Maja Pawinska Sims 08 Dec 2023 // 5:29PM GMT
LONDON — Frank PR has bolstered its senior management team with two new hires, and co-founder Andrew Bloch – who moved away from day-to-day leadership of the agency in 2020 – has stepped down from his non-executive director role.
Suzanne Surridge joins the agency to lead its corporate reputation, ESG and issues offering, known as Francis. Surridge worked in corporate affairs at Britvic before becoming a senior director at Cirkle. She then joined Edelman as a director of the brand division and in 2021 joined The Lucre Group as a senior consultant.
The second hire is Jay Williams, who joins Frank – which completed its MBO out of Australian ASX-listed Enero Group in March 2021 – as editorial director. Williams founded 72Point 24 years ago, having worked within SWNS, the UK’s biggest independent news agency, for over 20 years before that. He started his career as a music journalist and has also been a director at Freud Communications.
Surridge and Williams join founder and chairman Graham Goodkind, managing director Alex Grier, managing partner Melissa Robinson and Jessica Archard, associate director of consumer running the day-to-day operations of the 23-year old agency.
Goodkind said: “Jay and Suzanne are really exciting senior hires for Frank as they both brings tons of experience and expertise to the agency. Jay helps us deliver the creative activations we’re famous for, delivering even more bang for our clients’ buck. Meanwhile, Suzanne provides the grown-up counsel and strategic nous which clients are increasingly asking for. They have both blended in seamlessly to the Frank PR culture and vibe and we’re excited about what we can all do together in 2024.”
Bloch retains a small shareholding in the agency; his roles now include agency selection as a consultant with AAR Group, and working on mergers and acquisitions with PCB Partners, as well as various board and advisory positions and continuing to work as Lord Sugar’s spokesman.
Frank’s client wins during 2023 have included Jägermeister, Not On The High Street, Guide Dogs For The Blind, MudWtr, Cupra, Riverford Organic Farms, Zurich Insurance, Breville and Crockpot. The Frank roster also includes long-standing clients Weetabix, Herbalife, Innocent and Skoda.