Meet the
Team.
Digital Marketing AOK was founded in 2012 by Simone Douglas.
It was born out of frustration at seeing business owners being taken advantage of and being held to ransom by marketing agencies who were hemming businesses into lock-in contracts, and baffling them with industry jargon.
Having run a number of businesses prior to Digital Marketing AOK’s inception, Simone understood that businesses don’t have a bottomless pit of money to throw at marketing without seeing results, and if those results aren’t there, then it was simply unethical to keep them locked into a 6 month contract.
And so Digital Marketing AOK came into being.
We’re a seriously social business that is flexible and fluid, and we pride ourselves in providing honest solutions for our clients, and trying to have fun while we do it.
Our team embodies our values of Ownership, Respect, Positivity, and Drive.
Are you a Digital Marketer or a student looking for an internship or work experience? You can register your interest to work with us by emailing our Director of Marketing at meredith@digitalmarketingaok.com.au
Now, let’s meet the team….
Simone Douglas
CEO & Founder
Simone is our fearless leader and lover of all things business, marketing, and caffeine. When she’s not helping business owners succeed, she’s likely enjoying a single malt whiskey or lifting heavy weights.
Social Media Superpower: Talking underwater with a mouthful of marbles about anything and everything relating to social media and marketing (figuratively speaking, at least)
Coffee Order: Long Macchiato with almond milk
Meredith Waterhouse
Director of Marketing
A passionate Digital Marketer by heart, Meredith is a Certified Practising Marketer with the Australian Marketing Institute (AMI) and the former Chair of the AMI in SA.
A master connector and self proclaimed Chief Happiness Officer, you can often find her at a networking event or luncheon, building and nurturing relationships with stakeholders, clients and industry associations.
Whilst she is a true lover of all things digital, she will try to convince you her online shopping obsession is just being efficient, but we know better!
When she isn’t online, you can find her carving it up in a Zumba class or cooking up a storm in the kitchen at home with a glass of wine in hand.
Social Media Superpower: Taking seamlessly curated pictures on her iPhone with the perfect focus, crop and contrast
Coffee Order: Latte – nothing fancy here … or an espresso martini will do it 😉
Payam Golbaghi (Andy)
Digital Marketing Team Leader "The Cool One"
Payam, the mysterious “Cool One” bestowed upon him by his colleagues (but nobody knows how), oozes swag in his ad campaigns. He’s watched 1,500+ movies and rates ’em all. Now, brace yourself: he’s discovered TikTok and won’t let go!
Social Media Superpower: Payam, the unstoppable client champion, goes above and beyond to deliver the best results, no matter the cost! He treats your money like his own, making every penny count. And let me tell you, he’s head over heels for numbers. To him, the path to success is hidden somewhere in the mystical realm of Analytics.
Coffee Order: No coffee here – Green Tea!
Marie Carbone
Digital Marketing Content Specialist
A true 90s kid, Marie’s secret life ambition was to become a Spice Girl. However, since she can’t really carry a tune, Marie found another way to express her voice: writing. When she isn’t making punny captions for clients and downing multiple cups of coffee a day, you can find her… well actually, you can never find her as she’s a hermit who prefers to remain indoors reading, or knitting while Netflixing sitcoms with her cats.
Social Media Superpower: Being able to switch between brand voices for various clients.
Coffee Order: Double shot lactose-free latte (yep, she likes it strong!)
Shivam Wadhawan
Digital Marketing Ad Specialist
Shivam is the 6ft3 #NewGuy we smuggled in from Melbourne. He started off as a computer engineer but changed directions into marketing and here we are!
In his free time, he loves playing basketball and updating his food blog thanks to his undying passion for food and coffee.
So when he’s not busy making creatives and writing engaging captions for advertisements, you can find him trying different restaurants and cafes or lifting heavy weights at the gym.
Social Media Superpower: Facebook and Graphic design. Shivam believes that thinking like the audience is the biggest help in creating eye-catching campaigns that generate engagement.
Coffee Order: Cappuccino with one sugar
Renata Zavadil
Digital Marketing Content Specialist
Having spent most of her marketing career client side across various industries (hospitality, finance, eCommerce, and higher education), Renata has made the shift to agency life and is putting all that experience into her first ever agency role!
In her free time, you can find her surrounded by her most favourite people, trying out delicious food spots or out hiking. She loves discovering new places whether it’s locally in South Australia, around Australia, or venturing overseas.
Social Media Superpower: Being extremely resourceful. Renata can make anything work even with shoestring resources.
Coffee Order: She usually opts for a chai latte or tea (but that’s if there are no delicious juice/smoothie options available).
Deepak Khatri
Digital Marketing Content Specialist
Deepak has a very compassionate and lively personality, always striving to help others around him discover their true potential. Deepak’s creative thinking, backed by his Masters of Business (Marketing) has enabled him to understand the importance of digital marketing and strategy.
He believes that for a business or service to be successful, it must be different, and this is where he thrives the most, bringing new ideas and skills to the table.
Deepak is passionate about philosophy, art, music and futurism, where he believes that “life is meant to be lived and explored to its deepest potential.” He enjoys adventure, bike riding, reading and spending time with his friends.
Courtney Toledo
Digital Content Support Specialist
Courtney, a marketing enthusiast since high school, transitioned from freelance gigs in her college years, to contributing her skills in a managerial capacity post-graduation. Currently pursuing an MBA in digital management, she’s channeling her passion into her role as our Digital Marketing Support Specialist. Age is just a number for Courtney, who thrives on being a dedicated marketer every day.
Social Media Superpower: Courtney excels in understanding every client’s business persona, infusing passion into every task to carefully address every concern and engagement of the business’ audience.
Coffee Order: Her go-to is an iced latte with plenty of almond milk, unless there are tempting fruit shakes available.
Sarrah Mustafa
Digital Content Creator
A passionate content creator by heart, Sarrah’s journey began by crafting captivating user-generated content for beauty brands. Now, she’s the creative force behind content spanning various industries. With a background in Visual Communication and Digital Marketing, Sarrah is a connoisseur of all things digital.
You’ll often find her glued to TikTok and Instagram, claiming it’s all for “marketing research” (we believe her… mostly). When she’s not immersed in the digital world, you’ll find her hiking with her friends or hitting the gym. And don’t even get her started on her love for all things beauty!