Chris Hocking, founder and director
Following a successful career in corporate communications and financial planning, Chris established Chris Hocking Strategies in 2005 after recognising a need for credible and valuable communications and financial PR that was borne of experience and a true knowledge of the industry.
A rarity in the space of financial services public relations, Chris is a qualified financial planner. This experience enables him to truly understand SMSFs and financial services not only from a business perspective but also with an innate understanding of what the market and media wants to hear when it comes to financial products and services.
Chris thrives on being the first out with a great story and enjoys the process of translating technical and product information into an attention-grabbing story. He is also passionate about SMSFs and their continued growth from once being the domain of the wealthy to becoming an accessible tool for many Australians.
Prior to the establishment of Chris Hocking Strategies, he had spent nine years as head of corporate affairs at AM Corporation, providing communication advice, running active/structured media campaigns and overseeing proactive issues management.
When AM was acquired by IOOF, Chris became the PR manager and was responsible for the transition communication activities to media, financial planners and staff.
Previously, he was national public relations manager at Coopers & Lybrand where he ran national communication strategy for all offices and internal industry groups. Chris managed the firm’s crisis strategy during C&L’s administration of Pyramid Building Society.
Qualifications that Chris holds include an Advanced Diploma in Financial Services (Fin. Planning), Certificate in Marketing (AIM), Superannuation (ASFA) and SMSF Practice (Tower). He had also completed a BA (ANU) and Graduate Diploma in Applied Economics (University of Canberra).
Deborah Shaw, head of digital
Deborah is Co-founder and Project Lead for content strategy and social media consultancy Content Monkey. She has previously worked in various roles at The Sydney Morning Herald, the Australian Film Commission, The Australian Financial Review, Amnesty International Australia, The Aurora Project, Deadly Vibe Group and ANTaR. She also works with a cohort of content-savvy web and publishing startups, including Sydney-based Red Cloud Digital.
Deborah has always held a deep interest in observing how people communicate and this helps her read between the lines, understand what’s not being said and to spot the risks ahead. Content Monkey specialises in connecting companies with new prospects through strategic implementation of data-driven customer acquisition technologies.
Des Devlin, head of research
Des is Co-founder and Researcher for content strategy and social media consultancy Content Monkey. He has extensive writing, editing and research experience, having completed a Doctorate of Creative Arts and a Masters in Ethics and Legal Studies (Media). Des has worked in media and publishing for over 20 years in various roles, including at Fairfax Media where he twice received a team Walkley Award for his work in online journalism and online media at The Sydney Morning Herald.
Des is interested in social research methods and qualitative data analysis and their application within online media and communications settings. He enjoys finding new and creative ways to adapt his interests in ethnography, ethics and open source to real-world environments.