Agency veteran, Matt Thomas, is putting his crisis and reputation management experience to work in launching a new agency, Stake: The Reputation Company.

Stake will work across the full spectrum of brand and reputation, offering services including brand and EVP strategy and storytelling, reputation management and stakeholder engagement, crisis and issues navigation, and development of end-to-end brand campaigns.

Matt said: "At Stake, we’re done with the empty rhetoric and spin that so often dominates the world of branding and reputation; we're here to flip that switch and overthrow outdated reputation tactics.  We believe reputation sin't just built on promises - it's earned through action, consistency, and connection. Brands can no longer afford to exist in silos."

According to Matt, as AI and large language models increasingly gain access to general insights, the real value in today's fast-paced business world is uncovering the unsaid, the unstated, and the unknown drivers that push or pull people alongside a brand.  Stake, he says, will take "...a contemporary approach to reputation management".

"In a world where organisations need to build meaningful partnerships, we understand that a brand isn’t just a static asset - it's a living, adaptive reflection of how an organisation shows up in the world. We believe an organisation's brand and its reputation is earned not owned, built experience-by-experience in the minds of its stakeholders; the customers, partners, employees and collaborators who matter."

Matt has spent 25 years in senior in-house and agency roles, including at Havas Red, Think HQ and Icon Agency, as well as government and the arts sector. His work in the corporate communications and behaviour change sectors has involved managing complex multi-stakeholder projects, including the Victorian Government’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign and a counter-propaganda strategy against extremist recruitment. In 2024, he was invited to author the reputation chapter for the Oxford University Press Handbook on Social Purpose (2025).

Matt concluded: "We aim to redefine how organisations build, protect, and leverage their reputations - not as passive assets, but as powerful drivers of impact and leadership. Our work ensures organisations are not only seen but believed; not just noticed but trusted. And in an era where trust is the ultimate currency, it's what makes all the difference."