About
Asembl

Justin Watson

Justin Watson has over 25 years of expertise across licensing, marketing and public relations in fashion, lifestyle & FMCG industries. Living in Sydney, Melbourne & Los Angeles Justin has worked as an agent, licensee and licensor, providing a unique blend of strategy, insight & industry relationships. During his international tenure as Marketing Director for knit top manufacturer Mighty Fine in Los Angeles Justin worked with leading US retailers and extended the companies own licensed brands to UK, Europe, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, and China. In 2008 Justin founded BAM Brands an influential communications agency for Australian & International fashion brands. Currently, Justin is the co-founder and Managing Director of Asembl, one of APAC’s leading FMCG and lifestyle brand extension agencies, stewarding renowned global brands including Rip Curl, Coca-Cola, Unilever, and Perfetti Van Melle, driving innovation through brand extensions and partnerships.

Tracey Hutson

Tracey, a passionate brand strategy and marketing professional, brings over 25 years of experience spanning entertainment, FMCG, sports, and finance industries. With a history in driving growth and profit, her expertise lies in strategic partnerships, P&L management, campaign execution, retail strategy, and performance measurement. With strong leadership in team management, she stands as a notable figure in the branding realm. Currently, Tracey holds the position of Global Brand and Business Director, steering the Lifestyle Division for iconic global brands such as Rip Curl and Coca Cola.

James Kean

James has 15 years licensing experience across sport, entertainment and FMCG. Originally from New Zealand, James managed All Blacks, NZ Cricket and Cricket World Cup 2015 programs. Through managing All Blacks, Wallabies and Fiji Rugby programs, James gained much international exposure into Europe, UK, Americas, Japan and the Pacific. James manages commercial and brand management for Asembl Brands FMCG clients including Unilever, Kelloggs, Diageo, Chupa Chups, Minecraft, Coca-Cola and many local gems including Violet Crumble, Allen’s and Aeroplane Jelly.

Alan Schauder

Alan brings a wealth of leadership experience, transforming the landscape of brand management, media, and marketing. A Monash University alumnus with a Bachelor of Economics, his journey includes impactful roles at Boston Consulting Group and Disney Consumer Products. Since co-founding Merchantwise Group in 1999, Alan has led its evolution into Australasia's premier independent licensing agency, partnering with giants like Microsoft, Coca-Cola, and Sony Pictures. His leadership drives the continuous growth and success of all clients within Merchantwise Group, through the combination of licensing, creative, performance marketing and digital media capabilities that build and extend great brands.

James Scott

James is a seasoned professional with 30 years’ experience in the media, technology and industrial sectors. Mr. Scott is currently a non-executive director of Boom Logistics an operational advisor to private equity firm Liverpool Partners, a non-executive director of Orbx Pty Ltd, Chairman of MerchantWise Group Pty Ltd, Chairman of Seisma Pty Ltd and Chairman of Simplyai Pty Ltd.

James was previously the Chief Operating Officer of Seven Group Holdings, Chair of data & analytics business, Skyfii, non-executive of Integrated Research, Managing Director of Accenture Digital, Partner in KPMG’s Advisory division and was a founder and director of Imagine Broadband.

Rowena Ryan

With more than three decades of expertise in brand licensing and consumer products, Rowena has established herself as a respected figure in the Australian and New Zealand markets. Known for her professionalism, financial acumen, and strong client connections, she brings invaluable industry insight.

Before co-founding Merchantwise in 1999, Rowena completed a Bachelor of Business at Monash University. Post-graduation, she gained four years experience at Mattel, and five years at the Walt Disney Company.

In her current role as COO of Merchantwise Group, Rowena holds responsibility for overseeing all shared group services, including finance, legal, and HR, ensuring operational efficiency across the group.

Andros Georgiades

Andros has been driving innovative campaigns within the entertainment, tourism and attractions sectors for over three decades. Prior to co-founding Merchantwise in 1999, Andros led countless creative programs for global entertainment giants – including Walt Disney and Village Roadshow – in the Asia Pacific region. Today, as Creative Director, Andros is the creative mastermind behind the marketing programs of our many high-profile entertainment brands, like Disneyland Paris, Microsoft and Hasbro – to name a few.

Nick Mills

With over 19 year’s experience working for and with Australia's largest retail brands, Nick’s experience covers design, buying, product development, marketing, merchandising, ecommerce, licensing and business innovation. Nick has a proven history of driving the creative direction and development of some of Australia's most successful retail brands, as well as working directly with the largest consumer products brands in the world to bring innovative customer experiences to market. Nick continues to work with a number of globally recognised brands both locally and internationally, consulting on retail, creative direction, campaign, collaboration, range development, trend direction and business innovation.