LONDON –  For the second time this year, Folgate Advisors – the advisory group started by former Omnicom executives David Gallagher, Mark Hume and Dave Scott – has added a new cohort of independent communications advisors from around the world.

Nine new senior advisors will expand Folgate’s services around agency development; support for corporate communications teams, holding companies and investors; AI advisory; and professional growth. The network now has a total of 33 advisors, after the three founders launched last October and then added a first cohort of 21 in January.

The newest additions to the Folgate advisory line-up are:

  • Ruth Allchurch (London) 
  • Claire Bridges (London)
  • Jeremy Clark (London)
  • Matt Collette (Vancouver)
  • Christophe Ginisty (Riyadh) 
  • Miranda Mitchell (London)
  • Francesca O'Connor (London) 
  • Julio Romo (London)
  • Abigail Van-Arnold (London)

Folgate Advisors co-founder Gallagher said: “The response from the market to our advisors has been extraordinary, and each new name adds to the ways we can support leaders across the entire communications landscape. We’re grateful for their confidence – clients and advisors alike – and eager to continue to help communications leaders re-imagine what’s possible.”

Allchurch (pictured), who has held senior leadership roles at WE Communications, Diageo, Ketchum and Cirkle, told PRovoke Media that she had long-admired many of the advisory bench at Folgate: “The gravitas and leadership muscle that the current cohort has is second to none and through conversations with David, Dave and Mark it became an absolute no-brainer to join forces. The energy and the pace they are moving at around innovation, service offering and the breadth of clients they are talking to and collaborating with was hugely appealing.

“As a leader I enjoy the variety, pace and entrepreneurship of this type of working environment. I’ve always worked full-time in agencies and in-house, but I reached a bit of a crossroads last year after over a decade of running UK agencies. I’m really proud of what I have achieved, but it’s amazing to join this movement and be part of something new with this level of experiences within the advisory framework. I knew immediately when they invited me to join that it was the right thing to do.”

In terms of her role as an advisor, Allchurch said she would be supporting both agency and in-house comms teams: “For me, supporting leaders on growing the business, navigating choppy waters, and galvanising their team is what gets me out of bed in the morning. I can troubleshoot as well as being at times a plug-and-play safe pair of hands to support MDs and CEOs."

Allchurch said there had never been more expected of agency and in-house comms leaders: “Leaders are expected to be Swiss army knives now: being brilliant at numbers, creativity, strategy, presentation and culture. They are expected to be all over the commercials, operations and driving a profitable business, while navigating extraordinary headwinds. It’s a challenging time for leaders and I’ve walked in their shoes and know the value and power of having the right type of advisors by your side.”

Folgate co-founder Dave Scott said the latest cohort had been chosen to add specific skills to the original advisors, “enabling us to do more for the agency world whilst expanding our capacity to support communications professionals in any setting, any leadership role and almost any place.” He said: “They give us the scale to be transformative and the expertise to be quite granular, and there appears to be an appetite for both.”

And the network’s third co-founder, Mark Hume, added: “We’re building a true community of support and practical experience that we think is just right for this period of uncertainty and transition. Every conversation with a prospective client or new advisor proves to be important and inventive. We’re co-creating new futures together, and it’s proving to be a timely proposition.”