NEW YORK — Milk & Honey PR has made its first partner-level hire in the US, appointing Michael West Jr to join the New York office it opened in May this year.

West brings more than 15 years’ international experience across energy, finance, telecom and others to the rapidly-growing agency. Most recently, he was US senior vice president for corporate affairs at global energy giant National Grid, where he oversaw all aspects of corporate reputation, communications and government relations for three divisions.

Before joining National Grid in 2018, West served in corporate communications leadership roles at energy and utility company Avangrid, with responsibility for renewables and regulated businesses.

The appointment is B Corp accredited Milk & Honey’s most senior international hire since it was founded by Kirsty Leighton nearly four years ago. West will report directly to North America CEO Paul Cohen and will be working with the agency’s teams in London and New York.

Cohen said: “We’ve had our eye on Michael for a while. The first partner to our US team was always going to be a big decision for me, but Michael is exactly what we need. His experience across energy and finance perfectly complements both our current output, and where we want to be in five years’ time.”

West added: “I’m excited to be joining such a progressive, collaborative and creative worldwide team. I’m really looking forward to helping our corporate clients meet and exceed their strategic corporate objectives. I’m confident that the future will be shaped by this type of purpose driven communications that Milk & Honey has been leading for years. There was no doubt that I had to be involved.”

Other recent senior hires across the business include Ottilie Ratcliffe joining as Milk & Honey’s first global creative director.