Leighton Howl
Recruitment Director
Let's chat on 021 702 573 or at the office 09 373 3791
Leighton leads the Agency Agent Team at the Pond, placing NZ’s best creative, digital and marketing talent into freelance, contract, and full-time positions with 150 of NZ’s best digital, design, advertising, media, production, and specialist agencies – plus a growing list of agencies overseas as well.
Leighton spends the average week growing The Pond business and working closely with agency clients who understand that people are the most important ingredient in the success of their companies.
Since founding The Pond in 2006, Leighton has grown the business into a leading player in the professional creative recruitment field, providing premium candidates, promoting better industry standards, and producing better results for clients. The Pond now represents more than 300 of NZ’s most sought-after talent across 50 key professions.
Leighton understands talented people because he worked alongside so many of them during his eight years as an ad agency creative. He was always pretty sharp at selling in his ideas, a gift that he has developed even further by successfully pitching NZ’s best creative talent to clients.
“Good people are the key to building strong agencies,” says Leighton. “Our clients want the best and newest talent in the areas of creative, design, digital, and marketing to add their magic and fulfil their ongoing needs.
“The Pond helps clients to do that, easily and robustly. We find the right candidates to nail every brief that comes through the door, plus we help creative, digital and marketing professionals find rewarding work, realise their market value, and achieve their overall career goals.”
Outside work, Leighton is a family man with one wife, two kids, one dog, and six racehorses. He’s also an avid sports watcher, gardener, red wine drinker, gym-goer, fly fisherman, part-time wannabe architect, and ex-rep rugby player.
If you want no-nonsense, practical advice about how to handle your agency’s staffing needs, and how to secure the best people and retain them, Leighton is the man to call.
Full Time Roles
- Account Manager (Agency)
- Auckland
- $80k - $90k
- Full Time
- Live
- Graphic Designer (Health & Beauty)
- Auckland
- $80k - $85k
- Full Time
- Live
- Design Director (Packaging / Product)
- Auckland
- $170k - $180k
- Full Time
- Live
Welcome new Client BBH Singapore
Last week we took our first offshore talent booking for agency BBH Singapore. A great brief and a huge creative opportunity for the lucky creative team that got the nod. Hopefully this is the start of more briefs from more overseas agencies as we look to expand our talent services outside NZ.
Our rebrand is complete.
The Pond opens a new chapter in its brand story with a completely redesigned logo and brand signature built around a simple, bold central motif: the blue dot. Just like the sticky blue dots a child might have put on their best work at school, The Pond’s new brand signature suggests that same idea of highlighting the best creative talent, marking something great, drawing attention to real merit. Why blue? Blue has been with The Pond since the beginning, conveying the company’s sense of openness and optimism to the marketplace.
Need paternity or maternity cover now?
Then drop us a line as we will have some top talent for you to review. If your creative or design team has been cut in size because one or two of them has had a baby, DON’T throw your toys – pencil in a resource from The Pond. Many of our represented creatives are dedicated to freelancing, so chances are they’ll be available when you want them for the period you need. And if it’s longer-term cover you need, we can arrange a special week rate or contract salary to kick things off.
