LONDON — Former Edelman director Ishtar Schneider (pictured) has joined Mars Petcare as its global people, inclusion and diversity communications lead. Schneider, who has been at Edelman since 2018, had been seconded to Mars Petcare since 2021 as part of her role in the agency’s UK healthcare leadership team.

ABU DHABI — Edelman Middle East has promoted Abu Dhabi leader Mazar Masud as managing director of its UAE division, adding oversight of the Dubai offices to his role. Masud has worked in financial and corporate communications for more than a decade, including at Brunswick, Powerscourt and Kekst CNC.

LONDON — KFC UK & Ireland has appointed Monica Pool as its new chief marketing officer. Pool joins from sister Yum! Brands firm Taco Bell UK & Europe, where she had been marketing director since 2020; she previously held various marketing roles at KFC for 11 years. She takes over from Jenny Packwood, KFC’s chief corporate affairs and sustainability officer, who has been interim CMO since Jack Hinchcliffe left in February to become global chief marketing officer for The Habit Burger Grill, a US restaurant chain also owned by Yum! Brands.

LONDON — The Romans has hired Dave Bennett to the newly-created role of executive director, consumer. Bennett joins from digital specialist Rise at Seven, where he was director of communications. He has also held senior roles at Exposure, MSL, Edelman, FleishmanHillard and Freuds.

LONDON — Public affairs agency WA Communications has hired Philip Pank as a partner. The transport specialist and former journalist joins after nearly six years as a partner at Pagefield, where he worked with clients such as British Airways, Qatar Airways, London City Airport and Hitachi Rail. Before joining Pagefield, Pank was a partner at Bell Pottinger. He started his career as a journalist, spending nearly 12 years at the Times, as assistant foreign editor and then transport correspondent.

LONDON — Pagefield has hired two new senior advisors: John Alty, ex-director general and permanent secretary at the Department for International Trade, and Patrick Diamond, a senior policy advisor in 10 Downing Street under prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.

LONDON — Arsenal FC has hired Jodie Sayer as its new head of brand and marketing. She joins after more than 12 years at sports brand Puma, where she led integrated marketing. In her new role, Sayer will lead the Premier League football club’s brand strategy and establish an in-house creative studio.

LONDON — Headland has appointed BBC journalist Jonathan Blake as a full-time media and presentation coach within its leadership communications coaching practice. He joins the consultancy after 16 years at the BBC, most recently as a political correspondent in Westminster.

LONDON — Hanbury Strategy has appointed Josh Pettitt, the UK government’s former head of external communications for intelligence, cyber and security, as a director in its reputation impact team. Pettitt also served as chief press officer for energy and climate change at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, and was a political reporter at the Sun newspaper.

LONDON — Kindred has promoted Charlotte Dolman to chief client officer, a newly-created position on its executive team. Dolman has been at Kindred for three years and previously held senior positions at agencies including Golin and Mischief. In her new role, she will be responsible for campaign delivery and growing the agency’s consumer brand portfolio.

LONDON — Global sports marketing agency Right Formula has promoted commercial MD Luke Organ to the new role of managing director for EMEA and APAC. Organ, who was previously the chief commercial officer of English Premier League club Aston Villa, joined Right Formula in 2019.

HAMPSHIRE, UK — B2B agency The Jargon Group has named COO Chris Bignell as its new CEO, replacing founder Simon Corbett, who remains on the board and as majority shareholder. The 35-strong agency has offices in Reading, Cardiff and Manchester, and launched in Dubai in 2022. Corbett led Jargon through acquisitions including Vantage Marketing, Souter PR, Glohouse Media, Pelican Communications and XL Communications; Bignell joined as part of the latter acquisition last year.

LONDON — Healthcare specialist Anthem Public Relations, part of the Resonant Group since its acquisition in 2021, has promoted associate director Laura Glover to director. Glover joined the agency in 2021 and has also worked at Open Health and Havas.

LONDON — Healthcare marketing communications agency Onyx Health has appointed Sarah Seilly as head of medical education. Seilly joins the agency from Olympus Medical where she was lead clinical education specialist.