Part of a series of interviews with Members of the Chester Business Club
The members of Chester Business Club are business leaders from a wide range of sectors and professions. Here is another in our series of “Member Spotlight” interviews with Club members, this time with Kat Hannon, founder of Hack.
Q: Kat, tell us a little about yourself and your career journey.
I’m the founder and Creative Director of Hack, a creative agency based in Chester, producing film and photography projects of all shapes and sizes.
My background is in fashion styling, but it was during my degree at Salford University that I fell in love with photography. I then moved to London to study Black and White Photography and Print at Central Saint Martins. I stayed in London for ten years, learning my trade and shooting pretty much everything imaginable – from Elliot Cowan and Sam Smith to work for record labels such as EMI and working my way through the Legal 500.
When I had children, I decided it was time for a change. I wanted more space to grow my family, so I moved north to Chester in 2012.
Over the next five years I gradually grew my photography business, building relationships within commercial marketing and advertising. I became Picture Editor of The Cheshire Magazine and began working closely with filmmakers, marketeers and businesses on their visual content.
As the media landscape changed, so did the possibilities. We now have photography, film, mobile phones! And so grew social media, digital campaigns as well as billboards and magazines all working alongside each other. I could see an opportunity to bring great creative talent and clients together in a more flexible way.
That led me to launch Hack in 2025 – an agency of photographers and filmmakers, built around a trusted network of freelance creatives I’ve worked with for years.
Hack is the acronym of Kat Hannon Creative Agency Ltd thankfully, because the full name was a bit of a mouthful!
We’ve since launched our podcast, Hack’s Cosy Club, and now have a growing network of creatives on our books.
Q: How did you become involved with Hack?
I founded and created Hack.
After more than 20 years working in photography, I felt ready to spread my wings a little, to share what I’ve learned, bring people together and see what could come from that.
Q: What does your role at Hack involve?
A bit of everything!
I’m a Shoot Producer, Creative Director and photographer. I work directly with clients to understand what they are trying to achieve, then bring the right creative team together to deliver it.
That can mean producing a large commercial shoot, tendering for a project, directing on set, managing a smaller photography job or simply working through an idea with a client and figuring out what it could become.
Q: What does your role as Director and Producer involve?
For me, good producing is about understanding both sides of the table – the creative perspective and the client’s commercial objectives.
What does the final piece need to look like? Who does it need to reach? What is the message? And, ultimately, what does it need to achieve?
There’s then all the practical stuff that makes a shoot work: scheduling, crew, locations, contracts, insurance, logistics, budgets, post-production and looking after people.
On set, my job is to get the very best out of the day while keeping everyone moving in the same direction. You want people to enjoy being there, but you also want to come away with exceptional work.
Q: What kind of clients do you typically work with?
I tend to work with CEOs, company directors, in-house marketing teams and digital marketing agencies.
The common thread is usually that they know they need strong visual content, but they want someone they can trust to understand the brief, find the right creative talent and make the whole process feel straightforward.
Q: What pushed you to launch your own business?
I’ve been working in photography for more than 20 years, and I felt it was time to expand what I could offer.
I also wanted to share some of the knowledge I’ve picked up along the way.
There are so many talented young people who want to work creatively and use photography and film as their tools. I’d love Hack to become somewhere that helps nurture that talent, creates opportunities and gives people a route into the industry.
At the same time, the way businesses communicate has changed enormously. The demand for photography and film has grown across social media, digital marketing, advertising and traditional media, and I wanted to build something that could respond to that.
Q: What’s been a highlight for you since launching Hack?
Seeing the message start to spread that Hack has creative talent, that we make films and photography, and that there’s more to come.
We’re really only at the beginning. I don’t even think we’ve reached the tip of the iceberg yet.
Q: Looking ahead, what excites you most about Hack’s future?
Possibility.
There’s a little bit of the unknown, which I quite like.
At the moment, our focus is very much on local talent building relationships with creatives in the area and creating a strong, trusted community around Hack.
As that community grows, so will the opportunities: bigger projects, different locations, new clients and new creative collaborations.
Ultimately, I’d love to take Hack outside the UK too.
Q: What’s next for you and Hack?
Development.
The priority is to build Hack consistently and sustainably while continuing to connect great creatives with great clients.
I’m interested in seeing how far we can take it without losing the thing that makes it work in the first place the relationships.
Q: What do you enjoy most about your role?
The people and the variety.
I love that no two days are the same. One day I might be producing a commercial shoot, the next I’m talking to a filmmaker about a new project, and the next I’m behind the camera myself.
I also love that moment when an idea starts to become real. You can have a conversation with a client, bring the right people together and suddenly there’s a whole creative world taking shape.
Q: What’s your vision for Chester and your role in the community?
I’d love to see Chester continue to be a place where creative businesses and creative people can genuinely thrive.
There is so much talent here, and I think sometimes we underestimate what is happening on our doorstep.
For me, Hack is one small part of that. I want to create opportunities for local creatives, connect businesses with great talent and help keep some of that talent here.
I also think business communities are strongest when people actually know one another, not just what they do.
Q: You’ve worked with some well-known local businesses too, haven’t you? Could you tell us more?
Yes, and one of the things I’ve really enjoyed about working in Chester is the range of businesses and people I’ve met.
My work has taken me into very different environments, from established companies and commercial brands to local businesses with really strong stories to tell.
For me, it’s never just about the size of the company. It’s about finding the story and figuring out how best to communicate it visually.
Q: With such rapid growth, how is Hack adapting in 2026?
We’re growing carefully.
The aim isn’t simply to have more people or take on more work. It’s about building a really strong network of creatives and making sure the relationships are right.
We work with freelancers we’ve known and trusted for years, which means we can scale a project depending on what the client needs without losing that personal connection.
Q: Technology is evolving rapidly. How is Hack staying ahead?
Technology is changing the way we make and consume images incredibly quickly, particularly with AI and the continued growth of social media.
I think the important thing is not to chase every new technology just because it exists.
The fundamentals haven’t changed: understanding people, finding the story, having a strong visual idea and knowing what you want the audience to feel.
Technology is another tool. The creativity and the thinking still have to come first.
Q: What have been some of your most memorable projects?
There have been quite a few.
One was shooting with Boots. We spent several days on location with the crew and, honestly, we laughed so much. We worked hard, nailed the shot list and had a brilliant time doing it. I remember thinking, I can’t believe this is my job. We ended up shooting for them again the following year.
Getting my first front cover of The Cheshire Magazine was another huge moment. I photographed and interviewed Pete Bowker at The Handbridge in Chester after he became the first amputee to complete an unsupported crossing of the Greenland ice cap. I wrote the article, took the portrait and then got the call from the editor telling me we had the cover. It was a very warm, fuzzy feeling.
Another project that stands out was working with Marketing Cheshire on a VisitEngland project. I was commissioned to produce and shoot a series of images that were subsequently selected and approved as official Cheshire imagery for VisitEngland. There was quite a detailed production and approval process, so seeing the work go through all those stages and ultimately being signed off was incredibly gratifying. It felt like a real vote of confidence in the images and in the work we’d created.
Then there are the unexpected moments.
Seeing Sam Smith share an image I’d taken of him when he was younger, commenting that he hadn’t changed, and he really hasn’t. He’s still got that gorgeous, quirky soul.
And shooting Elliot Cowan without initially realising he was reciting lines. I thought he was talking directly to me and was completely mortified when I realised! It still makes me laugh.
Q: What excites you most about 2026?
Development.
I’m excited about building Hack properly — connecting with more creatives, bringing creatives and clients together and seeing what comes from those relationships.
There’s a lot of possibility, and I like that we’re still figuring some of it out.
Q: Outside work, what keeps you busy?
My kids, mainly!
I love reading and I started acting classes about a year ago, which has been a brilliant change of pace.
I’m also producing another business, so there’s never really a dull moment.
Q: When you’re not working, where might we find you?
If I’m not following the kids’ schedule, you’ll probably find me at Jaunty Goat, at the gym, in some random yoga class or with Anton.
Q: What does the Chester Business Club mean to you?
Connection.
I’m naturally drawn to people who want to connect, and I think some of the best business relationships come from the most natural conversations.
You step outside the traditional ‘business box’, get to know someone properly and understand who they are as a person. Then, somewhere down the line you might find yourselves working together.
It’s also about being supportive saying, ‘I’m here, I’m present and I’m willing to play my part.’
Q: We’re delighted to welcome you into the Chester Business Club! Can you tell everyone why you joined?
I joined because I was already familiar with the Club and had seen the effort and energy that existing members put into it.
I felt I had something to offer, but I also recognised that there was a community there that I wanted to be part of.
I like being around people who show up, get involved and genuinely want to make something better.
Q: Why do you think the Chester Business Club benefits its members and our beloved city?
I think a lot of people in Chester Business Club feel the same way I do about the city, we love Chester and we want to see it thrive.
We’re incredibly lucky to have landed our lives in such a beautiful city, full of people who have ideas, energy and a desire to make things better.
And I don’t just mean better for business.
It’s about the future of the city, the people who live here, the families who are growing up here and the kind of place we want Chester to become.
I think the Club reflects that. It brings together people who want to show up and do their bit through their businesses, through participation, through support and simply by being part of the community.
Ultimately, it’s all our future.
Company
Hack – Kat Hannon Creative Agency Ltd
Based
Westminster Park, (South West) Chester
Media Details
www.hackcreativeagency.com
Instagram: @kathannoncreativeagency
LinkedIn: Kat Hannon
Podcast: Hack’s Cosy Club
