Polly Atherton takes up MD role at Frank PR, while Peter O’Sullivan moves to PPR
Polly Atherton is to take up the role of general manager of Frank PR Australia following the departure of Peter O’Sullivan to rival public relations firm PPR, where he will lead its content marketing division in the role of director of content.
O’Sullivan, the former managing director of Frank PR, announced his departure this morning after 18 months leading the Australian division of the UK public relations firm.
The departure will see a broader leadership change at Frank PR with associate director Amy Whittaker to serve as Atherton’s deputy. Atherton has returned from London, where she was part of the senior management team at Frank PR UK, to take up the role.
Polly Atherton, general manager of Frank PR Australia, said: “I’ve come to Sydney to provide Frank PR Australia with a further injection of the creative spirit and energy that has made Frank PR a stand-out PR agency over the past decade in the UK market.”
Frank’s client base includes Durex, Clearasil, Air Wick, Blow Dry Bar, Jack Daniels, NBC Universal, Maxwell, and Fiji Airways.
Graham Goodkind, group CEO and founder of Frank PR, said: “With the arrival of Polly as GM and the promotion of Amy to 2IC, I’m really excited about the next phase of our growth and development. Polly is Frank through-and-through and it is a sign of our confidence in the Australian PR market that we are exporting our top talent down under. In Amy’s case, great to be able to promote from within to senior management roles.”
“I’d like to thank Peter for his hard work and professionalism in his time at Frank and wish him all the best for the future.”
O’Sullivan returns to PPR where he was previously national director – consumer.
PPR Asia Pacific CEO Richard Lazar said: “Peter has always reflected the values and culture we hold deeply at PPR and we are delighted he has returned to the agency.
“The newly created role of director of content is a critically important one for the agency. It marks the completion of our transformation from a media relations focused organisation to one that now boasts a team of more than 1,500 copywriters, in house film and video distribution capabilities and a greater focus on data, behavioural insights and evaluation.
Peter O’Sullivan said he was looking forward to the move.
“I have always respected the PPR brand and culture and am delighted to be joining the team again at an exciting time of global expansion for the agency. Content has always been at the heart of the public relation consultant’s role, but today’s modern PR practitioner needs to look beyond earned media and integrate a brand or organisation’s owned and paid assets to maximise the impact of a message,” said O’Sullivan.
Nic Christensen
I have a question.
Whay are all these “content marketing” and “branded engagement” etc etc roles being taken by PR people?
Seriously. The best people to create and develop content strategies would be publishers and EP’s. You know. People that have staked their lives on creating engaging content with their audiences.
Yest all of these roles are filled with PR people? Never seen an announcement on Mumbrella where a non PR perosn has taken on nay of these roles.
Content marketing is not PR. At least in the traditional sense. It seems to me the PR led approach is the root of most social media and branded content disasters. It’s just not enagaging.
But then again. I probably just don’t get it.
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