Maja Pawinska Sims 11 Sep 2023 // 9:28AM GMT
MUNICH — After nearly four years at BCW, Jan Warp, the agency’s MD of digital innovation and integrated media for Europe and Africa, has left to take an in-house role as head of digital content and campaigns at E.ON Deutschland. His role includes helping the company to communicate the energy transition, working with VP digital marketing Christina Niedermaier.
LONDON — Former BBC News senior controller and executive editor of BBC Politics Katy Searle (pictured) has joined communications and public affairs agency Fourtold as a partner. Searle will advise clients on reputation management, communications strategy and political engagement, as well as growing Fourtold’s UK public affairs practice. Searle had been at the BBC for 33 years. As a member of the BBC’s news board, Searle managed all BBC News and Current Affairs programming, including BBC News at Six and Ten, Radio 4’s Today, Panorama, Newsnight, 5 Live News, Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, and Radio 1 Newsbeat. She was also executive editor of BBC Politics during three general elections, the Brexit referendum and the Covid pandemic.
LONDON — W Communications has appointed its first chief marketing officer. Ash Black, who was most recently an advisor at remote workspace provider Taskpod, will report to founder and co-CEO Warren Johnson and will support the agency across Europe, the Middle East, the Americas and Asia by identifying new partners in areas such as AI and intellectual property. Black has worked for Dior and Tommy Hilfiger, as well as sustainable fashion business Green Hanger.
ZURICH —Telecommunications services provider United Group has appointed Alexandra Delvenakiotis as group VP of corporate affairs. Delvenakiotis succeeds Dragica Pilipović Chaffey in the role; she will remain with United Group as an advisor on government affairs and will continue as chair of the SBB Foundation. Delvenakiotis joins from The Adecco Group where she was VP external communications and media relations. She has also been group director of communications and public affairs at Ringier Axel Springer Media and VP of corporate communications at Sky (DACH).
LONDON — KT2, the content-focused sister agency to technology PR specialist Wildfire, has appointed Emile Kronfli as creative director.
LONDON — Media Zoo has promoted managing director Giles Smith to CEO, following the departure of former joint CEOs Rachel Pendered and Mark Killick, both of whom remain shareholders in the business. Smith joined Media Zoo in 2020 as global solutions director. He previously worked for technology training provider QA for 14 years, latterly as director of solutions for financial services. As C EO, he will join Media Zoo’s board of directors.
LONDON — WA Communications has hired Tom Frackowiak as partner and head of financial services. He joins after 12 years at H/Advisors Cicero, latterly as a managing director of public affairs, where he advised financial services clients including Accenture, AXA, Barclays, eToro and Klarna. Frackowiak previously worked in-house in public affairs roles for Halifax Bank of Scotland and the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.
LONDON — Powerscourt has appointed Pete Lambie as a senior consultant in its industrials and support services team. Lambie was previously an associate director in MHP Group’s capital markets team, where he specialised in M&As and restructuring. He joined MHP as an intern in 2016, working with James White, who is now director and head of industrials and support services at Powerscourt.
LONDON — Integrated marketing and communications agency Tigerbond, which has offices in the UK and Canada, has announced six senior promotions within its UK team. Four of the new senior roles are within the PR operation, as Joanna Wilson and Lucy Coughlan step up from associate directors to directors working across the company’s portfolio and Rachel Taylor takes on a client services director role for the England and Wales team. Peter Dunwoody has also been announced as account director in the London team. Bryan Armit moves into a new role as head of social for the company’s digital team after building out its service offering over the last 12 months and Maryann Milne takes on a group role as financial controller.
DUBAI — UK-based culture and creative industries specialist agency Flint Culture has appointed Elizabeth Sen as its new MD for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Sen has spent more than two decades in PR leadership across the Middle East, including nearly 13 years at APCO Worldwide, where she served in various leadership capacities before moving to her new role.
LONDON — After raising $76m last month, Nigeria-founded mobility fintech Moove has promoted head of external communications Sarah Kemp to VP of external communications and marketing. Kemp joined the company in February this year from PageGroup, where she was group head of external communications. Her expanded responsibilities include all external comms, brand development and central marketing to customers, investors, and partners, and leading a global communications and marketing team.
LONDON — Stagwell group consumer agency Hunter has made a number of senior appointments in its UK office. Following a long-term stint freelancing with the agency, Stephanie Shields joins permanently as associate director, leading strategy and influencer work for brands including Tabasco and Amazon. Radhika Popat has been promoted to associate director, heading the agency’s creative and experiential capabilities, and Gareth Waughington steps into an expanded role as account director, strategic partnerships, with a brief to grow the agency’s advocacy service beyond food and drink to include collaboration brokerage across the consumer health, technology and lifestyle sectors.