LONDON — Weber Shandwick has appointed Helen Bennett as the new managing director of its London office, a promotion from her current role as the agency’s global client experience lead.

The previous London MD, Rachel Friend, moved up into the UK & Ireland CEO role in January 2018. UK chair of consumer marketing Emma Thompson, who had previously been MD of London operations and consumer marketing, left the agency in March.

Bennett, who has been with Weber Shandwick for 12 years, will help to oversee the London operation’s investment in talent and will continue to drive client-led integration across practices, specialisms and partners.

She will report to Friend, who said: “It’s the right time to appoint new leadership in our London office to sustain the progress we’ve made in recent years, and Helen is a consummate strategist and leader who will fill this role exceedingly well.”

Friend added that Bennett had led some of the firm’s most significant client engagements, including Nestle, ExxonMobil, Pearson and HSBC: “She not only has a solid understanding of all parts of the agency – she has a proven track record of bringing the right talent together to deliver award-winning client work.”

Weber Shandwick’s London operation has seen five years of consecutive growth, including expanding capabilities through the acquisitions of Flipside in 2016 and That Lot in 2018, and new offerings the X Practice (technology, digital and analytics) and United Minds (management consulting).

Bennett said: “I am incredibly excited about partnering with Rachel and the rest of Weber Shandwick London to take the agency into its next chapter. My focus will be on supporting and developing our phenomenal breadth of talent and capabilities so that we continue to deliver extraordinary work and results for our clients.”

Friend will continue her UK responsibilities, developing the agency’s growth strategies and driving closer collaboration between UK and EMEA operations and across the global network.