A New Era at Upfront
Gen X, Y & Z Join Forces as the Agency Celebrates 30 Years
With the new year, Upfront is ushering in a new era.
After 30 years in the industry, we have officially announced the appointment of Talent Development Manager and a new partner, Sydney Sargent, and Creative Lead and Casting Director, Zoe O’Connor
We have been working hard behind the scenes to grow the Agency’s presence in the Irish market and develop overseas markets. Since our news has now hit the headlines
Who is Upfront?
Upfront was established as a PR consultancy in 1995. Upfront Model Management was launched in 2008 and today represents commercial and fashion talents nationwide. The Agency specialises in representing diversity and many of the talents also have acting experience.
Agency founder and owner Orla Diffily began her PR career at Murray Consultants Dublin and then spent four years working on consumer and fashion accounts with Setanta Communications Dublin before moving to the Corporate Affairs Department of Kerry Group PLC. In 1995, she left to establish Upfront. With over 30 years of experience in the fashion and lifestyle industry, she is a respected industry voice, girl boss, and proud owner of Upfront.
What’s new at Upfront Model Management?
After 30 years and so many different eras, Upfront is welcoming two new faces to the company to aid the Agency’s expansion moving forward.
Introducing our new Talent Development Manager
Scouted in her native Texas, Sydney has modelled internationally in the US, Australia, and London before moving to Ireland 10 years ago.
Her extensive experience and knowledge of the modelling industry have given her invaluable insight into what is required to make campaigns a success from every angle. As one of our top talents as a model with the Agency, this new position enables her to develop our wide pool of talent—passing on wisdom from her international career.
Sydney during her early modelling career in LA and Australia.
As a partner at UMM, she facilitates Agency digital communications, manages talent development, and implements professional standards to ensure talents are delivered for clients on every job.
Sydney is a valuable asset to the UMM team, and we can’t wait to see how her experience continues to fuel our growth moving forward.
Introducing our new Creative Lead
Zoë is an accomplished copywriter, content strategist, and creative who has been involved with Upfront Model Management since its infancy. Starting as a freelance journalist and content creator, she won an EU award in 2017 and published her first serialised novel in 2020.
After completing her degree in English Literature at Trinity College Dublin, she pursued a career in content strategy in London and worked with brands such as Levi’s, Pandora, Paired, and many more.
Returning to her roots with Upfront, she is now the Creative Lead and Casting Director for the agency. She utilises her background to create winning content across Upfront’s channels while working alongside the team to ensure the Agency consistently delivers campaigns that are aligned with the client’s brand message.
She is also leading the pursuit of Agency growth, with our talent landing campaigns both nationally and internationally.
What’s next for Upfront?
Upfront officially celebrates 30 years in July, and with our anniversary comes a renewed fuel that we plan to channel into our upcoming collaborations and campaigns.
With our extensive roster of exceptional talents, we’re looking forward to what this new chapter brings for our Agency. We intend to continue to lead with professionalism, with all of our represented talent keen to see what this next chapter holds.
