LONDON — Creative content agency 72Point has appointed managing director Chris Pharo as CEO. Formerly the associate editor and head of news at the Sun newspaper, Pharo (pictured) will now lead the 72Point group, overseeing subsidiaries 72PointPLAY, OnePoll, Oath, and Pinpep. Founders Paul Walters and Chris White will remain on the SWNS Media Group board while transitioning day-to-day operations to Pharo and his leadership team. The move marks 72Point's shift from being part of the SWNS Media Group to operating as an independent entity. The agency also recently appointed Andy Rudd, former associate editor and head of news at Mirror.co.uk as its new head of media strategy.

LONDON — High-growth challenger brand specialist agency Words + Pixels has appointed Andrew Bloch to its advisory board. Bloch, who was one of the co-founders of Frank, also works with AAR. The independent agency, which was launched in January 2020 by Nick Braund, now has a team of 20 and revenue of £1.8 million, with retained clients including Lime, Blacklane, Red Bull and Back Market.

LONDON — Publicis Health UK has promoted Katie McMorran and Clare Middleton to group managing directors at healthcare specialist Langland. The appointments follow Victoria Wright's Q4 '23 appointment as CEO. McMorran will lead Langland Advertising and oversee Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness, while Middleton will head Clinical Trial Experience, Medical Strategy & Education, and Public Relations.

LONDON — Brunswick has appointed several new partners in Europe. Jack Emery, based in London since 2019, has over a decade of UK government policymaking experience, specialising in regulation and public policy. Kate Shouesmith MBE, also in London, co-leads Brunswick’s strategy and planning team, with a background as a special adviser and deputy head of public affairs. Oscar Karlsson, located in Stockholm since 2011, advises Nordic clients on capital markets, crisis management, and stakeholder engagement. Sarah Purbrick, overseeing Brunswick’s Continental Europe operations in London, leads strategic planning and business transformation initiatives. In Munich, Suntka von Halen specialises in crisis management, cybersecurity, and corporate positioning.

PARIS — Ogilvy Paris has appointed Julia de Sainte Marie as managing partner for experience, a promotion from her previous role as head of experience since 2021. She has been on the agency’s exco since 2022. de Sainte Marie will lead Ogilvy Paris’ customer experience and Gen AI initiatives, focusing on the AI.Lab centre of excellence launched in early 2023. She will also manage key accounts including Accor, Nestlé, and L'Oréal.

LONDON — M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment has appointed Conall McAteer as its first sport-specific creative director, marking a shift in the agency’s creative approach to emphasise “creativity aligned with cultural passions”. With experience from We Are Social, McAteer has worked on campaigns for brands including Adidas and Meta. He will report to managing partners Jenny Mitton and Ross Watson.

LONDON — Andrew Jaques has joined Alma Strategic Communications as a partner, moving from Dentons Global Advisors, where he served as a partner in London, focusing on capital markets advisory. With 36 years' experience, including roles at HSBC James Capel, BZW, and Credit Suisse First Boston, Jaques brings expertise in corporate and financial communications. He previously held CEO positions at Hogarth and MHP Group's capital markets advisory business and specialises in IPOs, M&A, and capital raisings.

LONDON — Independent digital marketing agency Mediaworks has appointed Jack Minot as organic search director. He has previously worked at agencies including Honcho, Sticky Eyes, and Unrvld (formerly Delete). Founded in 2007, Mediaworks now has 180 staff and offers services including SEO, PPC, web design, brand, content and digital PR.

LONDON — Platform Communications has launched an expanded content marketing offering with the appointment of James McKeown as director of the new ‘Story’ division. This is integrated with Platform’s PR, comms, social selling and go-to-market lead generation offers. McKeown previously led B2B content strategy at Future Publishing and NewBay Media.

AMSTERDAM — Hospitality company The Social Hub has appointed Daniel Hernández Lyon as its first director of global communications, marking an increased investment in PR and public affairs. With nearly 20 years of experience spanning hospitality, luxury goods, and non-profit sectors, Hernández Lyon will scale up the communications function amid rapid expansion across Europe. Currently operating 17 hubs across six countries, the organisation aims to expand to over 50 locations, with six hotels in development. He reports to CMO Anaïse Crombé-Grare, overseeing retained agencies in key regions including Italy, Iberia, and the UK.

HAMPSHIRE, UK — Tech PR agency Whiteoaks International has made three appointments. Adam George, previously head of finance, joins the board as finance director. Hannah Buckley has been promoted to head of content and service development, while Natalia Kaczmarek becomes digital content manager. The appointments follow Hayley Goff's elevation to CEO in May 2023.

LONDON — Finn Partners has promoted Amy Skelding, formerly a senior partner in the UK travel practice, to managing partner, UK travel. Skelding, who has been part of the agency’s UK travel practice for more than 10 years, will take responsibility for growth and development in the UK, while Debbie Flynn, who has been leading the UK team as well as the global travel practice, changes her remit to focus on global business development for clients across the US, Europe and Asia and new business opportunities in emerging growth regions including India and the Middle East.

LONDON — Andras Sztaniszlav has assumed the role of interim CEO at ICCO as part of a new strategy to strengthen ICCO's position as the leading membership body for PR associations and agencies. With a background in journalism and over 20 years of experience as a strategic communications consultant, Sztaniszlav has served on the ICCO Board since 2016, representing HuPRA, and serving as treasurer since October 2022. The interim appointment marks a commitment to membership growth and developing new services. Alison Clarke, principal at Alison Clarke Consulting and ICCO board member becomes interim treasurer until a permanent CEO is appointed.

LONDON — Prosek London has appointed Maria Gonzalez as its fourth managing director. Gonzalez, a financial communications counsellor with experience in asset management and private markets, will also spearhead the firm’s marketing efforts in London. The team expansion includes recent hires such as veteran financial journalist Carleton English and private markets communications specialist Matthieu Roussellier.