About - Philip Bateman and Bravo Charlie
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Right people, right
approach, right time

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There are plenty of ‘impact’ funds out there – though making sense of which projects are working and why, how they are measured, and which are pure greenwash, is holding investors back from supporting them.

Being able to tell credible stories are key to unlocking the money, that will allow these players to grow the sector and transition us to a sustainable, equitable and clean world.

That’s why we leverage your ideas, intelligence and resources to create engaging moments that act as powerful anchors your investors can rally around.

We develop strategies, optimise marketing systems, produce video content and investor engagement platforms to deliver on your business objectives. And because of our skill and expertise, we do it beautifully so your communications resonate with the emotional core of your stakeholders.

Bravo Charlie

In 2009, Bravo Charlie’s founder, Philip Bateman recognised that a traditional communication agency model doesn’t work for organisations like yours who are at a specific point in your growth trajectory and need to be on the front foot with investor engagement.

You don’t have the expertise you need in-house, but the traditional options aren’t feasible: junior to mid-level staff may deliver sub-standard results, design-focused marketing agencies fall down on business acumen and industry knowledge, while business development specialists lack high-level creative ability.

Bravo Charlie was created to sit in that sweet spot in the middle.

Drawn from across the globe, Philip leads a flexible team of independent experts from a variety of disciplines, all at the top of their game. There’s no delegation to juniors: you’ll talk directly to the people doing the work for you.

Bravo Charlie never works at arm’s length. Each expert you work with at Bravo Charlie has a genuine belief in your organisation and a willingness to support your cause and become part of your team for the long term.

Team - Bravo Charlie

Philip Bateman

Founder & Managing Director

Philip Bateman

Founder & Managing Director

Born in Cape Town, South Africa, living in England and settling in Australia, his formative years were all about the family businesses, from a SPAR Supermarket that leased space to a video store and likely launched his fascination for film, to Automotive Repair Centres and Aged Care Mobility supply.

Following his fascination with the internet, at 18 he completed an eBusiness diploma and began an IT career in technical software support, moving first into team leading and then into Business Development, specialising in websites, eCommerce, data centre and hosting, completing projects such as the redevelopment of websites for Boost Juice Bars and Macquarie Banks DEFT payment system.

Since starting Bravo Charlie in 2009, he has completed a Masters degree in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and been a member of several organisations including the Australia China Business Council, AMTIL, FIAL and the Australian Institute of Company Directors.  In 2019 he was awarded a Victorian Government Hamer Scholarship to study Mandarin and develop his Asia capabilities.

As a life long learner, he has completed a range of short courses including Summer Film School at Melbourne University, several Masterclasses with the Australian Cinematographers Society and the Dov Simens film school, Microsoft Solution Selling, the Landmark Forum & Advanced Programs, the John DeMartini Breakthrough Method, Authentic Relating Training, Improvisation and Clowning courses, B2B-B2C Executive Training with Alibaba in Hangzhou, China, and been a member of Toastmasters International.

These skill enable him to bring out the best of business leaders on camera, and has led him to craft systems and stories that drive business outcomes for world leading Impact Investment Fund Managers, Australian Agricultural Exporters, Environmentally beneficial technologies, Advanced Manufacturers, the business and trade dealings of Government, Education, Financial Services, Community Leaders, Natural Therapies, Musicians and event holders.

Along side his work at Bravo Charlie, you can find him regularly interviewing business and community leaders, and acting as a correspondent for international trade conferences via his LinkedIn and YouTube show Smarter Impact.

Click here to find him on Linkedin.

Denise Lackner

Head of Design

Denise Lackner

Head of Design

It needs to look good, consistently, and Bravo Charlie rely on Denise to advise clients on brand updates, integrate style guides, craft supporting documents and all of the essential visual nuance, that ensures our video creations deliver on the goals of our clients.

Born with a love for ideas and raised with art and colors in Austria, she studied graphic and communication design, before moving to Italy in search of new cultural experiences and language study.

Moving to Berlin in 2011 and starting her freelancing career specializing in brand and design, she worked in cooperation with rethink for Volkswagen and Co.

Dreaming bigger, Denise started at Miami Ad School and improved her conceptional and art directional skills.  She visited Great Britain to work with AKQA and Sweden with Le Bureau. Beyond this, her freelance work includes Y&R, Saatchi & Saatchi, Buddybrand, Heimat and a string of other companies.

Always on the look out for new challenges, briefs and creative fields to conquer, she is followed by her guard and wingman – Krümel (a Beagle) and you can find more about her at http://www.dlackner.com.

Nicole Stewart

Performance and Project Specialist

Nicole Stewart

Performance and Project Specialist

Nic specialises in supporting CEO’s, medical professionals and elite athletes in their personal and commercial journeys.

She has extensive experience as both an elite level equestrian athlete and internationally recognised Performance Coach, whose larger clients across Australia and North America average $7-10M in turnover per annum.

With a keen eye on stakeholder engagement, team management and performance, Nic works with Bravo Charlie to ensure project continuity for our clients through daily attention to our production environment, quality control of project delivery and regularly managing subcontractors and stakeholders.  Nic is on-site for the majority of Bravo Charlie’s filming.

Vanessa Maramma

Business Manager

Vanessa Maramma

Business Manager

Vanessa has a keen eye on the moving parts within Bravo Charlie, combining a Masters in Business Administration and 10+ years of management experience with a passion for helping others succeed.

In 2022 she won Gold in the VA Business category of the 2022 AusMumpreneur Awards, and through her ‘Taking Care of Business’ organisation, she employs a growing list of working mums around the world that enable her to assist companies like Bravo Charlie in more efficiently managing their processes and tasks.

Born and bred in Victoria, Australia, and living 10 minutes down the road from Bravo Charlie HQ, Vanessa is a mum to two active boys, a lover of Aussie V8’s, nature obsessed and a bit of a coffee addict, offset by her love for healthy eating, exercise and very early morning walks.

Julie Bechu

Senior Video Editor

Julie Bechu

Senior Video Editor

Julie has been working in the field for over 20 years. Originally from France and graduating in 2000 at ESEC (École supérieure d’études cinématographiques), a world-renowned cinematographic school of Paris, she then worked on productions for TV Channels across France in documentaries, commercials, TV shows, music videos and promotions.

In 2004 she moved permanently to Australia, working with Channel V for 7 years, Channel 9, Foxtel, Lifestyle channel and now SBS. Her experience is substantial, working on short diverse TV shows, long format feature documentaries, as well as the making of the feature film Disgrace, edited by Alexandre de Franceschi (known prominently for his work on ‘Lion’) whom was her mentor for many years.

Storytelling is her forte, and Julie works as a key component of Bravo Charlie’s production team, working in near to real time with footage as it comes from our recording cameras via the cloud, ensuring we have quick turnarounds for our editing.

Julie’s other love is horses, a common theme amongst the Bravo Charlie team, and from her ranch / home in Narooma, NSW, on the Sapphire coast between Sydney and Melbourne, she offers wellbeing retreats, private sessions and workshops for adults in co-creation with horses, based on her training in ‘Equine Experiential Learning’.

Through her editing, storytelling and experiential work, Julie is passionate about creating awareness and positive change in the world.

Katrina Strathearn

Copywriter

Katrina Strathearn

Copywriter

Katrina’s love of clear, well-structured written content, together with a background in Marketing and Public Relations drives her to create inspiring content that resonates with the end-user and adds value to both the organisation and their audience.

Prior to becoming a full-time content writer, Katrina used her qualifications in Business, Marketing and Public Relations to work in B2B and B2C marketing roles in Australia, the UK and the US. Her career has spanned a variety of industries from arts and tourism, to publishing, management consultancy, software, and higher education.

Based in Queensland, Katrina works with several of her own clients via her business, https://www.veracitycontent.com, on content writing, content strategy, editing and proofreading projects.

Anne-Maree Walker

Research and Policy Analyst

Anne-Maree Walker

Research and Policy Analyst

Anne-Maree brings invaluable expertise to the team, providing Bravo Charlie with high-quality research, policy analysis and project planning guidance.  Anne-Maree honed her skills over 12 years in policy and analysis roles in the social cohesion, disability, multicultural affairs, education, employment and training and counter-terrorism areas of the Queensland Government prior to starting her own business as a research analyst.

Her recent research projects include analysing and providing advice on the future of student accommodation in the United Kingdom in relation to sustainability; issues impacting on university student wellbeing in the UK, Australia, Spain and Germany; research into issues around university student loneliness and technology and a range of competitor analysis projects across a variety of industries.

Chris Grose

Animator, Filmmaker and Video Producer

Chris Grose

Animator, Filmmaker and Video Producer

The founder of Scout Films, Chris focuses on short documentaries and infographic animations, where he has worked with a raft of clients focused on positive social outcomes such as the Business Council of Co-operatives and MutualsSustainability Victoria, the Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Fund, the Sustainable Living FestivalCERES Community Environment Park and so on.

Chris is passionate about environmental and social justice issues, and explore these themes in his personal filmmaking work.

Combining his talent for beautiful animation with Bravo Charlie’s core philosophy of crafting stories based on interview journalism and the inner truth of our clients team members and stakeholders, enables us to create messaging that comprehensively engages peoples minds and hearts.

Love Hawkridge

International Makeup and Grooming Artist

Love Hawkridge

International Makeup and Grooming Artist

Since 2013, Love has been ensuring the clients of Bravo Charlie look amazing on camera, from ‘makeup for film’ so that skin tones appear natural under lights, to wardrobe and continuity, and most importantly, ensuring the clients of our clients – who are generally appearing on camera for the first time – enjoy their experience on set.

Born in South Africa, she has over twenty years experience working in the makeup industry including the UK, Ireland, USA and now residing in Melbourne.  Her work has taken her to British, Irish, NYC, and Melbourne Fashion Weeks, the BAFTAs, Venice Film Festival, the L’Oreal Color Trophy Awards, Beauty Pageants and Fashion Shows.

Clients include hundreds of well recognised names, from Hilary Clinton to Martin Sheen, Emilio Esteves, Bill Nighy, Naomi Simpson and Ricky Ponting.

Her relationships with major film studios including Walt Disney, Universal and Sony BMG also regularly take her into commercials, film premiers, music videos, short films, editorial, magazine and newspaper work.

Philip Bateman

Founder & Managing Director

Philip Bateman

Founder & Managing Director

Born in Cape Town, South Africa, living in England and settling in Australia, his formative years were all about the family businesses, from a SPAR Supermarket that leased space to a video store and likely launched his fascination for film, to Automotive Repair Centres and Aged Care Mobility supply.

Following his fascination with the internet, at 18 he completed an eBusiness diploma and began an IT career in technical software support, moving first into team leading and then into Business Development, specialising in websites, eCommerce, data centre and hosting, completing projects such as the redevelopment of websites for Boost Juice Bars and Macquarie Banks DEFT payment system.

Since starting Bravo Charlie in 2009, he has completed a Masters degree in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and been a member of several organisations including the Australia China Business Council, AMTIL, FIAL and the Australian Institute of Company Directors.  In 2019 he was awarded a Victorian Government Hamer Scholarship to study Mandarin and develop his Asia capabilities.

As a life long learner, he has completed a range of short courses including Summer Film School at Melbourne University, several Masterclasses with the Australian Cinematographers Society and the Dov Simens film school, Microsoft Solution Selling, the Landmark Forum & Advanced Programs, the John DeMartini Breakthrough Method, Authentic Relating Training, Improvisation and Clowning courses, B2B-B2C Executive Training with Alibaba in Hangzhou, China, and been a member of Toastmasters International.

These skill enable him to bring out the best of business leaders on camera, and has led him to craft systems and stories that drive business outcomes for world leading Impact Investment Fund Managers, Australian Agricultural Exporters, Environmentally beneficial technologies, Advanced Manufacturers, the business and trade dealings of Government, Education, Financial Services, Community Leaders, Natural Therapies, Musicians and event holders.

Along side his work at Bravo Charlie, you can find him regularly interviewing business and community leaders, and acting as a correspondent for international trade conferences via his LinkedIn and YouTube show Smarter Impact.

Click here to find him on Linkedin.

Denise Lackner

Head of Design

Denise Lackner

Head of Design

It needs to look good, consistently, and Bravo Charlie rely on Denise to advise clients on brand updates, integrate style guides, craft supporting documents and all of the essential visual nuance, that ensures our video creations deliver on the goals of our clients.

Born with a love for ideas and raised with art and colors in Austria, she studied graphic and communication design, before moving to Italy in search of new cultural experiences and language study.

Moving to Berlin in 2011 and starting her freelancing career specializing in brand and design, she worked in cooperation with rethink for Volkswagen and Co.

Dreaming bigger, Denise started at Miami Ad School and improved her conceptional and art directional skills.  She visited Great Britain to work with AKQA and Sweden with Le Bureau. Beyond this, her freelance work includes Y&R, Saatchi & Saatchi, Buddybrand, Heimat and a string of other companies.

Always on the look out for new challenges, briefs and creative fields to conquer, she is followed by her guard and wingman – Krümel (a Beagle) and you can find more about her at http://www.dlackner.com.

Nicole Stewart

Performance and Project Specialist

Nicole Stewart

Performance and Project Specialist

Nic specialises in supporting CEO’s, medical professionals and elite athletes in their personal and commercial journeys.

She has extensive experience as both an elite level equestrian athlete and internationally recognised Performance Coach, whose larger clients across Australia and North America average $7-10M in turnover per annum.

With a keen eye on stakeholder engagement, team management and performance, Nic works with Bravo Charlie to ensure project continuity for our clients through daily attention to our production environment, quality control of project delivery and regularly managing subcontractors and stakeholders.  Nic is on-site for the majority of Bravo Charlie’s filming.

Vanessa Maramma

Business Manager

Vanessa Maramma

Business Manager

Vanessa has a keen eye on the moving parts within Bravo Charlie, combining a Masters in Business Administration and 10+ years of management experience with a passion for helping others succeed.

In 2022 she won Gold in the VA Business category of the 2022 AusMumpreneur Awards, and through her ‘Taking Care of Business’ organisation, she employs a growing list of working mums around the world that enable her to assist companies like Bravo Charlie in more efficiently managing their processes and tasks.

Born and bred in Victoria, Australia, and living 10 minutes down the road from Bravo Charlie HQ, Vanessa is a mum to two active boys, a lover of Aussie V8’s, nature obsessed and a bit of a coffee addict, offset by her love for healthy eating, exercise and very early morning walks.

Julie Bechu

Senior Video Editor

Julie Bechu

Senior Video Editor

Julie has been working in the field for over 20 years. Originally from France and graduating in 2000 at ESEC (École supérieure d’études cinématographiques), a world-renowned cinematographic school of Paris, she then worked on productions for TV Channels across France in documentaries, commercials, TV shows, music videos and promotions.

In 2004 she moved permanently to Australia, working with Channel V for 7 years, Channel 9, Foxtel, Lifestyle channel and now SBS. Her experience is substantial, working on short diverse TV shows, long format feature documentaries, as well as the making of the feature film Disgrace, edited by Alexandre de Franceschi (known prominently for his work on ‘Lion’) whom was her mentor for many years.

Storytelling is her forte, and Julie works as a key component of Bravo Charlie’s production team, working in near to real time with footage as it comes from our recording cameras via the cloud, ensuring we have quick turnarounds for our editing.

Julie’s other love is horses, a common theme amongst the Bravo Charlie team, and from her ranch / home in Narooma, NSW, on the Sapphire coast between Sydney and Melbourne, she offers wellbeing retreats, private sessions and workshops for adults in co-creation with horses, based on her training in ‘Equine Experiential Learning’.

Through her editing, storytelling and experiential work, Julie is passionate about creating awareness and positive change in the world.

Katrina Strathearn

Copywriter

Katrina Strathearn

Copywriter

Katrina’s love of clear, well-structured written content, together with a background in Marketing and Public Relations drives her to create inspiring content that resonates with the end-user and adds value to both the organisation and their audience.

Prior to becoming a full-time content writer, Katrina used her qualifications in Business, Marketing and Public Relations to work in B2B and B2C marketing roles in Australia, the UK and the US. Her career has spanned a variety of industries from arts and tourism, to publishing, management consultancy, software, and higher education.

Based in Queensland, Katrina works with several of her own clients via her business, https://www.veracitycontent.com, on content writing, content strategy, editing and proofreading projects.

Anne-Maree Walker

Research and Policy Analyst

Anne-Maree Walker

Research and Policy Analyst

Anne-Maree brings invaluable expertise to the team, providing Bravo Charlie with high-quality research, policy analysis and project planning guidance.  Anne-Maree honed her skills over 12 years in policy and analysis roles in the social cohesion, disability, multicultural affairs, education, employment and training and counter-terrorism areas of the Queensland Government prior to starting her own business as a research analyst.

Her recent research projects include analysing and providing advice on the future of student accommodation in the United Kingdom in relation to sustainability; issues impacting on university student wellbeing in the UK, Australia, Spain and Germany; research into issues around university student loneliness and technology and a range of competitor analysis projects across a variety of industries.

Chris Grose

Animator, Filmmaker and Video Producer

Chris Grose

Animator, Filmmaker and Video Producer

The founder of Scout Films, Chris focuses on short documentaries and infographic animations, where he has worked with a raft of clients focused on positive social outcomes such as the Business Council of Co-operatives and MutualsSustainability Victoria, the Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Fund, the Sustainable Living FestivalCERES Community Environment Park and so on.

Chris is passionate about environmental and social justice issues, and explore these themes in his personal filmmaking work.

Combining his talent for beautiful animation with Bravo Charlie’s core philosophy of crafting stories based on interview journalism and the inner truth of our clients team members and stakeholders, enables us to create messaging that comprehensively engages peoples minds and hearts.

Love Hawkridge

International Makeup and Grooming Artist

Love Hawkridge

International Makeup and Grooming Artist

Since 2013, Love has been ensuring the clients of Bravo Charlie look amazing on camera, from ‘makeup for film’ so that skin tones appear natural under lights, to wardrobe and continuity, and most importantly, ensuring the clients of our clients – who are generally appearing on camera for the first time – enjoy their experience on set.

Born in South Africa, she has over twenty years experience working in the makeup industry including the UK, Ireland, USA and now residing in Melbourne.  Her work has taken her to British, Irish, NYC, and Melbourne Fashion Weeks, the BAFTAs, Venice Film Festival, the L’Oreal Color Trophy Awards, Beauty Pageants and Fashion Shows.

Clients include hundreds of well recognised names, from Hilary Clinton to Martin Sheen, Emilio Esteves, Bill Nighy, Naomi Simpson and Ricky Ponting.

Her relationships with major film studios including Walt Disney, Universal and Sony BMG also regularly take her into commercials, film premiers, music videos, short films, editorial, magazine and newspaper work.

A forward-thinking, investor-first perspective backed by solid experience

A forward-thinking, investor-first perspective backed by solid experience

Philip Bateman with Ryan Babbage - Philip Bateman and Bravo Charlie

Philip Bateman & Ryan Babbage, CEO of Strategy Hubb

Bravo Charlie is always evolving. We ride the waves of change, always learning, and use our experience of delivering projects like yours to shape the way things are done in the future. 

The team have commercial and entrepreneurial experience individually and collectively that places Bravo Charlie at the forefront of design, ESG, business development, marketing and video production. 

Philip actively interviews leaders in the industry to get the latest thinking on communications; economic, social and environmental policy; impact investment; investor engagement; business strategy and more. 

Philip’s close professional associations with organizations and individuals such as Andrew Hollow and Workwell, Ryan Babbage and Strategy Hubb, the AVPN and the GSGImpactAlpha, the AICD and the ACS, tie us into folks doing incredible work individually, and bring us the latest expertise in diverse areas.

Close working relationships with government

Under Bravo Charlie, Philip Bateman has been a Tailored Advisory Service provider for Australian businesses, via the Australian Government’s Entrepreneurs’ Programme for the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science; a member of the ICT Services Panel for the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development, in the areas of Enterprise, Information and Application Architecture, Web, Audio Visual and Video services; and appointed to offer Victorian Government Boost Your Business grants of up to $50,000 in matched spending, in the areas of Advanced Manufacturing, Defence, Aerospace and Security.

After three separate applications over five years, Philip was successfully chosen as a Hamer Scholar to develop his Asia capabilities through intensive language study in Suzhou, China, whilst acting as an Ambassador of Victoria. Due to COVID-19 the trip was unable to be taken, though this stands as testament to his ongoing and deepening commitment to partnerships in the Asia-Pacific region.

Bravo Charlie has recently worked with Green Industries South Australia for the concept development and launch of Circular360: The Global Centre of Excellence in Circular Economy, and created and delivered the pitch and supporting planning for a national roll out of the ‘Stronger Brains’ mental health intervention study, presented to members of the Australian Cabinet and the Prime Ministers Office.