Meet The Team
Meet the brains behind the brand.
Search Republic is a conglomerate of some of the best digital marketing minds and e-commerce practitioners in the country. When you become a Search Republic partner, you’ll enjoy full access to this formidable resource.
Our Amazing Team
Owner/Head of Performance Media
Karl Rooney
Co-Founder/General Manager
Brad Guthrie
Brad’s digital marketing background began in 2002 when he undertook an MBA at the University of Canterbury, focusing on Marketing and Business Strategy. He moved to Ireland after graduation as head of marketing for online Travel company MyGuide, then after 3 years moved to the UK to become marketing team head for social media start-up friendsabroad.com. In 2008 freshly into fatherhood he headed back to NZ with Google for a few years. In January 2013 Brad joined forces with Mike Ballantyne and Isreal to found Search Republic. He has worked with a broad range of clients, including banks, power companies, airlines, and clairvoyants. For 10 years he walked in his clients shoes. Now he strives to do the best he possibly can for his partners within their budgets through understanding their business models and helping them to achieve their marketing and company goals.
Senior Performance Marketer
Tessa Williams
Co-founder/Head of SEO & Analytics
Isreal Hartley
Content Specialist
Kirsty Wilson
SEO Manager
Megan Hiew
Megan studied a Professional Communication degree which focused on journalism but also included two weeks studying SEO – sparking her interest in digital marketing. After graduating in 2018, Megan joined Search Republic, where she now specialises in SEO and content editing. She loves the tight-knit team and the well-loved Kiwi companies she works with, from major banks and national airlines to travel companies and family-owned e-commerce brands.
Performance Marketer
Alea Garrido
Senior Content & SEO Specialist
Jamie Dalzell
Senior Performance Marketer
Tony Laws
Tony has managed marketing campaigns across a variety of industries. His Performance Marketing career has involved working on both the client-side and agency-side in various marketing roles, such as sales, account management, and campaign management. Tony works with a range of clients, from car dismantlers to global travel suppliers. He enjoys understanding their industry and applying his expertise in Paid Media, Google, and Microsoft Search to help them reach their marketing and business goals. Tony loves all things marketing and is constantly looking to upskill. He recently completed a Level 7 Diploma in Digital Marketing.
Performance Marketer
Callum Lownds
Performance Marketer
Natasha Ahmed
Natasha’s digital marketing interest was sparked when she worked in digital ad operations for a publisher. Adaptable and dependable, she strives to use her experience to build Google Ads campaigns that have client goals at the forefront. Natasha loves being involved throughout the entire process and seeing real results first-hand, from strategy, implementation, optimisation, and on-going changes.
Senior Performance Marketer
Raewyn Willenbruch
Having worked in the digital marketing industry since 2008, Raewyn brings years of SEM experience and different approaches to Search Republic.
Her digital journey began in another role, where she was recommended to handle online marketing at a start-up. Rae soon found herself stuck into the then new fields of paid search and social.
She loves seeing the measurable results that come from expert optimising – and making a true impact for businesses through it! Valuing loyalty, integrity, and adaptability, Rae appreciates Search Republic’s great ethic (and coffee).
When she isn’t at work, Rae will happily spend hours playing board games and card games with friends and family. She enjoys going on walks and is lucky enough to live right next to a lovely bushwalk. She also enjoyed jumping out of a plane once.
SEO & Content Specialist
Tori Picton
In 2025, Tori brought her eye for detail and passion for the written word to our team. Equipped with a communications and media degree, she worked as a marketing assistant coordinator and content writer at Whitecliffe College, a fashion and art school, then entered the business broking industry as a copywriter.
Tori’s appreciation for well-constructed, accessible web pages drew her to digital marketing. As someone who can look at a page and instantly know what needs changing, she specialises in writing, editing, and proofing – skills she’s keen to share with clients. Tori values the supportive environment at Search Republic, where everyone’s unique skills and experiences are celebrated. She’s excited to grow her technical marketing knowledge while working alongside mentors who foster trust and openness.
Outside work, Tori can be found cheering on women’s football teams, decorating her home, hitting the gym, or indulging in reality TV. A die-hard horror movie fan, she believes life shouldn’t be taken too seriously and values compassion, respect, equality, and humour in her professional and personal relationships. And if you’re looking for someone to give you dance lessons, you’re in luck – Tori was once a rock ‘n’ roll dancing national champion as a child. Just don’t expect her to demonstrate in the office… unless it’s at the annual Christmas party.