Edelman Sydney makes new appointments
PR agency Edelman Sydney has made several new hires – this follows recent business wins.
The announcement:
Sydney, 13 December 2010 – In response to recent new business wins, including Samsung and Wrigley, Edelman Sydney has made a series of new appointments including Grant Thomas to director of technology and Kate Ferguson to associate director of the corporate and issues management group.
Grant Thomas, former PR Manager for Yahoo! UK & Ireland, will be responsible for leading the agency’s technology practice which includes the newly-won Samsung Australia account, PayPal, LinkedIn and Autodesk, amongst others.
Grant has over ten years experience spanning the technology, internet and corporate sectors. Whilst at Yahoo! UK & Ireland he was responsible for the strategy, implementation and European coordination of the internet giant’s advertiser and publisher PR programme.
He also previously worked agency-side for a mixture of Sydney-based global and independent tech specialists. During this time he oversaw the planning and execution of many leading NASDAQ-listed and local internet brands including Yahoo!, EMC, SAS, Compuware, auDA, Fairfax Digital, ICANN, Iomega, Maxtor, Rockwell and Telstra.
Grant’s appointment follows on the back of the recent addition of Kate Ferguson, previously part of Edelman’s New York-based corporate and public affairs department. Kate will oversee the planning and execution of strategic communications campaigns for Edelman’s corporate clients as the company expands its offer in the Australian market. She will also lead Edelman’s work for Wrigley including corporate and issues management, oral health projects and all efforts for Extra Professional.
Kate transferred from Edelman New York where she spent nearly eight years implementing integrated communications programs for clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to governments, academic institutions and nonprofits. For the past two years, Kate has led a global team working with PepsiCo to develop a communications strategy to improve corporate reputation and educate stakeholders about Performance with Purpose, PepsiCo’s corporate social responsibility platform.
Kate has ten years of international experience working with clients including the City of New York, Emaar, Mubadala, Nielsen, Nissan, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and World Economic Forum.
Alexandra Kelly, General Manager of Edelman Sydney, said: “These two appointments are strategic senior hires aimed at bolstering our leadership team in the Sydney office. Grant’s experience leading one of the world’s best known internet brands and long heritage of PR programs in the technology sector, position us to capitalise on the momentum Edelman already has in this sector.
“Kate’s experience managing reputation programs which reach both business and consumer audiences, as well as her expertise in CSR and food & nutrition, is invaluable. Her appointment will help strengthen our corporate practice in Australia and offer new opportunities for growth.”
These appointments are supported with a range of mid-level and junior hires to support recent new business wins, and are in addition to the hires made in the middle of the year of Michelle Hutton as Chief Executive Officer for Australia, Alexandra Kelly as General Manager for Sydney, Matthew Gain as Head of Digital for Australia and Anna MacIntosh as director of consumer marketing.
Source: Edelman Sydney press release
