Redefining Engagement for a Distracted World
At Debut, we don’t just work at the intersection of science, communication, and creativity—we disrupt it, forging new paths to ensure your messages cut through the noise.
Our team is a powerhouse of cognitive scientists, researchers, designers, creatives, communicators, marketers, producers, strategists, and business planners. But at our core, we are trailblazers committed to solving the engagement crisis—one breakthrough at a time.
When we join forces for our clients and, most critically, their audiences, we don’t settle for the ordinary. We create strategies that resonate deeper, ideas that challenge expectations, and results that inspire action long after the moment has passed.
We’re not here to play by the rules. We’re here to change the game—for the better of audiences everywhere and beyond.
Our team
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Ben Moorsom
FOUNDER, PRESIDENT & CEO
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Ben is passionate about audience engagement. He began his career in marketing communications as a producer but early on, he noticed that corporate communications efforts were so often missing the mark and at times, even causing harm. There had to be a better way to reach the hearts and minds of audiences.
Since 1997, Ben has been pioneering the fusion of behavioral science with creative and communications to drive engagement and behavior change. As the founder, president and CEO of Debut, Ben boldly leads debut’s team towards meaningful engagement outcomes for our clients and their audiences. His work has spanned across neuroscience, event psychology, change management, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and even the metaverse.
Ben is a seeker who thrives on discovering and decoding new knowledge and a disrupter who’s made it his life’s mission to deconstruct, recalibrate, and engineer engagement.
To learn more about Ben, visit: www.benmoorsom.com
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Alona Taratuta
GM & DIRECTOR OF FINANCE
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Alona is the go-to person for all things finance and operations at Debut Group. As Director of Finance and General Manager, she brings a blend of structure and innovation, making sure our remote team is equipped to deliver top-notch experiences seamlessly. With a knack for streamlining financial systems and a passion for efficiency, Alona keeps everything running smoothly behind the scenes. Her goal? To help our team focus on what matters—creating unforgettable behavioral experiences for our clients.
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Nico van Praag
VICE PRESIDENT, STRATEGY & CREATIVE
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Prior to joining the debut Leadership Team, Nico was most recently the Global SVP of Experience Strategy at Freeman. He’s also held posts as VP of Strategy at GPJ and Partner/Chief Strategy Officer at Kenwood Experiences. He’s led experiential and digital strategy for brands including Salesforce, Hitachi, WorkDay, Pure Storage, EMC, and Visa. As an advertising strategist and consultant, Nico has worked with many brands including Audi, Red Bull, Nike, Lexus, General Motors, FitBit and Xbox. He’s a maker at heart and loves to design inspiring integrated customer and attendee journeys that are catalytic and a true reflection of the brand. Nico leads our Creative, Experience Strategy, Client Services, and Production teams here at Debut.
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Matt Pachai PhD.
BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE LEAD
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Matt is a PhD cognitive scientist with over 10 years of experience solving complex problems with rigorous analysis. He believes that science is nothing if it’s not being communicated effectively.
As the Behavioral Science Lead at Debut, Matt applies his deep understanding of the psychological literature and experience in research to the arena of business communications. The goal of communications is to connect, and Matt ensures that it happens effectively, and leads to behavior change for client contexts.
Matt’s favourite part of his work is being able to merge client communication and empathy with scientific insight and rigor. He loves seeing the real-world impact of his recommendations every day.
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Jocelyn Davies
BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE CONSULTANT
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Taylor Emo
PROJECT MANAGER
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Colin MacFadyen
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
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As a Creative Director, Colin brings a 360 approach to brand development, crafting unique experiences that leave a lasting impact on every interaction. He executes brand campaigns that resonate with audiences, focusing on empowering brands to engage effectively.
Providing innovative creative direction across diverse channels, his expertise spans print, digital, experiential, and video mediums, fuelled by a passion for problem-solving and strategic alignment. Colin has successfully overseen integrated design programs for corporate communications, rebranding initiatives, and experiential campaigns, consistently delivering exceptional results through effective team management.
His favourite part of the job is driving brand success by merging innovative design with strategic insight.
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Agnes Vaughan
PRODUCTION LEAD
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Agnes has a 15 year proven track record of successfully leading high profile events and managing corporate client relationships. As a production lead at debut, Agnes works closely with the creative and science teams and is committed to delivering high-quality productions that exceed client expectations.
Agnes' favourite part of the job is seeing the magic unfold onsite when the audience is moved by the experiences the teams worked hard to design. It is very rewarding and never gets old.
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Francis Lanza
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
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Samantha Gunn
SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER
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Gabriel Galand
HEAD OF VIDEO PRODUCTION
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Steven Ward
ART DIRECTOR, VIDEO
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Laura Isabel
PRODUCTION COORDINATOR
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Fredy Vargas
SENIOR MOTION GRAPHIC DESIGNER
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Austin Reid
INTERMEDIATE GRAPHIC DESIGNER
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Laura Hlywka
OFFICE MANAGER
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Zhanna Torbina
ACCOUNTING CLERK
