Bench Media promotes Nicole Jurke and Ting Zhang to leadership team

Bench Media has announced two senior promotions, elevating Nicole Jurke to head of people and culture and appointing Ting Zhang as financial controller, as the agency continues to invest in leadership, culture and operational foundations.

Jurke joins Bench Media’s management team in her expanded role, with responsibility for attracting, developing and retaining talent, alongside strengthening the employee experience and internal processes across the agency.

Approaching nine years at Bench, Jurke has played a central role in shaping the agency’s people-first culture, with a focus on long-tenured teams, senior continuity and consistent client delivery.

Bench Media co-founder and COO Shai Luft said the promotion reflects the agency’s commitment to stability and experience for clients.

“Nicole’s promotion reinforces Bench’s commitment to providing clients with experienced, highly engaged teams who remain invested in their businesses over the long term,” Luft said. “Bench’s staff retention rate is more than twice the industry average, giving clients confidence in stable relationships, deep knowledge and consistent delivery.”

Jurke said her focus will remain on building the foundations that support both people and clients.

“I’m incredibly proud of the culture we’ve built at Bench and excited to extend my remit as we continue strengthening the foundations that allow our people, and in turn, our clients, to thrive,” Jurke said. “Bench has always believed that great work starts with great people.”

The agency has also promoted Ting Zhang to financial controller, expanding her remit across financial governance, commercial discipline and relationships with financial institutions, client finance teams and insurance partners.

Zhang, who has been with Bench for six years, will continue embedding clear billing, transparent processes and practical financial frameworks to support decision-making and campaign execution.

“These promotions reflect Bench’s ongoing investment in its people and operations to deliver better outcomes for clients,” Luft added. “Nicole and Ting are great examples of the culture we have built at Bench: long-tenured, deeply knowledgeable and a team driven by a genuine can-do attitude.”

Both promotions are effective immediately.