The Team

Matthew Watson,  Managing Director
BA Comm; MPRIA

Repute Communications was founded by Matthew Watson, a well-known communications practitioner in media, government and corporate settings.

Matthew has helped countless individuals and organisations 'tell their story' to the media, the government, the public and other audiences. He has handled some of the most high profile and difficult communications briefs in Australia.

Matthew graduated from one of Australia's leading Communications Universities in the early nineties, with a BA majoring in Journalism and Politics.

He worked as a radio and television journalist for many years, including a long stint at National Nine News in Sydney where he was a familiar and trusted face covering major stories and issues.

Matthew has also been a Communications Manager for a former Cabinet Minister in the issues-rich portfolios of Health, Planning, Infrastructure and Natural Resources, and has worked in a senior communications capacity at a major New South Wales State Owned Corporation.

Matthew is a recognised communications expert, having won multiple prestigious state and national PRIA awards for skilful issues and crisis management.

Evonne Geluk,  Senior Associate
BA Comm

Evonne Geluk is a leading public relations professional with 15 years experience creating and managing strategic communications programs.

She has handled hundreds of media, issues, crisis, community, event management, brand positioning and publication production strategies.

Evonne began her career in the Corporate and Public Affairs department of Caltex Oil Australia whilst she completed a degree in Arts majoring in Political Science and Communications.

Moving to London for five years, she worked as a communications consultant to BBC Worldwide and Grundy Television, before accepting an offer to work for the Arts Council of England.

Returning to Sydney, Evonne worked on two of Australia's largest youth events the Rock Eisteddfod Challenge and the Croc Festivals, before moving into a boutique communications consultancy where she worked with a number of high profile brands including Visa International, Booz Allen & Hamilton, Elastoplast Sport, Leuko, Australian Wool Innovation, Carter Holt Harvey, IQ Group, Plumtree and Special Olympics Australia.

More recently Evonne has worked with prominent property clients including Walker Corporation, Medallist Group, Jones Bay Wharf, Billbergia, Rory O'Brien developments and Waterbrook Lifestyle Resorts.

Belinda Barnett,  Director - Urban Concepts
BTP (Hons) Cert Mktg (UTS) MPIA

With highly sought after qualifications and experience in Communications and Town Planning, Belinda Barnett is a leading planning, community consultation and issues management specialist.

Her knowledge of how to provide sound planning counsel and liaise and connect with communities and stakeholders has been well honed during her 20 year professional career, working in-house and as a highly successful consultant servicing a formidable list of public and private sector clients.

Belinda has earned a reputation for delivering innovative solutions for clients, providing strategic and statutory planning and communications advice for a variety of land uses and development scenarios.

Although Belinda also services smaller clients, her skills are particularly in demand from clients facing major project assessment processes.

Belinda is an active member of the Royal Australian Planning Institute, a member of the NSW Consulting Planners, PIA Social Planning Chapter, Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA) and a founding member of the National Association of Women in Construction. In 1998 she was one of fifty women to be inducted into the Businesswomen’s Hall of Fame.

The Urban Concepts success story commenced in 1994, when Belinda established the business.