our leadership team
Tahnee Sharp
Founder & Group CEO
Following a successful career responsible for the growth of brands from both agency and client side, Tahnee launched The Marketing Room in late 2018. Tahnee identified the declining understanding of the critical role marketing plays in business growth as an opportunity for an organisation that is dedicated to the development then execution of a strategic marketing plan.
In tandem, Tahnee saw first-hand a highly experienced, passionate, and motivated group of marketing professionals with young children, lost to the industry. Since then, Tahnee has led the business to now be Australia’s largest, dedicated marketing consultancy.
Helen Davies
CEO - UK & Ireland
Helen Davies leads our UK & Ireland operations, bringing over 25 years of experience across marketing, communications, and strategic advisory roles in both the public and private sectors. Her career spans leadership positions in global consultancies, government departments, and major organisations across the UK, US, Asia-Pacific, and Australasia.
Helen has held roles including Deputy Global COO at Edelman Global Advisory, CEO of BPRI, Managing Director at both Added Value and Breakthrough Media, and Head of Marketing & Corporate Communications for the City of Melbourne. She has also led national behaviour change campaigns, advised on crisis communications at the highest levels of government, and partnered with boards and executive teams to shape strategic direction.
She is known for her ability to distil complexity into clear, actionable strategies and to unite stakeholders behind meaningful outcomes. As an experienced marketeer, Helen brings deep expertise across brand, communications, engagement, and organisational transformation.
As CEO, Helen focuses on connecting businesses and government bodies with highly capable, flexible marketing talent who can unlock fresh thinking, drive performance, and build lasting impact through experienced, agile, marketing leadership.
Sonya Aitken
CEO - New Zealand
A strategic brand marketer with 25 years of experience, Sonya has led the way with some of New Zealand’s biggest brands including; Fisher & Paykel Appliances, Air New Zealand, Auckland Airport, Vodafone NZ (now One NZ), Elders NZ and Naveya & Sloane.
Sonya is passionate about focusing on the customer and brand while delivering excellent growth outcomes for the business. She has led and worked with teams to deliver brand relaunches, design and delivery of New Zealand’s first digital only loyalty programme, new websites, develop and implement integrated CRM systems, ecommerce and retail solutions and customer journey frameworks.
The Marketing Room offers a real opportunity for Small – Medium New Zealand businesses to tap into marketing expertise that enables their business growth. We can’t wait to get amongst it Aotearoa!
Kelly-Anne Davis
Pod Leader - Western Australia
Kelly-Anne has 14 years of branding, marketing and advertising experience in Australia and Canada. She managed all facets of brand building from strategy and concept to campaign production, execution and post analysis. Kelly-Anne has worked with a number of large international brands like McDonald’s, IKEA and Thermomix as well as plenty of local West Aussie names such as P&N Bank, Water Corporation, Art Gallery of WA, Wesfarmers and more.
She’s spearheaded a number re-brands, executed traditional mass marketing campaigns on TV and radio, and rolled out a plethora of digital projects – all with a splash of mentoring on the side.
Jonathan Sharp
Chief Growth Officer
With over 20 years of industry experience, Jon is responsible for the business’s growth across the key pillars of people and culture, partnerships and marketing, and expansion and acquisition. Jon utilises his experience leading teams developed in previous professional positions as well as coaching roles with WA’s State 16s and 18s AFL Academy programs.
Following a career that included leading large brand and advertising campaigns for brands such as West Coast Eagles, Tradelink, St John of God and Steel Blue, Jon’s marketing experience is complimented by his understanding of the critical link between marketing, sales, and business strategy.
Emily Watson
Pod Leader - Victoria
Emily’s experience in marketing results from over 15 years in the property and development industry. During this time, she discovered a passion for all things creative, content, marketing, and social media. Emily specialises in organic content, social media management and developing strategies to advance businesses in their niche. Her cup is filled when she has a licence to use her creativity and help other businesses stand out in the ever-evolving social media landscape.
Ultimately, she is a life-loving expert in social media marketing, strategy and content creation. Emily’s creativity, strategic mind and passion will elevate your digital marketing footprint.
Neil Davies
Business Director - North West, UK
Eryl Thomas
Business Director - New South Wales
With two decades of strategic expertise, Eryl is a trusted problem solver and excellent collaborative partner who helps brands unlock their potential.
She has guided transformations for major brands including Woolworths, McDonald’s, ALDI, Australia Post, and government organisations across diverse sectors.
Eryl is passionate about connecting data insights with real human behaviour to craft strategies that deliver measurable results. Her proven ability to navigate complex stakeholder environments and hands-on approach to brand architecture, retail transformation, and market positioning make her an invaluable partner.
She thrives on turning strategic challenges into opportunities, creating award-winning solutions that drive meaningful commercial success for businesses navigating change.
Myra Quartermaine
Business Manager
With over 20 years of experience in office management, finance, and business operations, Myra Quatermaine has a proven track record in creating effective systems, managing teams, and driving business performance. As the General Manager of a boutique law firm, she played a key role in streamlining operations, implementing efficient systems, and ensuring the smooth day-to-day running of the business. Her expertise in building strong organisational frameworks allowed the firm to grow while maintaining high levels of efficiency.
Myra is passionate about creating environments where both creativity and efficiency thrive. By optimising workflows, managing resources, and enhancing internal processes, she ensures that teams can focus on delivering exceptional results for their clients.
What Myra enjoys most is being part of a dynamic, energetic team that is focused on making a meaningful impact. For her, success is rooted in keeping everything organised, aligned, and running at peak performance, enabling teams to operate at their best.
Katherine Rafferty
Business Director - Western Australia
Katherine has extensive experience in delivering impactful brand and marketing campaigns across various sectors, including health, retail, government, and not-for-profit organisations. With over 15 years of experience, Katherine has a proven track record in driving brand growth, commercial success, and innovation. Her expertise spans strategic planning, integrated campaign execution, brand management, PR, media buying, and stakeholder engagement.
Katherine has held several senior marketing roles, including her recent role as Senior Marketing Specialist at St John WA, where she led marketing efforts for a $28 million government-funded project establishing new St John Urgent Care health centres in Perth. Her responsibilities included branding, patient experience, and acquisition strategies, showcasing her ability to drive meaningful results in both health and corporate sectors. Katherine has also worked as the Local Area Marketing Manager for Kmart Australia, overseeing campaigns for new and refurbished stores across Australia and New Zealand.
Throughout her career, Katherine has honed her skills in managing complex projects and budgets, engaging with a range of stakeholders, and ensuring that campaigns deliver on key performance metrics. She blends creative strategy with a results-driven approach, empowering brands to reach their full potential.
