“Our management style is personal, creative and hands on”
CLAIRE SAVAGE & CATHY BAKER
Directors and Owners
Claire Savage and Cathy Baker established CMC Talent in 2014. Their business partnership has created a dynamic management agency with a caring and relaxed culture built on their deep friendship and decades of professional and personal industry relationships.
Claire’s career has travelled through local and international film production, PR and Advertising while Cathy’s journey was driven by journalism, TV production and casting. Their career paths crossed in Talent Management where they developed reputations as successful media career strategists working with some of Australia’s top level media personalities and performers. While running their business today, both remain hands-on as Agent/Managers and continue to scout and develop newcomers to the industry, work with established performers on their career evolution, source, create and negotiate opportunities for clients on traditional and emerging media platforms.
James Grierson
Acting Division
James joined CMC talent in 2016 tasked to build the scripted side of the business, and with clients earning international credits and awards the success of this division keeps growing.
James Grierson’s solid reputation across Australia’s media, arts and entertainment industries has come from his 20 years plus, managing high profile and established artists as well as developing newcomers careers with advice and sourcing opportunities. As a respected and dedicated manager James has represented credited talent locally and internationally. He has used his industry know-how and relationships to discover, develop and launch the careers of aspiring actors, writers and performers.
James graduated with an Economics and Accountancy degree from the Australian National University in 1991. He decided the corporate world wasn’t for him and immediately commenced managing and promoting bands in Queensland and then Melbourne from 1995. After completing a graduate diploma in Arts and Entertainment Management at Deakin University he commenced work in the Melbourne Office of an International Management Company where he oversaw the career development of numerous actors, performers and presenters in the Australian film, TV and theatrical industries. He has extensive relationships with producers, casting directors, TV networks and theatre companies in Australia and continues to grow through his role at CMC Talent as head of the acting and performing division.
Agents
Post covid the way we work has changed. We retained our office and have refined our ability to work remotely from anywhere in the world, anytime zone or just home around family life. CMC’s two key support staff are:
Lucy Hogarth
Lucy joined CMC Talent in July 2018 after more than 6 years in the advertising industry at one of the world’s most iconic global commercial agencies, Y&R.
In her time there she was Executive Assistant to the Managing Director, as well as the EA to the Chief Creative Officer. Lucy moved onto the role of Creative Services Manager liaising between creatives, sales and marketing for brands and the agency. She left that role to join CMC to run with Client Services. This role not only reunites her with many of CMC’s talented clients with whom she has worked with in the past, but also marks a professional reunion with Cathy and Claire. Prior to working in advertising Lucy worked alongside Cathy and Claire as a valued Talent Assistant before supervising her own management list of clients at Profile Talent Management. Before working in the Australian media and entertainment industry, Lucy studied a BA majoring in Media Studies & Art History, and spent 3 years in London where she worked as a Trading Floor Assistant amongst some of the world’s biggest Investment Banks.
Natalie Hill
Natalie joined CMC Talent in April 2021 after working for more than 10 years representing and co-ordinating local and international clients for speaking, trade, commercial and corporate engagements. Her experience as a speakers bureau agent has seen Natalie work with brands and companies to create tailored and dynamic opportunities for her talented clients for mutual commercial success.
Most recently Natalie spent 6 years in New York City where she was Manager of the in-house Speakers Bureau at HarperCollins Publishers, working on events with New York Times bestselling authors. This gave her an opportunity to combine her love of books with her expertise in events, and saw her work with authors on a range of events, from Fortune 500 corporations to extensive academic programs with universities and colleges across the USA.
Natalie (nee Duncan) began her career at Saxton Speakers Bureau where she spent three years managing corporate events and endorsements for hundreds of Australia’s top speakers, celebrities and musicians. Natalie then moved to Profile Talent Management where she managed the corporate division for three years. Prior to this, Natalie completed her Bachelor of Arts (Art History & Cultural Studies) at the University of Melbourne in 2005.
In 2022 CMC Talent International (CMCI) was established in partnership with LA based Music and Entertainment Manager, Tara Joseph. Tara joins as Partner and exclusive Worldwide Co-Manager. CMCI has taken their representation and management services global in the US, UK and NZ.
Tara Joseph
CMC International Founding Partner, Music / Entertainment Worldwide Co-Manager
Originally from London but now living in Los Angeles, Tara Joseph started her career 25 years ago as a talent agent at The William Morris Agency (UK) representing some amazing artists such as Victoria Beckham, Charlie Hunnam, Elle McPherson and Jamie Dornan to name a few.
In the early 2000’s, Tara formed a music and entertainment company, where she represented Nicole and Natalie Appleton of All Saints. From there, she managed a number of recording artists, before meeting classical superstar, mezzo soprano, Katherine Jenkins, whom she represented for eight years. Taking Katherine to global stardom, she helped transform her into a household name and become a British icon.
Working as a talent manager at her company, JAM ARTISTS GROUP, in both London and LA, Tara has developed an international knowledge, creative perspective and worldwide contact base within all areas of the entertainment industry that has enabled her to represent talent with a global outlook and reach.
In 2018, Tara also diversified into television formatting and production and is currently in development and pre-production with some groundbreaking TV formats through her production company, Dantar Productions.