Please allow us to introduce ourselves
Max&You was founded in 2010 by Max Soans-Burne and Richard Burne, who together bring over 50 years of experience creating, representing, selling and promoting design brands and services.
If they’re not at their desks or visiting clients, chances are you’ll bump into Max and Richard at a gallery or museum opening, product launch, design awards event or fair. Diversifying their leisure time, they dine out often, but truth be told it’s usually to check out a new interior scheme!
Max and Richard’s team comprises a scalable group of artists, designers and stylists; wordsmiths; highly specialised analysts and strategists; plus expert marketers operating from Sydney, Melbourne, London and Berlin, amongst other locations.
Combined, they possess a potent mix of intuition, innovation and intelligence. Max and Richard consider them their greatest asset.
Meet our core crew
Max Soans-Burne
CEO / FOUNDER
Max is a performance elevator in every sense of the word. Her sartorial sass and boundless imagination informs her visionary MO, whilst her infectious drive and industry know-how will hook you from the get-go. Possessing over 20 years of experience working in PR (with the majority of that period representing design and architectural brands plus property) she is adept at equipping clients with a very clear and positive vision for their business before making it her quest to see them soar. Her strategic expertise and buoyant creative streak (did we mention she was Piscean?) make for a potent pairing. A glass half full kinda gal, Max is a dancefloor diva and devoted mother of four – three with four legs; one with two. So yes, that probably was her you spotted fetching balls for her fury family from her Fendi Peekaboo in the park this morning! Instilled in her during her globetrotting roaring twenties working with a bevvy of brilliant photographers, models and editors as a hair and make-up artist, Max lives by the mantra ‘get up, dress up, show up and never give up.’
Richard Burne
STRATEGY / CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Super-fast and super-adaptable – meet Richard. Clocking up some 25 years in the design biz, he practically coined the term ‘multi-hyphenate’ with work spanning commercial and retail sales plus business development in addition to holding senior positions in architecture and interiors publishing plus advertising and marketing. Keenly curious, Richard’s an obsessive researcher and details man and an artisan of sorts, having dabbled in furniture design which equips him with a practical and empathetic understanding of the industry workings – inside and out. At 17 he left his family’s farm in northern Wales for London where he played hard amongst the fashion and music scene. We’re convinced his ability to burn the candle at both ends influenced his Imelda-like obsession with shoes (especially sneakers) in fear of running out of tread! All of this Gemini super-ness makes Richard fascinating to be around…if you can keep up! It’s no co-incidence that his favourite holiday destination is the tropics. Clearly the rays charge him with super-powers.
Sophia Fawdry
COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR
In true Capricorn form, Sophia possesses an eager ‘can-do’ attitude that enables a steely focus upon the long term goals she sets with clients and an enviable ability to craft engaging creative content to launch initiatives with gusto. Distraction is a concept she merely dismisses – except when the seal of a crisp packet opens in the office! She blames time spent in London testing her consumer marketing mettle whilst managing local and global clients across the fashion, wellness, design, travel and hospitality sectors for her mild obsession with the humble roasted root vegie. Arriving in Melbourne in 2019 to hone her passion for the interiors and design market at Max&You HQ, Sophia brings her acute organisational skills and exacting eye – often adorned with her signature golden shadow – to every project. Indeed, she really does have the Midas touch!
Georgia Madden
CONTENT CREATOR
Swinging Mulberry’s covetable leather bags on rotation after a successful stint as their London publicist, Georgia segued into the world of interiors, working for 10 years at UK Homes & Gardens magazine (with three years as its Features Editor).Moving back to Oz, she relished freelancing for the likes of House & Garden, Inside Out and Home Beautiful before flipping to the commercial sector as a design product copywriter for private clients.
Beyond her writing skills, Georgia brings to Max&You golden editorial insights, enabling her to guide businesses towards showcasing their products and services in the best light to beneficial audiences– that and strong publishing connections. She claims to be a ‘once fashionable mum’ given the title of her book on early parenting, though we think her finger’s firmly on the pulse of anything under the design masthead.
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WANT TO JOIN THE TEAM?
We’re always looking for great people who are passionate about what they do and love having fun.
If your interested in having a chat about opportunities in our communications, creative or marketing teams please drop us an email at richard@maxandyou.com.au