Ad agency owner, social media speaker and former Air Force pilot

Overview

Vaughn Davis is the owner and Creative Director of The Goat Farm, one of NZ's best-connected advertising and social media agencies. A former Air Force pilot, broadcaster and TEDxAuckland MC, Vaughn is one of the most loved speakers on the NZ circuit, having spoken to audiences from 30 to 2,500 across NZ, Australia, China, the USA and Tahiti.

Who is Vaughn Davis? Vaughn trained as a Royal NZ Air Force pilot, flying Strikemaster jets and Hercules transports for 11 years before moving into advertising. He spent more than a decade in agency land, including a stint as Creative Director of Y&R NZ, before founding The Goat Farm. He is the author of Tweet this Book! and Covid Schmovid and is the long-time MC and Content Director for TEDxAuckland, where he has coached around 100 speakers.

Career Highlights • Founder and Creative Director of The Goat Farm advertising agency • Former Creative Director of Y&R New Zealand • Former Royal NZ Air Force pilot of jets and Hercules transports for 11 years • MC and Content Director of TEDxAuckland and coach to ~100 TEDx speakers • Author of Tweet this Book! and Covid Schmovid – 19 Ways to Make Your Small Business Boom • Regular media commentator and former Radio Live and Kiwi FM host

Key Speaking Themes • Social media, brand and modern marketing • Storytelling and speaker coaching for leaders • Advertising, creativity and the future of agencies • Small business resilience and reinvention • Lessons from the cockpit: judgement, calm and decision-making

What Your Audience Will Gain Vaughn is funny, generous and unusually credible — equally at home talking AI marketing or landing a Hercules on ice in Antarctica. Audiences leave with sharper ideas about brand, story and communicating with confidence.

Ideal For • Marketing, brand and advertising conferences • Sales kick-offs and leadership offsites • SME and industry events • Awards nights and MC roles • TEDx-style storytelling and speaker programmes

Frequently Asked Questions...

What does Vaughn Davis speak about? Social media, brand, advertising, storytelling, small business reinvention and lessons from his RNZAF and TEDxAuckland life.

What is The Goat Farm? The Auckland-based advertising and social media agency Vaughn founded — a flexible network of senior advertising and digital talent.

Is Vaughn Davis available as an MC? Yes. Vaughn is a highly experienced corporate MC and the long-running MC and Content Director of TEDxAuckland.

What books has Vaughn Davis written? Tweet this Book! (a free social media primer) and Covid Schmovid – 19 Ways to Make Your Small Business Boom.

What is Vaughn Davis's background? He served as a Royal NZ Air Force pilot for 11 years before moving into advertising, with later senior roles including Creative Director at Y&R NZ.
Does Vaughn Davis coach other speakers? Yes. He has coached around 100 TEDx speakers, plus many corporate CEOs and emerging leaders.