Apparent Pinches Cristina Douglas and Tom Twiby from R/GA

Full service agency Apparent has appointed Cristina Douglas to the newly created role of creative director experience and Tom Twiby to design director following a spate of new client wins including Optus, Volkswagen Group Australia (Audi, Volkswagen, Skoda, and Cupra), Tip Top, Vanuatu Tourism Office and an expanded remit on Google.

Cristina is a multi-award-winning creative with over 16 years of experience, specialising in digital experiences that blend design, technology, and inclusivity. She joins Apparent from R/GA where she held the role of creative director and led experience design initiatives for clients such as Timberland, Google, Nike, and the Museum of Chinese in Australia. Some of her standout work includes Toyota Australia’s GR-ID Web3/NFT experience -- a first-of-its-kind initiative in the Web3 space. Her work has been honoured at numerous shows, including the Webbys, Awwwards, and AGDA.

Tom Twiby has been appointed design director, and also joins from R/GA where he led visual design projects across a wide range of future-facing clients such as Toyota, Telstra and Google. His work spans industries and scales, from redesigning the Grow with Google platform across APAC, to reshaping ethical investing at Australian Ethical, to launching neobanks in Hong Kong and reimagining Australian Defence Force recruitment for the digital era.

Hamish Stewart, chief creative and experience officer, said, “Cris and Tom bring complementary strengths and a clear point of view on first-class experience design. Together, they’ve quickly elevated our capabilities, winning the respect of our team and clients. I’m excited about what’s to come.”

Suzy Smiley, managing director at Apparent, added, “We’re delighted to welcome Cris and Tom to the team. They will play an integral role in helping us grow and strengthen our experience design offering for our clients.”

Cristina and Tom are the latest senior appointments at Apparent, one of the largest full service independent agencies in Australia. In late 2024, Hamish Stewart joined as chief creative and experience officer in another newly created role.