Hayes Cunningham from The Halo Media Group

Meet the team: Hayes

Our meet-the-team series is for you to get to know our team members a bit more.


Hey Hayes, we'd like to get to know more about your role at Halo

What’s your job title?
I’m the Co-founder and Director at Halo Media. I am the “Ha” part of Halo and I run the business with my partner Louise (the “Lo” part in Halo). I could not have chosen a better partner if I tried and Halo would not be where it is today without her.

What sort of duties do you have at work?

As a small business co-owner, I wear many hats. My current responsibilities are:

  • Leadership:
    Firstly, I am a leader and responsible for those placed in our care. My job is helping people realise they are leaders too.
  • Company strategic brand direction:
    I am co-responsible with my partner Louise for the global strategic direction of the Halo Media Brand and rolling this out to the market.
  • Client brand strategy:
    I work with clients to help them strategically build their brand equity through a proven knowledge base.
  • Director of operations (AKA COO - “Chief of Other” stuff no one wants to take care of):
    I work with our management team to develop long-term business strategies, assist in the managing and planning of budgets, objectives, administrative and various other day-to-day operational tasks and demands.
  • Business development:
    As we are growing our global footprint, Louise and I are also currently responsible for attending new business meetings, quoting and project speccing.

What inspires or excites you, and why?
I absolutely love what I do. I find the more I learn the more I realise how little I know and that keeps me moving forward.

What is your #1 tip for your clients?
There’s no shortcut.

What’s your go-to productivity hack?
Definitely Asana, I don’t use it enough and I'm working on that.

What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received?
That I am a good leader.

What could you give a 30-minute presentation about with no advance preparation?
The power of brand equity.

What’s one professional skill you’re currently working on?
Building a strategic brand.

What’s a work-related accomplishment that you’re really proud of?
Watching the professional and personal growth of my team.

If salary weren’t a factor, what job would you do?
What I am doing right now.

Tell us more about you, outside of work … 

Where are you from?
I was born in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe and grew up on a 15,000Ha cattle farm in Zimbabwe on the border of Botswana during the war of independence. My father came from a poor family and had just finished paying for the farm. While we were away on a shopping trip, our home was burnt to the ground. Our farm manager and his wife were shot and killed, along with our pets and our farm was expropriated. We then moved to South Africa with a few belongings and what we were wearing to start again. We moved over 20 times while in South Africa. I think this experience has instilled a deep desire to find the answer to the question “Why?” like a curious child, I have found this burning inside me to help brands ask that question and find the answers.

Do you have a nickname, and how did you get it?
Variables. Because occasionally, under the right circumstances, I am.

That lemur is King Julian from Madagascar and our tour guide when travelling to remote areas

What wouldn’t we know about you, just by looking at you?
I enjoy playing guitar in my downtime.

Cats or dogs (or neither?)
Cats are lovely, but definitely dogs. No matter what you’ve done or what kind of day you’ve had, they’re ALWAYS happy to see you, unconditionally! Cats need a little more persuasion.

What’s your favourite word in the English language?
I love alliteration’s and onomatopoeia’s. Both of these transcend language barriers

The best piece of advice you were ever given was …
A man or woman’s life does not consist by the abundance of the things they possess

What kind of music do you like?
I have a very diverse taste in music. As long as it has been done well I can appreciate talent in any form.

Do you like travelling? If so, what’s the best place you’ve ever travelled to?
I adore travelling. It’s one of the best educations in life. I have travelled mostly on the African continent. Zanzibar for me has been the best so far. Watch this space.

What’s your guilty pleasure?
I enjoy flyfishing fresh water rivers and in the sea.

Are you able to keep a secret?
I was never here ...