Career summary

Now the Head of Creative and Production at Carlton and United Breweries, Jonathon Bernard has had a career that has encompassed a wide range of industries, working at companies such as the Collingwood Football Club, Australian Unity, the Victorian Golf Association, and now Carlton and United Breweries. Through the skills he acquired studying a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Media and Communications, Jonathon has had a successful career connecting and communicating with people. He is currently working for Carlton & United Breweries, leading and managing a team of over 20 people across creative and  production to modernise the marketing approach of the wide range of brands in CUB’s portfolio, including Victoria Bitter, Carlton Draft, Great Northern and Asahi.

Career pathway

2020 – Head of Creative and Production, Carlton & United Breweries
2019 – Head of Content, Carlton & United Breweries
2018 – Digital Content Production Manager, Carlton & United Breweries
2015 – Head of Content, Australian Unity
2013 – Manager of Collingwood Digital and Productions, Collingwood Football Club
2010 – Digital Media Manager, Collingwood Football Club
2009 – Web Producer, Collingwood Football Club
2008 – Communications, Public Relations and Marketing Officer, Victorian Golf Association
2008 – Graduated from a Bachelor of Arts (majoring in Media & Communications), Monash University

Why did you choose to study an Arts Degree at Monash University?

I was born in Ivanhoe (Melb) and as a family, we moved over to the US to support my dad with his work  . Therefore, I did the majority of my schooling in the US.

While the concept of red cups and frat parties  was enticing, the thought of an undergraduate degree across three years (as opposed to four in the US system) played a key role in my decision to return to Melbourne. That and I loved the idea of working behind a bar while my friends in the US were still using fake IDs to purchase beer.

Monash’s curriculum provided me a great deal of flexibility.  It provided me with a strong degree while supporting me in the “real world” where I felt I could dip my toe in the water of what was going to be the next 40+ years of my life.

What drew you to majoring in media and communications?

I've always loved stories; I've always loved telling stories. And I've always loved how people connect with stories.

When I was looking through the Monash Arts website (from my last year of high school in California), I was able to determine the course offering, and there were a couple of courses specifically in storytelling that were of great interest to me. I remember units such as mass communication and parasocial interaction that really drew my attention. I also undertook units in politics and international relations and had the privilege of having Nick Economou, one of Australia’s renowned political scientists and commentators, as a lecturer. It was a really interesting blend, especially in my first and second years, to have both sides of the content creation – the storytelling in international and politics and then how that translates into the media.

Nick’s weekly lectures on Australian Politics also served as a 101 in how to tell stories and capture imaginations.

How has your degree translated into your career?

It’s probably not what I was expecting when I signed up to a degree at Monash, but my biggest learning that has stayed with me to this day is that of “empathy”.

Across my three years at Monash, I was fortunate to mix with a range of people through class, boarding, clubs and employment. Connecting myself in Monash’s ecosystem showed me firsthand how taking an empathetic view of all angles of life will increase happiness and understanding of people. It takes us away from ‘what is in it for me’.

I believe the more well-rounded one can become, the more one will be able to achieve.  

It's all about connection points. The more connection points I think you can have with someone that's not specifically about the task at hand, that takes the pressure off, specifically trying to get that task at hand done, and it turns it into more of a human experience and conversation.

Other skills I acquired are obviously the things that are associated with doing a degree, such as the landscape of the media and communication industries, storytelling for impact, writing and analytical skills, and time management, professionalism and quality. Those kinds of things are critical in setting yourself up for success.

What were some highlights of your degree?

Moving back to Australia by myself meant I lived at the residential colleges – at Howitt Hall. Living with people who are dealing with the same things that you're dealing with and may be sharing experiences and learning from them, was a great highlight.

I was fortunate to form some lifelong friends from my days living at Howitt, and we still talk about those days back at uni. Our group Whatsapp chat is called “Howitt Crew” and to celebrate our 10 year anniversary of living together, we met for a parma at the refurbished The Nott! (the salad bar still holds up as great value for money).

In my second year, I kicked off the Monash Golf Club with a Howitt resident, who was from England; he was President, I was Vice-President and Treasurer. It had been defunct for a number of years and when we started it up again, we had around 60 members in the first year.

What does your current role as Head of Creative and Production, Carlton & United Breweries (CUB) entail?

Three years ago, CUB made a decision to bring marketing capability in-house, and they brought me on to build out the creative and production skill.   

Currently, I lead a team of 20 A-grade operators that support our large portfolio of amazing brands that include Carlton Draught, Victoria Bitter, Great Northern and Asahi.

My role focuses on creating an environment that brings out the best of the team. Bringing inspiration and support to drive creative outcomes to a wide range of briefs. I also look at how my team is integrating with each other as well as the wider teams and agencies.

I also try to identify opportunity within the broader business, looking at business goals and initiatives, and how my team can proactively help to support some of our brands or business goals.

What are some of the highlights of your career so far?

My growth and development in the media world really corresponded with the growth of digital and social media. I can remember in the first couple of months of my position as Digital Media Manager (2007) at the Collingwood Football Club, I was meeting with our CEO to talk about why Collingwood needed a Facebook page!

At Collingwood I established the requirements to connect with an audience. I was able to do this with a hungry audience that loved the club and loved everything that we published.

For over seven years, whether it was producing a weekly TV show or social posts or interviews, whatever type of content we were creating, it was going straight to a highly engaged audience. So in some respect, I was learning and growing in an environment that gave me a continuous free kick. Until I once tweeted that our captain, Nick Maxwell, at the time had resigned…not “re-signed” (big face palm emoji).

At Australia Unity, I saw a need to do more communications and marketing within the business. There was a need for the over 1,200 staff to connect with a brand that they work for, outside of a pay check. It is extremely difficult to connect with this cohort, a group of people who work extremely hard, from all backgrounds, and at times can feel like while they focus on caring for others, there is little care of themselves, either from government or society.

Fast forward to my role at CUB, where I have built out the in-house capability to now a team of 20 creatives. To have the support of the organisation in believing what we do as we push to drive marketing excellence in this business is wonderful. My team has produced TV commercials, we have produced campaigns and a wide array of communications to help champion our brands and connect them with consumers.

I am fortunate that in my career, I have been able to go into different businesses, adopt fundamental changes and grow teams while developing talent. When I am hiring new staff, I often say "I want to hire you and I want you to be able to leave here as the most qualified, experienced person to get that next job". I want our team to constantly grow and develop – to be better marketers, better creatives and better people.

What advice would you give to students struggling with the pandemic and trying to find work or start a career?

At Monash in my final year I was able to, through the flexibility, not wait until I graduated and then get my first job, which was at the Victorian Golf Association. I was able to manage that job while managing my last six months of my degree.

It’s something I want to stress to uni students that you shouldn’t have to wait until you’ve finished.

When I’m hiring, I’m looking for candidates that are eager to get stuck in, and some may have done other work experience or still have a semester to go. That's a point of difference that you only have for so long.

Interviewed by Simone Kealy, journalism intern, Monash Arts, 2021