MADRID — Spanish telecoms company Telefónica has appointed Eva Fernández (pictured) as global communications director. Currently COO of online newspaper El Español, Fernández will report to Eduardo Navarro, chief comms, brand, public affairs and sustainability officer. She is tasked with integrating the internal and external communications functions of the group, led by Aitor Goyenechea (internal and gigital Communications), Fiona Maharg Bravo (international & financial Communications) and Juan Emilio Maíllo (Spain communications). Ignacio Jiménez Soler, current director of corporate communication development, will take on the new role of director of strategic coordination of communications, brand and reputation.

COPENHAGEN — Strategic communications specialist Rud Pedersen Group has changed its ownership structure, with more than 40 local partners becoming shareholders in the group and operating under the single Rud Pedersen Group brand. The aim of the move is to establish a ‘one stop shop’ for clients. The firm was founded in 2003 by CEO Morten Rud Pedersen, and now employs more than 190 consultants in four sub-brands: Rud Pedersen Public Affairs, King Street, Welcom and RP People. The group has offices in Stockholm, Oslo, Helsinki, Gothenburg, Copenhagen, Helsinki and Brussels. 

LONDON — The Economist Events has chosen financial specialist BackBay Communications as its PR agency for the inaugural Climate Risk Summit, being held in London this week. The event, featuring business leaders, policymakers, scientists, academics and investors, will look at the implications of climate change and how businesses can better understand and manage the risks.  The brief includes raising awareness of the event and its speakers among key media across a range of industries through digital communications, social media and media relations at the event.

LONDON — A new public poll by MHP on the most trusted health information sources has found that 57% of the public rank healthcare professionals first, followed by the NHS (22%) and family and friends (14%). Only 18% of the British adults put social channels in their top three most trusted health and wellbeing sources and 9% do so for celebrity and lifestyle blogs. The survey also found 71% of people agree that they often hear contradictory health advice through the media and struggle to know what to believe. Kate Pogson, MHP’s head of health, said: “This research tells us that, thankfully, the age of the expert is perhaps not completely over. The fact that trust is still placed in the hands of the professionals is reassuring. What we as communicators need to think about now is how, if faced with a fak news scenario, is to how to amplify that voice as, this poll would suggest, expertise are still very much welcome.”

LONDON — Portland has launched its Total Value Index, billed as the first comprehensive framework to compare the actual value British businesses bring to society with their perceived value. The Total Value Index analyses nine sectors, using measures including profits and dividends, R&D levels, employee diversity and satisfaction, records on corporate tax and the environment, to assess and rank the total value performance of sectors. It also tests the findings against how an external informed and influential audience thinks the different sectors are doing and why. The research found that some businesses are not doing enough on the issues that matter to their stakeholders and the majority are not getting the recognition they deserve when they do. In seven out of nine sectors surveyed, there is a large gap between the actual value businesses create for society and the perception of that value.

LONDON — Milk & Honey has made its eighth appointment of the year, adding finance editor Sonja Robertson in the newly-created role of editorial director. Robertson started her career as an advisor and?fund analyst before moving to head investment communications at Merrill Lynch Investment Managers and SEI Investments. Most recently, she spent four years as editor and head of thought leadership at Curation. Milk & Honey, in its third year of business, now has a team of 15, and annual fee income of £1m.