LONDON — Milk & Honey PR has restructured its leadership team, as it gears up for further growth and a second US office after a slew of account wins.

As part of the restructure, Claire Lematta (pictured, left), who was at WE Communications for more than 26 years until 2013, including holding positions as EMEA president and chief client officer, joins the Milk & Honey leadership team at board level as non-executive director.

While at WE, Lematta hired Milk & Honey founder and CEO Kirsty Leighton, as well as Milk & Honey’s Germany CEO, Manuel Hüttl, who joined last year as the agency expanded to Continental Europe.

At the same time, Becca Baker (pictured, right) takes on the role of group finance director, based in Milk & Honey’s London HQ, and Sianna Peal (centre) is promoted to head of digital in New York.

The agency opened its New York office in 2021, headed by former Ketchum partner Paul Cohen. Leighton said the US team – which is now at eight people and is recruiting for three additional posts – aimed to double in size in the next two years after reporting turnover in 2022 of $1.8 million.

She told PRovoke Media: “The restructure poises us for next phase of growth. Claire is fantastic, and is a phenomenal person to have on board to guide us in terms of growth, international expansion and upskilling our leads globally. It’s still tough out there, and like everyone else we have had a few client losses, but we have an extra focus on sustainability, clean energy, purpose and consumer work, and we’re hoping to open another US office by year end.”

Cohen added: “Formalizing this new management structure reflects our growth from a small, start-up agency to a substantial US player. We are proud to be the highest scoring B Corp in communications worldwide, working with ambitious purpose-driven brands. Our near-term goal for growth recognises the shared ambition of the newly defined US leadership team, working closely with our colleagues in London and Munich.”

The moves comes after a number of account wins; the agency has won 19 clients so far this year in the sustainability, consumer lifestyle and technology sectors across its offices in London, New York and Munich.

These include becoming the consumer agency in Europe and the US for global sailmaking and outdoor clothing brand North Sails, which previously worked with Don’t Cry Wolf, and being selected to run the international press office and handle content, digital and social activity for luxury modest swimwear brand, Lanuuk.

Other account wins include Scope Eyecare appointing Milk & Honey to launch its new eye brightening drops, Bright Eyes, under its Optase Life range, with a consumer and influencer brief.

The agency will also be running UK press office for Sentai, an in-home care companion that uses AI, smart speakers and sensor technology to give older people more independence, with a remit that includes spokesperson profiling, thought leadership and strategic communications.

Milk & Honey’s team for the latter two accounts will be led by partner and consumer lead, Kath Myers, who joined the agency at the start of 2022 after being a director at Iris Worldwide.