LONDON — Strategic communications and public affairs firm Hanover Communications has appointed two senior team members to its EU team, to bolster client counsel in the lead-up to this year’s European Union elections.

Flavie Guerin (pictured, left) joins Hanover as a director to lead the sustainability and trade practice in Brussels. Guerin joins from the Canadian Ministry of Natural Resources in Brussels, where she was involved in EU-Canada cooperation on gas, green hydrogen and critical raw materials.

She was also involved in promoting CETA, the EU-Canada free trade agreement, and advising cleantech companies on accessing the EU market. She previously held roles at KPMG, the European Commission and the US government, as an environmental expert at the US Mission to the EU.

In her role at Hanover, Guerin will advise clients in highly-regulated sectors such as food and drink, textiles and chemicals, helping to navigate EU regulations and develop advocacy strategies at an EU level.

Guerin’s appointment follows the hire of Nathalie Gherardi as the agency’s new head of healthcare EU in Brussels.

At the same time, former MEP Brian Hayes (pictured, right) joins Hanover as a senior adviser to provide strategic counsel and advocacy services to clients across a range of sectors.

In the European Parliament, Hayes served as vice-president on the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee. Before that, he was minister of state in the Department of Finance and Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. Hayes left politics in 2019 and is currently CEO of Banking & Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI), the organisation for the banking, payments, and fintech industry in Ireland.

Hanover’s European affairs MD Claudia La Donna said: “With the EU elections approaching, we recognise the critical need for our clients to have a strong and experienced EU partner. The addition of Nathalie, Flavie, and Brian to our team not only bolsters our expertise in key areas but also underscores our unwavering commitment to providing our clients with the strategic guidance and advocacy they demand to thrive in the ever-changing political landscape.”