H+K strengthens financial communications offering
Hill+Knowlton Strategies Sydney has appointed Ian Westbrook as head of financial investor communications and Marcha van den Heuvel as a senior account manager.
The announcement:
Hill+Knowlton Strategies Sydney has strengthened its financial communications offering with Ian Westbrook and Marcha van den Heuvel joining the firm.
Ian Westbrook established Westbrook Financial Communications in 1987 and in taking up an opportunity to expand financial communication for H+K is transplanting his firm within the H+K group.
Westbrook Financial Communications specialises in corporate, media and investor relations, covering listed company communication and financial services, with the firm having a track record in M&A, crisis communication and over 50 IPOs.
For H+K Australia, the move adds to existing strengths in consumer, healthcare, technology, digital and corporate communication and provides a more complete communication package for companies in Australia and clients of the global H+K network.
“Success in our business is driven by quality talent and H+K Australia is fortunate in having Ian and Marcha join our team,” said Penelope Holloway, H+K Australia Managing Director.
“Their involvement with H+K gives the group a comprehensive communication capability that drives a new marketing direction as we seek to grow further in the Australian market,” Ms Holloway said.
Ian Westbrook joins H+K as Head of Financial + Investor Communication and Marcha van den Heuvel joins as a Senior Account Manager.
“Becoming part of Hill+Knowlton is a great opportunity as we take our specialisation into a larger group and establish a broader communication service,” said Ian Westbrook, founder of Westbrook Financial Communications.
“Part of this expanded service involves adding a digital, branding and reputation perspective around our work and with H+K also strong in a number of locations in Asia in financial communication, the group will now be able to extend that service in Australia,” Mr Westbrook said.
Ian Westbrook is a former investment banker and investment manager, has three decades of experience in financial and investor relations, undergraduate degrees in Economics and Arts and a post graduate degree in Applied Finance, is a part time lecturer at The University of Sydney in Financial & Investor Communication and author of Strategic Financial and Investor Communication: The Stock Price Story (Routledge, New York, NY: 2014)
Marcha van den Heuvel has three years’ experience in financial & investor communication, two undergraduate degrees in Communication, a post graduate degree in Strategic Public Relations, is fluent in three languages and is a former member of the French national water polo team.
As part of its expansion in Australia, other recent H+K appointments have been Elke Pascoe as Head of Asia Pacific Health+Wellness, Amelia Tipping as Head of Consumer Marketing, Michelle Curley as Head of Corporate and Nick Snelling as Head of Content.
Hill+Knowlton Strategies has been in Australia since 1957, expanding in 1974 with acquisition of Australia’s then largest public relations firm, Eric White Associates, and is a global business with 90 offices.
Source: H+K media release
