LONDON — Roger Nelson, co-founder of London agency Nelson Bostock, passed away in New York last month. Nelson (pictured, right) founded the agency with Martin Bostock (left) in 1987, and early clients included American Express, as well as Toshiba and Canon, which still work with the agency today. Nelson Bostock – now part of the Unlimited Group – has worked for leading technology brands including Sega, BBC, Facebook, Google, PlayStation, Amazon, Salesforce, BT and EE. In his obituary of Nelson, Bostock said: “Roger was a giant of a man, a true force of nature and a totally brilliant PR professional. Anyone who has worked at Nelson Bostock owes a huge debt to Roger. His role in winning and retaining many of our biggest clients - some of which are still with the agency - cannot be overstated. Roger was my closest friend for 48 years, and my business partner for 25 years. He was irreplaceable in so many ways. He will be sorely missed.”

LONDON — The UK Government Communication Service (GCS) deputy chief executive Lisa Hunter is joining MHP Group as head of strategic communications. Hunter, who previously worked at MHP from 2016 to 2018 before becoming director of communications at the Department for Work and Pensions and then moving to her current role in 2021, will report to Rachel Bower, head of brand and reputation.

LONDON — Hill & Knowlton has hired Genelle Aldred to expand its spokesperson training offer in the UK. Aldred joins as a senior associate director, having worked as a journalist with broadcasters including the BBC, ITV, ITN and 5 News. Previously, Aldred ran her own corporate communications consultancy and is the author of ‘Communicate for Change: Creating Justice in a World of Bias’. Aldred’s remit at H&K includes growing the agency’s training offer. The appointment follows the UK business’s launch of its new comms training offer, The H&K Academy.

LONDON — Manifest partner Helen Kenny has been promoted to become the independent group’s first global COO, overseeing its six studio teams and its continued service expansion. Working with founder and group CEO Alex Myers, Kenny will ensure Manifest’s international workforce, which operates around the clock across six studios and five timezones, operates as one global team. The new COO role also includes development of proprietary technologies and innovations, including Manifest’s omni-channel reporting platform, The Loop and its creator collaboration system, Roger. The appointment comes after a year of growth and expansion for Manifest, including opening its sixth studio in LA.

LONDON — Be Broadcast has launched a new division, AV Room, to deliver audio and video content to clients. The division – which has established collaborations with the BBC, ITV, Sky and Channel 4 – will be led by TV production veteran Dave Cooper, who joins the broadcast specialist agency after 30 years as a cameraman across news, documentaries, corporate content and live productions.

LONDON — Gold79, formerly The Lucre Group, has appointed Greg Felgate as chief commercial officer to lead the content, search, PR and social agency's growth strategy. Felgate joins from marketing agency IMA-HOME, where he was head of communications and led on new business, and PR, social and influencer clients. He previously spent 13 years at Leeds-based PR agency Finn, latterly as a board director, working with brands including Yorkshire Tea, Cadbury’s, Nandos and Quorn.