outlook doors for the first time, having taken a chance on one final job application before boarding a one-way flight to Australia.
“It was a completely different place back then,” he muses. “It was much smaller—I think only around 10 people—and it was heavily event-focused.
To put it into context—and God, this really does make me feel old—when I rocked up on my first day, they had no Apple Macs, just a couple of really rubbish PCs using software I’d never heard of for slide production. The Internet wasn’t even a thing. It was still faxes and couriers for moving assets and files around.”
Mad, right? Jason agrees. “I really did wonder how I was going to get on, and whether it was the right choice for me.” Luckily for him (and us), he was soon enveloped by the Outlook charm—as was Amie, when five years later in 2001, a series of sliding doors moments led to her first day on the reception desk.
“I remember it like it was yesterday,” she reminisces. “I saw the job ad in the Chronicle and dropped round my application in person. Bill, the Finance Director at the time, recognised me from his local, the Bold Dragoon, where I’d been working.”
Little did Bill know, Amie had already been shortlisted for the role. “I started the week before my 20th birthday, was handed a branded mug with my name on it, and immediately felt like part of the family.”
“Believe in yourself and don’t wait for things to fall into your lap. I’d also say be kind and full of praise for your colleagues—let people know you value them!”
Of course, such extensive tenures come with a whole heap of memories. When asked for his standouts, Jason can’t help but smile. “I’ve got loads, as you can imagine. And the majority aren’t publishable!”
We’ll have to use our imaginations for those. But some of the more SFW ones give an idea—think travelling round the world, including a pretty memorable client sales conference that took him to Palm Springs.
“They had the astronaut, Buzz Aldrin, as guest speaker, and camels being paraded through the audience as part of a big reveal. The local techies working for us on the event decided to abseil down the hotel wall to meet us on the patio for beers!”
While Amie’s favourite memories may not feature wild animals or abseiling techies, her 23 years at Outlook have been shaped by the same two key components: people and fun. “I’ve made some of my best friends here,” she reflects. “And it’s these relationships that have made me who I am today.”
When asked about personal highlights, she paused for a moment. “A real proud moment for me was getting my seat on the LT in April 2017—the first woman to do so, having worked my way up from my very first role here.”
This impressive trajectory embodies Amie’s parting advice for her fellow Seekers. “Believe in yourself and don’t wait for things to fall into your lap. I’d also say be kind and full of praise for your colleagues—let people know you value them!”
Jay, however, takes a slightly more practical approach: “Never eat yellow snow.” He laughs, before continuing, “But on a serious note, time really flies and 25 years at Outlook genuinely only feels like five. So make sure that, as well as working hard, you’re taking time to savour and appreciate the work you produce, the brands and clients you’re working for, and the impact your work can have.
Never take that for granted. Step back and take pride in what you individually and collectively have achieved—the business is only as good as its people, so take care of each other, be respectful and helpful, and make the most of every minute. Even during the busy and difficult times, which ironically is when you really learn about yourself and your colleagues.”
“Step back and take pride in what you individually and collectively have achieved—the business is only as good as its people, so take care of each other, be respectful and helpful, and make the most of every minute.”
Wise words indeed.
Now, we couldn’t let them leave without sharing a few of our own favourite memories. Read on for cracking anecdotes, standout moments, and bonding over the best team in the league.
“I’ve worked with Amie for 13 years: 9.5 whilst I was in the Events team and the last 3.5 in Operations. If I had to describe Amie in three words, they would be compassionate, dedicated, and inspiring. One memorable moment was when I was tasked with sorting the stationery cupboard, which was a complete mess. Amie simply said, “bin it.” I took her words to heart and ended up discarding a lot of old paperwork that seemed useless. In my eagerness to tidy up, I mistakenly threw away our branding bible containing all our old brand logos. Amie then had to climb into the skip outside the building to retrieve it. Watching Amie climb into the skip was quite the sight, and we couldn’t help but laugh.”
Sarah Skates, Assistant Operations Manager
“I have known Jay for over a decade now. He brought me into the Outlook fold many years ago, which I will always be grateful to him for. I suspected when he asked me which team I supported in my interview, and I said the mighty Spurs, things were going to go well. I will miss the comedy and the constant laughs we all had in the studio, especially when the sun came out and the team went a little crazy. A sneeze made Jay jump into action and get that door open sharpish.
Good luck Jay, we will miss you. And COYS!”
Pete Hanson, Senior Creative Artworker
“When I interviewed Amie for the receptionist role at Outlook Audio Visual in 2001, I knew she was destined for great things. Despite having no experience, her personality, warmth and can-do attitude won me over. I had a gut feeling she was the perfect fit for the company. Little did I know she would go on to achieve so much over the next 23 years. I am incredibly proud of the remarkable woman Amie has become, her career progression at Outlook is a testament to her hard work and leadership qualities.”
Rachel Beard, HR Administrator
“Jay—thank you for all the genuinely brilliant memories. From the daily post-lunch studio insanity to the Outlook 5-a-side football team and everything in between. Whilst the work has always been a top priority, having a good laugh has been right up there too. Thank you for your mentorship, trust and overall good times—they have all shaped the person I am today. Would you like ham with that?”
Andy Upton, Art Director
Congratulations Corey Richards on your promotion to: Content Manager
Corey jokes about being the unofficial third member of the Chuckle Brothers—a ‘Chuckle Friend.’ He loves gardening, his fluffy dog, Pickle, and has a soft spot for ankle bashers. An ambivert at heart, he enjoys the idea of being around people.
“Corey is a unique individual who brings humour, collaboration, and a holistic view to each project he works on. Seeing Corey develop and thrive during his time here at Outlook is something we are all very proud of. This next step offers a real opportunity for Corey to stamp his authority on our approach and continue to progress.”
Adam Sherlock, Joint Managing Director
“Corey’s creative skills have grown exponentially since joining the marketing team. This promotion reflects his steadfast commitment to collaborating with everyone in the business to express Outlook Creative’s fantastic work and culture.”
Andrew Dymock, Former Marketing & Communications Director
Congratulations Hema Mistry on your promotion to: Senior Designer
Hema is a huge fan of tigers and travel enthusiast who is constantly looking for the next cheapest city break… If she’s not searching for the next quirky food hall, Hema can be found tattooing herself up with the latest henna tattoos!
“Hema’s positive attitude, approach, and willingness to collaborate along with creating great work has led to this promotion. It is well deserved, and we look forward to the next chapter in Hema’s career here at Outlook.”
Adam Sherlock, Joint Managing Director
“We are delighted to recognise the progression Hema has made over many years working at Outlook and in line with the quality of Hems work and her positive feedback from clients and colleagues, this is a promotion very much deserved!”
Jason Farmer, Director of Design & Digital
Congratulations to Danielle, who is transitioning from our Client Services team to the Live team as Events Project Manager.
Danielle has been with Outlook Creative for 3+yrs and her commitment to everything event related is clear to see.
We pride ourselves on offering career journeys to our colleagues by matching the right skills with the right roles and this change for Danielle benefits her, our clients and Outlook Creative – we think they call that “win, win, win”.
Everyone is looking forward to her enthusiasm and collaboration skills delivering excellent live experiences for our clients.
Conratulations Kate Hall on your Promotion to: Senior Producer – Live
Kate is an enthusiastic but admits terrible football player who is somewhat fluent in ‘Friends’ quotes. Loves pineapple on a pizza, travelling and her espresso coffee machine and is the loyal sidekick to her dog, Mr. Simba.
“Since joining Outlook in July, Kate has impressed in countless ways. She’s slotted seamlessly into the team, brought a fresh new approach in many areas, and has demonstrated her expertise as a seasoned and talented Event Producer. Her promotion is thoroughly deserved, we’re absolutely thrilled to have her as part of the team!”
Amy Cullen.
“Kate has proven to be a valuable member of the Outlook in the 10 months she has been with us. A can-do attitude and willingness to go the extra mile has made her a person in demand both internally and with our valued clients. Very much looking forward to the next chapter for Kate and we are sure she will continue to thrive.”
Adam Sherlock.
Congratulations Corinne Kavaz on your Promotion to: Client Services Director
Corinne loves to sleep and drink gin (but never seems to get enough of either!) and hopes to master the art of body boarding in the summer months. She hates the texture of avocado, people spitting and horror movies. Her claim to fame is, once whilst singing on stage an audience member threw their pants at her (Tom Jones eat your heart out!).
“The poster-person of Our Outlook. A promotion into a role very close to my heart and it comes with my complete confidence she can bring to the CS team everything it needs”.
John Lloyd
“Corinne is a perfect example of someone who has come into the business and made us more efficient and stronger. Corinne is a valuable sounding board and offers an opinion that is always rounded and logical. A very well-deserved promotion”.
Adam Sherlock
Wow. Wow. Wow. Massive congratulations to our Senior Creative Artworker, Pete, who recently celebrated 10 years at Outlook Creative 🙌
To put that into perspective, when Pete joined us, people were still using BlackBerrys, and heading to cinemas to watch Transformers: Age of Extinction.
Thank you, Pete, for a decade of commitment, collaboration, and creativity.
Like all good stories, the evolution of Outlook Creative has a strong beginning, great characters, and a plot that never fails to deliver on its promise. Here it is in our own words.
