Green Team

Liz McLaughlin

Strategic Advisor

As the founder of Horizon, Liz has 30+ years of experience advising organisations on strategic communications with a positive social impact. She is a former national President of the Public Relations Institute of Australia. Her client list is diverse – she has led high-profile programs includes corporate, government and a range of environmental, product stewardship and co-regulatory organisations.

Alice Johnson

Head of Sustainability

Alice is a communications professional with 12 years' experience across agency and in-house teams. A sustainability specialist, she has worked closely with all levels of government, not-for-profits, major brands and retailers, and is passionate about helping organisations to navigate and champion environmental and social change.

She has developed and implemented award-winning communications strategies for organisations including the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation, Planet Ark and the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre. In the UK, she oversaw the PR for the country's biggest environmental trade shows – RWM, The Energy Event, The Water Event and The Renewables Event. Alice regularly presents at events and webinars on topics including sustainable communications and environmental behaviour change.

Justin Flaherty

Director

With over 30 years experience, Justin's expertise is highly valued. His astute counsel provides both solutions and instils confidence in C-suite executives who are at the mercy of policy changes and the court of public opinion. As a former chartered accountant, Justin brings his analytical expertise to ensure all our programs deliver a return on investment, and he has developed a number of unique tracking and management processes that assist in this while supporting transparency in client reporting.

Justin has particular expertise in reputation and issues management and this, in addition to his strategic counsel, is valued by all our clients. He also brings a creative approach and has the unique ability to distil highly complex processes and information into simple messages and communication products that resonate with audiences, drive understanding and deliver behaviour change.

Lisa Portolan

Managing Director

Lisa is a communications professional and academic from Sydney. She was previously the Director of Communications at the Department of Communications and the Australian Sports Commission, Head of Internal Communications at Western Sydney Local Health District (NSW Health) and Group Account Director at Herd MSL.

She has extensive experience in conceptualising and rolling out campaigns in complex regulatory environments. Lisa is also a casual academic at the University of Technology Sydney, examining new and emerging technologies and platforms like TikTok on communications. She has previously published several books, including, Love, intimacy and online dating: how a global pandemic redefined intimacy (Routledge, 2023) and was the host of the top ten podcast Slow Love. She frequently writes for The Conversation and The Guardian and has appeared on The Project, the Today Show, Sunrise, ABC news, the Drum and Insight.

Ariane Krug

Account Director

Ariane supports the development and execution of communication strategies for a range of stakeholders, audiences and clients across government, education and environment sectors. An experienced communicator skilled in delivering high-quality work in complex environments, she uses her in-depth knowledge of the media landscape and experience engaging diverse audiences to consistently deliver great results for her clients.

With a background spanning PR, strategic communications, digital campaigns and social impact storytelling, Ariane has led the day-to-day management of integrated projects for high-profile clients including the Department of Education, Department of Social Services and The Treasury. She brings strong attention to detail, excellent stakeholder management skills, and a track record of building trust and momentum across fast-moving projects and environments.

Maeve Nolan

Account Executive

Maeve supports a range of government and private‑sector campaigns through media monitoring, copywriting, account management, asset development and research.

With experience across both agency and in‑house environments, she specialises in strategic communication and PR, creating social media strategies that cut through, shaping engaging content and supporting the planning of large‑scale public events.

Her writing has been published by Australia’s largest independent women’s media company, Mamamia. Maeve has worked on projects for clients including Badminton Australia, Flow Power, the Department of Social Services and Clarendon Homes. 

Mary-Jay Hanna

Account Executive

Mary-Jay Hanna is an Account Executive (PR Coordinator) and a strategic, solutions-focused communications professional working at the intersection of strategy, storytelling and delivery. She supports high-impact communications across government and industry, contributing to the planning and execution of integrated campaigns that require clarity, consistency and attention to detail.

With experience in stakeholder engagement, media monitoring and reporting, social media strategy, and content creation, Mary-Jay plays a key role in translating complex information into clear, accessible messaging. Her work is grounded in strong execution and thoughtful problem-solving, supporting accurate, aligned and effective communications across multifaceted projects and fast-paced environments.