Design Declares Australia

Chairperson

RENY®

We are in the business of creative exploration, pioneering transformation for organisations & brands focused on designing better outcomes for humanity.

Co-Founder / Managing Partner

Co-Founder / Design Director

Surfrider Foundation Australia

Advisory Board Member

Chumpy Pullin Foundation

Member Board of Directors

Skin Check Champions

Advisory Board

ELECTRIC ⚡️

Partner

Eon Labs

Mr Simple - Sidelife

mwah. making work absolutely human

Luxottica Group

General Manager Wholesale

Oakley Asia Pacific

General Manager - Arnette Sunglasses ANZ

Sales Director

CEO / Partner @ RENY®Studio | B Corp

As a co-founder and managing partner at Reny ®, I have the amazing opportunity to help transform companies through Orbital Design (picking up where Human-Centred Design left off, giving Mother Nature a seat at the design table, leading to social and climate impact). 

I am an award-winning writer for my publication Uncluttered White Spaces (2009-16), and my new book, Lessons in Creativity, will be available in all good bookstores from May 2025 through Wiley Publishing.

As a certified B Corp, we design creative solutions, products, and brands that impact the community, climate, and humanities.

I have experience working with driven leaders, obsessive designers, genius engineers, demanding CEOs, ambitious CMOs, hard-driving founders, eager investors, observant writers, precise technologists, insightful artists, visionary directors, gifted misfits, hopeful students and passionate up-and-comers.

Client/Project experience: Patagonia, Google, K-Mart, Canon, Nike, Adidas, American Apparel, Dolce & Gabbana, Ray-Ban, Chanel, Prada, City of Sydney, City of Melbourne, Tourism Australia, Cancer Council, Heart Foundation, Mr Simple, Herschel, ProBuild, Stone Island, CP Company, Boxfresh, Giro, Oakley, Electric, Luxottica, Bank of SA, Westpac Bank, St George Bank, Australia Post, Land Rover, Boody, Re-Design, Vandal, Warner, Carryology, IMG.

I have advised senior executives and boards and worked with some of the world's most important brands. I currently serve as Chair for Design Declares, the advisory board for the Surfrider Foundation, and I was the founding board member for The Chumpy Pullin Foundation. 

My insights and writing have been featured in Fast Company, ABC, Inc. Magazine, and other prominent publications, earning me recognition as an awarded writer. My new book, Lessons in Creativity, will be available in May 2025.

I frequently speak on the value of Orbital Design (For Impact), creativity, and technology through platforms like TEDx and Vivid Sydney. I was also invited to speak at Parliament House with the Prime Minister and government officials on the role of creativity and design in shifting our future.

Ben Rennie

Icon Metal

In my current role I am responsible for:

Researching and facilitating new business opportunities, including geographic expansion into Queensland and Defence readiness including Defence Industry Security Program (DISP).

Sustainability measures including Net Zero Strategy (setting carbon boundaries, calculating carbon footprint, carbon improvement management strategy, SMART-goal setting, communication, training implementation and reporting), Electric Vehicle Ownership and Charging Strategy, Modern Slavery Statement (and supporting Supply Chain Analysis to tier 1 supplier level), annual audit for best-practice industry accreditation Steel Sustainability Australia (SSA)

Writing and submitting award nominations: Winner Western Sydney Award for Business Excellence 2021, Finalist NAWIC NSW Awards 2021, 2022 and 2024, Highly Commended Australian Steel Institute NSW Awards 2022 and 2024.  

Writing and implementing 'Reflect' Reconciliation Action Plan 2021, advocate and drive reconciliation initiatives including collaborating with Clients, industry training, First Nations procurement prioritisation, training and recruitment

Finding and executing grants, training programs, and other opportunities to collaborate with industry partners

Business Development Manager

Business Profiling and Media Relations

Bethan Farmer Graphic Design

Freelance Graphic Designer

RDA Illawarra

Project Officer

Extent Heritage

Preparation and population of document templates, and creation of original graphics

Field Assistant

Co-ordination of the Leadership Illawarra Program: organising site visits, graduation and awards ceremonies; preparing presentation materials; curating surveys and analysing results; administrative support to steering committee; mapping the program for the next two years; professional and emotional support to the program participants; updating the blog and website.
Administrative support to RDAI General Manager including: processing invoices and expenses; graphic design; powerpoint presentations; census data analysis and reporting; website/social media updates.

Projects Officer

Stanwell Park Arts Theatre

Maintaining and updating the website/blog; creating marketing campaigns for up to 8 shows a year, including graphic design, writing articles for regional press, management and distribution of flyers, posters and banners, social media, organising press opportunities; successful MyCommunity grant application  and marketing campaign including press, social media (#sconeforavote) and promotional event, winning a grant of $197,000 to refurbish the local CWA Hall.

Communications Officer

Riggers Australia

General administration, OH&S compliance, marketing, corporate design and website creation/maintenance

Administrator/web designer

GML Heritage

Working with GML's team of heritage consultants, heritage architects and archaeologists, I was responsible for the visual content of Heritage Management Plans, Interpretation Plans and general graphic design for this boutique heritage consultancy. This included designing interpretive signage and installations, creating digital hand-drawn archaeological plans, presentations, flyers and any other printed media, database design and maintenance, proofreading, formatting and creating graphics using Photoshop and Illustrator.

Graphics Officer

Llywodraeth Cymru / Welsh Government

Data Processing Specialist

As someone who has studied, volunteered and performed in the arts all my life, it's come as a complete surprise to find my professional happy place in construction! 

Entering the industry as a Communications professional I have been fortunate to work for an SME where all my skills have been utilized as the company has grown and matured: creative writing, graphic design, research, strategic planning, tendering, sustainability, and helping to create an inclusive, diverse workplace that celebrates and shines a light on its people.

Highlights for me have included implementing our first Reconciliation Action Plan in 2021, getting three nominations shortlisted for NAWIC NSW Awards in three years (including the prestigious Crystal Vision Award in 2021), publishing our Net Zero Strategy in 2023 and attaining our Steel Sustainability Australia accreditation in 2024, all massive achievements for a small subcontractor from Western Sydney. 

Sustainability has, by necessity, become a large part of what I do, and I have found it to be a natural fit. Researching and implementing a strategy to decarbonise, I have hope that Sustainable business practices are here to stay, and I find the innovation in this sector fascinating and exciting.

Bethan Farmer

taplio

The Battle

Ben Rennie

Bethan Farmer

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