OUR TEAM

OUR TEAM

CEA is a team of creative-thinkers and problem solvers with unparalleled industry expertise.

Lilit Chakman

CEO

Lilit left legal practice in 2016 to establish CEA. The last five years has seen CEA become one of the only agencies specialising in commercialisation of intellectual property across a variety of rights holders, creating and executing deals. Representing clients including Angus Stone, Thelma Plum, G Flip, Hooligan Hefs, Winston Surfshirt, Rita Ora, Vera Blue, Hayden James and many more, Lilit’s sincere endeavour is to ensure her clients’ vision and goals are met wholeheartedly from start to finish.

Lilit has been an Australian lawyer since December 2010, admitted into practice in the High Court of Australia and commencing legal practice in intellectual property at K&L Gates (formerly Middletons) as part of the practice group acting for AFL, GM Holden, Camper, Diesel, Deckers and more. Continuing to practice as a commercial lawyer, she later established the Entertainment and Sports division at Lantern Legal Group, whilst running an international agency alongside her legal practice.

With a passion for guiding artists in meeting their optimal potential in contemporary ways in which they are not yet exposed in their current creative work, Lilit undeniably seeks to push boundaries while protecting artists’ intellectual property rights and respecting their cultural essence, beliefs and personal passions.

Sarah Kennedy

Director of Talent Partnerships

CEA’s Entertainment and Brand Partnerships Agent Sarah Kennedy brings an acclaimed repertoire of relationships with her, a driving force in the events world, while championing true sustainability for the future. Relocating to Australia in 2019 from London, Sarah has come from a background heavily involved in event production, marketing and client services, where her rapport with globally renowned brands is an asset. 

From Louis Vuitton, Adidas, Tommy Hilfiger and Puma to Google, Youtube, Warner Bros, Samsung and Virgin EMI, Sarah applies distinct passion to each project, pushing boundaries with creative and innovative work, earning a successful reputation across the globe. Contributing to her inspiration, Sarah’s fervor with the fashion and tech worlds have seen her lead solid campaigns between stand out brands and artists, proving her eye for strategy is on point.

Gravitating to fresh and inspiring people around her, it is without a doubt that when Sarah isn’t exploring Australia and basking on its beaches, she is excited about making magic happen with likeminded people both in the brand and music world.

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Sara De La Cruz

Talent Partnerships & Stylist

As a Melbourne based Fashion Stylist, Sara’s approach is authentic and genuine, creating a safe space for artists to explore their aesthetic. Joining the CEA team she has proved to be an undeniable asset creating captivating looks for music videos, campaigns, performances and red carpet events. Having worked with brands such as Sass and Bide, Alice McCall, Hugo Boss, Novo and Lana Wilkinson she has a passion for championing the Australian Creative Industry.

Graduating from Australian Style Institute in 2019, Sara has solidified her true calling within the industry, nurturing artists in their evolving vision. With the ability to truly understand and interpret their style, she enhances and elevates their brand to new heights.

Internationally published and with over 20 years experience within the fashion industry, her bold yet flexible style certainly makes an impact. Forming a multifaceted skill set from different paths in life including fashion, events, customer service & sales, Sara is well rounded and brings a vibrancy and intuitive focus to all her client interactions.
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Ryan Kearney

Festival Partnerships Manager

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Lee McDermott

Assistant Project Manager

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Maria Niña Ganaden

Assistant

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Kayla Baggio

Head of PR & Partnerships

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Liana Slussareff

Executive Assistant

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Harry Singh

Accounts Manager

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Daisy Squires

Graphic Design & Social Media

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Pia Del Mastro

Copywriter

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Systems and Operations

Having worked with Holy Holy, Running Touch, I Know Leopard, Ash Grunwald and more- Nikita is notably esteemed within the entertainment realm- while also being an avid rock climber in his down time. His expertise spans marketing, web development and systems while branding, graphic design, operations and logistics form a significant role within the CEA team. Passionate about a project, strategy and a game plan, he is devoted to seeing people and things become the best version of themselves, while making a positive impact and being as socially aware as possible. Connection is key- via a full heart, creativity and industry evolution.

Nikita graduated with a Bachelor of Audio Production and went on to immersing himself within various facets of the music industry and its counterparts including audio engineering, live sound, studio production and recording to tour and production management. He attained the Blues & Roots Work of the Year nomination for Tash Sultana’s ‘Mystic’ that he engineered and produced in 2019 while ARIA named that album the best in the Blues & Roots category for 2018. Nikita also produced and recorded Tash’s breakthrough EP ‘Notion’ plus her album ‘Flow State’ and assisted at Melbourne’s Woodstock Studios Birdlands Studios on quintessential sessions including Something for Kate, Joe Camilleri, and Stonefield. 

It is indisputable that Nikita loves music and has been a notable force within the industry most of his life in one way or another. On the road, he has toured countless times globally with Australian heroes Client Liaison and Crooked Colours and production managed Snow Machine Music Festival Japan, all in between studio sessions and creating culturally empowering strategies for artists, entertainers and aligning brands.

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Jemima Sim

Lawyer

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Lauren Taylor

Lawyer

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Chris Mittiga

Lawyer

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Shelley Johnson

People and Culture

Main Stage & WMDO | April 29/30 2021

Julia Stone | CBCO |
Portsea Hotel

Ready to Wear |  Fall 21

Cricket Victoria | Big Bash League

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