Team
Dedicated Team
With a combined 25 years of recruitment, people + culture and HR process experience, let’s just say we know a thing or two about building teams and helping startups scale.
The Story Behind We Are Eight
Melbourne’s tech scene is a small world, so it was only a matter of time before Danny and Abbie crossed paths. That first meeting happened in 2017 when Danny approached Abbie about a P&C Director role at one of his embedded clients. The opportunity led to them working in the same office for the next 12 months, and from there, a strong friendship (and future collaboration) was born.
Over the next eight years, they became each other’s go-to for advice, knowledge-sharing, client introductions, and the occasional bottle of wine - all while exploring ways to work together. They quickly realised their expertise in Recruitment, HR, and People & Culture was the perfect match. Their values aligned, their working styles clicked, and the idea of building something together started taking shape.
That vision became a reality in 2024 with the launch of We Are Eight, a one-stop consultancy for tech startups ready to scale, bringing together world-class hiring and people strategies under one roof.
Now, it’s time to bring the magic to life. We can’t wait to build with you.
Danny Hansard
Danny is one of Australia's most trusted voices in tech recruitment, bringing over 15 years of dedicated experience to the startup and scale-up ecosystem. Since 2012, he's been at the forefront of Australian tech, building deep connections and an unmatched understanding of what it takes to scale successful teams.
As Co-Founder, Danny led AllSquares to become AFR's 23rd Fastest Growing Business of 2022, proving that authentic relationships drive exceptional results. After successfully exiting the company, he launched We Are Eight with a bold mission: revolutionising how startups build winning teams.
Throughout his career, Danny has partnered with hundreds of tech founders and leaders, earning a reputation for delivering honest, human-centered recruitment solutions that take the stress out of scaling. His approach combines deep technical knowledge, particularly in Software Engineering and Product Management - with an innate understanding of what makes teams tick.
While his expertise spans the entire tech landscape, it's Danny's commitment to building genuine partnerships that sets him apart. His collaborative, transparent approach has earned him over 100 glowing recommendations from Australia's top tech leaders, a testament to the lasting impact he creates.
When he's not helping startups scale, you'll find Danny on the football pitch (playing or coaching), cheering on Aston Villa, or exploring Australia with his wife Holly, three kids, and their rescued Bull Arab, Elfie - usually with a cup of tea in hand.
Abbie Burgess-Brice
Abbie brings more than 15 years of transformative People and Culture expertise to We Are Eight, with a proven track record of aligning commercial and people strategies to drive exceptional growth. Her experience spans globally distributed teams across technology-driven sectors, from real estate and automotive to digital, e-commerce, and sports, giving her a unique perspective on what makes teams thrive.
Known for her empathetic nature and balanced leadership approach, Abbie has become a trusted advisor to boards and leaders navigating critical growth phases. She excels in scale-up environments, where her ability to lead through change while fostering engagement and inclusiveness has helped countless organisations build strong, sustainable cultures.
Abbie's impact reaches well beyond her business achievements. A competitive lacrosse player representing Australia since 2007, she knows what makes teams excel. Today, as Chair of Lacrosse Australia, she's driving the sport's return to the Olympics in LA 2028, applying the same strategic mindset and collaborative approach that makes her such a valuable partner to tech startups.
A doting mum of two, Abbie brings authenticity and warmth to everything she does - whether it’s delivering high-impact outcomes in the workplace, championing lacrosse at a national level, or enjoying a drive along the surf coast with her family.
Sam Rice
Sam brings over a decade of diverse technology and product recruitment experience to the startup and scale-up ecosystem. Starting his career agency-side, Sam has gone on to build teams inside fast-growing scale-ups across Europe, Australia, and the USA. He's also designed people & culture functions from scratch and rolled out robust talent engines that have resulted in multi-million dollar exits.
What truly sets Sam apart is his unique technical perspective. Born from a desire to better understand the engineers he partners with every day, Sam taught himself to code and continues to build products. This gives him a rare, practical insight into technical roles and a laser-sharp focus on quality in every hire.
Sam's approach to recruitment is fun, engaging, and above all, human. His deep technical knowledge allows him to quickly understand complex briefs, synthesize information into simple messages, and provide tangible value to clients at every level.
Outside of recruitment, Sam spent six years bikepacking around the world. He quite literally traded rent for a tent and has now ridden his bicycle over 36,000 kilometers through six continents.
Sami Wareeth
Sami brings eight years of recruitment experience in Melbourne to We Are Eight. Mentored by Danny from day one, he was instrumental in building and scaling a multitude of tech teams via AllSquares. Now he’s replicating that success as one of the founding team at We Are Eight.
Sami is a values-driven, human-centered Recruiter who believes in genuinely assisting candidates and clients long before any formal engagement. He champions a strategic and consultative approach, with a knack for attracting top-tier talent even in challenging market conditions. Described as a T-shaped Recruiter, Sami possesses deep networks in software engineering while also expertly sourcing top talent across product, design, delivery, and data science.
Most recently, Sami spent two and a half years at DotCollective, a leading Shopify eCommerce agency and SaaS business. As their Lead Recruiter and Sales Manager, he successfully hired over 30 individuals and was instrumental in acquiring multiple new eCommerce clients.
Outside of his professional life, Sami is an active contributor to Melbourne's grassroots electronic music scene, running his own music label and producing his own tracks. You’ll often find him at a climbing gym or immersed in his studio, crafting what he fondly calls 'mad beats'!
Holly Hansard
The driving force behind the Hansard partnership, Holly helped Danny launch We Are Eight in 2023. She brings extensive entrepreneurial expertise, having successfully built and operated a thriving health and beauty business, for eight years.
As the heartbeat of We Are Eight, Holly oversees operations and finance. When she’s not streamlining processes, implementing new technology, or balancing the books, you’ll find her at Reformer Pilates or exploring the country with Danny and their three kids.
Mark Bower
After a successful few years in NYC specializing in building AI-focused teams, particularly in LLMs and Generative AI, Mark is thrilled to bring his expertise back to Australia as part of We Are Eight.
With experience spanning Australia, UK, and USA, Mark excels at forging strong relationships with founders and leaders. He helps them refine their vision, deeply understand their product, and identify the perfect talent to drive company growth. His recent work with cutting-edge tech companies has involved placing everything from CEOs to specialized AI engineers, with a particular focus on machine learning roles. Working hand-in-hand with founders and VCs, Mark ensures startups have the right talent foundation, particularly during those critical early hires.
Outside of work, Mark is an avid outdoor enthusiast who loves cooking in the open air and playing guitar. You’ll find him exploring Australia’s natural wonders - attempting (often unsuccessfully) to surf, hiking trails, or taking his dogs on 4x4 adventures. Always eager for new experiences, he embraces every opportunity for adventure.
What they say
"Danny is a great recruiter, but most importantly he's a good human. Trustworthiness and integrity can be sometimes hard to find but he brings it in spades. No doubt that's why he's been so effective at representing Packsmith over the years."
"Abbie (We Are Eight People & Culture) has been instrumental in solving key growth challenges for Packsmith and establishing a firm cultural footing for our business. Her expert guidance has been invaluable."
"I've had the pleasure of working with Danny as a recruiter through my career as a CTO, and I can't speak highly enough of his approach and results. Danny has consistently delivered high-quality engineering hires for our teams."
"Danny is a rare breed of recruiter that actually focuses on people and how they fit together. I’d highly recommend Danny to anyone looking to partner with someone who is people-focused, efficient, and fun to work with."
"Abbie did some great work with PlayHQ. She uplifted a lot of our people and culture policies and processes quickly. She also helped us develop a really pithy values document that everyone rallied around. Abbie always gives you practical, thoughtful guidance and drives alignment effectively."
"Danny supported Zepto by bringing two exceptional Senior Software Engineers into our team. He is well connected, a joy to work with and really lives by the partnership approach to recruitment."
Always
will be
We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which we live and work, the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung and Bunurong peoples of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders, past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We recognise their deep, ongoing connection to Country and honour their enduring culture, knowledge, and traditions.
