Kym Illman
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Kym Illman | |
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.jpg) Illman at the 2026 Australian Grand Prix | |
| Born | 1960 or 1961 (age 64–65)[1] Adelaide, Australia |
| Occupations |
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Kym Illman is an Australian motorsport photographer, entrepreneur and YouTuber.[2] He became known in Australia during the 1990s for establishing Messages on Hold, a phone audio marketing company, which became successful through its high-profile ambush marketing. During the mid-2010s he became a Formula One photographer and content creator. His YouTube channel alone has more than 540,000 subscribers.
Illman was born in Adelaide, South Australia. His father had played cricket for South Australia and ran a small business.[3][4] He worked a variety of jobs as a young man, including working in a bank, as a radio announcer in Darwin and as an audio engineer for Sky Television and Channel 9 in Perth.[5][6]
Business career
Messages on Hold
After being made redundant in 1988, Illman founded Messages On Hold, an audio advertising company.[7] Illman became well known for his ambush marketing style, promoting Messages on Hold at sporting events, most notably at Australian Football League (AFL) matches and at the 2000 Summer Olympics.[8][9] He also had a close working relationship with Australian Cricketer, Shane Warne. Currently Messages On Hold has offices in Australia and Singapore, and is one of the largest audio marketing companies in the Asia-Pacific area.[10]
Other business interests
In 2015, Kym founded Canity - an online customer service training platform.[11] With engaging, bite-sized videos, Kym created Canity to improve customer service, and make training employees easier and more efficient. Canity covers topics like Listening Skills, Phone Skills, Dealing with Difficult Customers, and The Art of Small Talk.
Over the years, Illman has also built up a significant property portfolio, with major holdings on the Gold Coast of Queensland.[12]
Racing
In 2005, Kym won the modern challenge category at the Targa West Rally, which was also the first year of the event.[13] Illman continued to race occasionally from then on, often registering in his own Mitsubishi Evo 9, and he would race in the Bathurst 12 Hour and the Targa Tasmania. At the 2011 Targa Tasmania Illman would crash but ultimately was unharmed.[14][15]
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