LONDON — Zeno London has appointed Catherine Smiles, former vice president of UK communications at Warner Music Group, to spearhead the expansion of Zeno Group’s specialist sports and entertainment offer to the UK.

Smiles (pictured), who rejoins the agency as a director after previous freelancing roles, had been responsible for internal and external communications and reputational strategy for Warner Music UK since 2022.

Beginning her career in music and talent publicity, Smiles has worked with artists including Taylor Swift, One Direction and Alicia Keys and recently served as interim head of communications for Black Lives in Music. She has worked at agencies including Pretty Green and Golin.

Zeno London’s new offer aims to “connect brands meaningfully to talent and territory in entertainment, sport, culture and gaming, from initial advisory to activation with earned media impact at the core,” including consultancy on brand reputational benefits and risks.

The London team will work alongside Zeno Group’s established global sports and entertainment practice, led by Rick Rhodes, which specialises in sponsorship activation, licensing, brand collaboration and talent buying. Previous deals include Joe Jonas for Expedia, Mindy Kaling for Sharpie and five-time Olympian Shaun White for Aruba Tourism.

Zeno London already works with sport and entertainment clients including Lenovo and Dolby, with campaigns including ‘Evolve Small’ for Lenovo, an AI driven campaign featuring Queen Latifah, conceived in the UK and activated in North America. For Dolby, the agency captured the world’s Seven Sonic Wonders, creating an album of endangered natural sounds with audio recordist Chris Watson.

Smiles is joined by ex-Red Consultancy associate director Joe Dawes, whose past experience includes brand Olympic sponsorship activations and ambassador campaigns with the likes of Huawei and Mo Farah. Previous roles include a ten-year stint at Nelson Bostock, where he was seconded to Google as global communications lead for arts and culture.

Both will report to Zeno London’s head of brand, Amy Parry, who said: “Catching my breath after a summer of non-stop sport and music, it seems our appetite for entertainment in all its forms remains voracious. Brands who understand the shifting dynamics between talent, teams and fans – and how to connect them – will be the ones to benefit. Catherine is a major player in entertainment communications, culturally connected and progressive in her approach. I can’t think of a more talented ‘boomerang’ to welcome back to Zeno.”

Smiles added: “I’ve had the good fortune of working with Zeno many times before, so I couldn’t be happier about this new role. Launching sports and entertainment in the UK is a natural development for the agency and I’m excited to throw my unique blend of knowledge, expertise and passion for music, culture, and entertainment into the ring.”