Meet the VIC Mentors
Deanne Constantine

Deanne Constantine

Deanne Constantine

Founder at Blue Bateau

Deanne Constantine is the Founder of Blue Bateau, helping creative and tech companies expand through organisational design and strategic talent frameworks.

With 20 years of advertising and marketing experience spanning Australia and New York, she has led growth initiatives for some of the world’s most dynamic brands, including Budweiser, Google, Jeep, Qantas and Lion Nathan Breweries. Her strategic leadership has contributed to initiatives that have won Cannes Lions, D&AD Pencils and Australasian AWARDs, as well as multiple other major industry accolades.

Working at scale in global markets across complex brand challenges inspired Deanne to apply her strategic thinking and performance mindset to the advertising business itself. How could she make it stronger, more progressive, and connect clients with high-performing global talent through her exclusive network?

In 2017, she launched Blue Bateau, a consultancy that informs organisational models and talent strategies to help creative companies grow authentically. Through placing talent across hundreds of creative and scaling companies, Deanne has gained unique insights into what organisational models enable sustainable growth versus those that lead to chaos. This deep understanding of how teams succeed and fail has informed her approach to building frameworks that preserve culture while enabling authentic growth.

Career & Background

What inspired you to do what you are doing now?

I identified a critical gap in how businesses approach organisational transformation. Traditional recruitment focuses on filling roles, but I saw the need for strategic consulting that helps companies build the right frameworks first – then connect them with talent who can thrive within evolved structures. This led to developing Growth Architecture, our methodology for sustainable scaling.

Could you tell us a bit about your professional background?

After 20 years leading strategic initiatives for major brands like Budweiser and Google, I founded Blue Bateau to bridge the gap between exceptional talent and forward-thinking organisations. We’ve evolved from recruitment specialists into the industry’s first Growth Architecture consultancy, helping companies prepare for the future of work through organisational design, competency frameworks, and AI integration strategies.

Your favourite food for thought

Books

  • The Power of Letting Go by John Purkiss
  • The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
  • Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg

Podcasts / Thought Leaders

  • Brene Brown
  • Jason Chen
  • Manoj Dias

What drives and inspires you

What are your core values?

  • Courage
  • Integrity
  • Spirituality

Who is your biggest inspiration and why?

My daughter Eva, who reminds me daily that the greatest rewards come from being brave, taking risks, and backing yourself. Building a business while raising her as a single mother has reinforced my belief that everything you need in life, is within you.

You as a Mentor

Why have you decided to become a mentor?

Throughout my career evolution from agency-side to strategic consultant, I’ve learned that success comes from strategic career building. I want to share these insights with emerging talent, helping them think more critically about their career rather than just their next role.

What are the top 5 skills or qualities you bring to mentoring?

  • Confident
  • Connected
  • Knowledgeable
  • Passionate
  • Supportive

Ready to apply?

The best time is right now. Take a chance – you never know where an Assisterhood mentor can take you.

Apply Now