LONDON — Edelman has promoted UK corporate affairs MD Nick Hope to managing director of crisis and risk in EMEA, replacing Duncan Gallagher, who left the business earlier this year to join MSC Cruises as vice-president for corporate communications. Hope was previously Edelman’s EMEA chief of staff and he has also been a political adviser to the Labour Party. He will lead Edelman’s crisis and risk practice across nine regional markets, reporting to EMEA chair of corporate affairs and global chair of crisis and risk, Julian Payne.

DUBAI — Current Global MENAT, part of Middle East Communications Network (MCN), has hired Sinead O’Connor as a senior director to help build the agency’s next phase of growth as it expands across the region. O’Connor (pictured, left) will be responsible for agency leadership, service offering development including integration with MCN’s other agency brands, and strategic client counsel, working with MD Peter Jacob (right). Current Global’s clients include Dubai Holding Entertainment, Heinz, Al Habtoor Motors, Five Guys and New Balance.

LONDON — FTI Consulting has hired Laura Gabb as an MD in its international campaigns and issues management team. She will work alongside partner Stephen Day, who leads the international campaigns practice; the duo previously worked together at Burson-Marsteller. Gabb has previously worked for corporate and public affairs agencies including Stonehaven, WA Communications and 5654 & Company.

LONDON — Also at FTI, EMEA vice-chairman of strategic communications John Waples has been named as EMEA chair of the firm’s strategic communications segment. The former Sunday Times business editor will continue to serve as UK head of strategic communications. In addition, Charlie Armitstead has joined the agency as a senior managing director and UK head of capital markets, sitting within the strategic communications segment. Armitstead joins from Teneo, where he had led the financial communications practice since 2015.

LONDON — M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment has named UK managing director Laura Coller as its new UK CEO, after her predecessor Jamie Wynne-Morgan announced his resignation last year. Coller takes on the leadership of the agency and its sister lifestyle business, M&C Saatchi Fabric, overseeing a team of more than 100. She joined M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment 15 years ago and became MD at the end of 2023.

PARIS — Public affairs and digital strategist Jean-Renaud Roy has joined APCO in France as a senior advisor. Roy previously headed Microsoft France’s government affairs team as senior director of corporate affairs, after joining the company in 2014. More recently, he helped set up biotech company Illumina’s government relations team in Brussels to establish its dialogue with European institutions on competition law. Roy began his career at the French Ministry of Defense, where he was responsible for institutional relations at Syntec Numérique, now Numeum, the trade union and professional organisation for the digital ecosystem in France. He then held senior comms positions in ministerial cabinets, before becoming a parliamentary aide and advisor, specialising in digital issues, innovation financing and defense.

LONDON — Citizen Relations has appointed Dominic Cleall to the newly-created role of vice president of digital strategy for Europe, with a remit that includes digital and intelligence program growth in the UK, Germany and across Europe for clients including P&G, Trivium Packaging and Seat. Cleall was previously chief digital officer at Portland.

LONDON — Technology agency Firefly Communications has promoted Charlotte Stoel to the newly-created role of group managing director. Stoel, who joined Firefly in Paris in 2005 and moved to the UK office in 2008, will lead the group’s operations, working with management teams in the UK, France and Germany.

LONDON — Social media platform Snap has appointed Victoria Gillespie as interim head of communications in the UK, to cover maternity leave. Gillespie previously spent more than 11 years at Channel 4, latterly as head of corporate communications.

LONDON — Healthcare specialist agency Stirred, which launched in 2021, has hired Victoria Flannigan as a senior consultant. Flannigan joins from global healthcare agency Syneos Health, where she set up and led a global earned media division, working on campaigns for the likes of GSK, UCB and Alexion. She previously worked with Stirred co-founders Jo Spadaccino and Stuart Hehir at Pegasus (now Inizio Evoke), where she was head of earned media.

STAFFORD, UK — Digital marketing agency Stone Junction, which specialises in the STEM industry, has promoted Stephanie Wood to the newly-created role of head of digital as it expands its digital marketing services. Wood started at Stone Junction five years ago as an account executive and has helped develop its digital marketing services. In addition, the agency has appointed tech B2B marcom expert Marco Giudici as an account director to strengthen its capability across digital content marketing. He previously worked at deeptech B2B agency Publitek (part of the Next 15 Group) and its legacy brand, Technical Associates Group, working with brands including Honeywell, Lenovo, DuPont and Eaton.