'PEOPLE MOVES' - July 2010 edition

Jennifer Huckstep has returned to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) to lead on government affairs. She started last month, having spent 20 months at the manufacturers’ organisation EEF, where she was senior external affairs adviser. The SMMT has also recruited Alex Robinson as policy officer and promoted policy officer Jonathan Hawkings to senior policy officer. Robinson has previously spent a year-long internship at Airbus.

The British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (BVCA) has hired Simon Horner as public affairs manager. He was previously policy adviser to Conservative MP Mark Hoban until the general election. At the time Hoban was shadow City minister and he is now financial secretary to the Treasury. At the BVCA Horner replaces Richard Lomas, who recently moved to American Express (PAN, June).

Mental-health charity Rethink has completed its hunt for a director of comms (PAN, Mar), recruiting Mark Davies to the role. Formerly special adviser to Labour’s ex-justice secretary Jack Straw, Davies starts on 1 July.

Northern Rail has appointed Colette Fowler as public affairs manager. She joined last month from Network Rail, where she was public affairs manager for Yorkshire, Humber and the North East.

The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy has appointed Donna Castle as head of public affairs and policy development. She started on 22 June, moving from a public affairs manager role at Diabetes UK, where she worked for two-and-a-half years. In her new role she replaces Gary Robjent.

The Local Government Association Group is on the hunt for a new director of comms as Jenny Crighton prepares to leave to take a year out.

1994 Group, the coalition of 19 ‘research-intensive’ universities, is recruiting for a new director of comms as Alistair Jarvis prepares to vacate the role on 26 August to become director of comms and marketing at Birmingham University (a 1994 Group non-member). He starts in September. Jarvis joined the 1994 Group last year (PAN, Feb 09).

John Lewis Partnership has announced a brace of comms/PA appointments: Andrew Moys, who starts on 3 August as director of comms, and Neil Spring, who has already started as senior comms manager. Moys, who will have responsibility for a team of 20, including public affairs personnel, was previously at Cadbury. Spring has formerly worked at the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills, as well as Edelman. Charlotte Cool remains head of public affairs.

Andrew Jamieson, the regulation and markets director at ScottishPower Renewables, has been elected chairman of RenewableUK (formerly the British Wind Energy Association). Jamieson replaces 2007-2010 chairman Adam Bruce.

Mandate Communications director Bill Morgan is leaving in early July to become policy special adviser to health secretary Andrew Lansley.

Former TaxPayers’ Alliance political director Susie Squire is working as special adviser on media to work and pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith. Separately, the TaxPayers’ Alliance has recently hired Emma Boon as campaign manager.

Marco Pisano has joined tech body Intellect as programme manager. He was formerly senior policy and external affairs adviser at the Professional Contractors Group.

Bell Pottinger Public Affairs (BPPA) director Jonathan Caine has left to become special adviser to Northern Ireland secretary Owen Paterson. Caine worked with Paterson in the run-up to the general election and had been due to return to BPPA (PAN, June). Separately, BPPA has announced the appointment of Stephen Lotinga as an account director. He was previously senior adviser on public services and health in the Lib Dems’ policy and research unit.

The British Property Federation (BPF) has appointed Patrick Clift as its new PA manager. He joins from a senior reporter role at Estates Gazette and replaces Kurt Mueller, who has joined residential landlord Grainger as PR and public affairs manager after two-and-a-half years at the BPF.

Sue Ryder Care head of external comms Dan Beety is leaving to join pharma company Bayer’s government and industry affairs team. Sue Ryder’s policy and public affairs officer, Blanche Jones, is being promoted to policy and PA manager.

NHS Confederation deputy director of communications Hugh Simpson has agreed to join the General Pharmaceutical Council, the new regulator, as director of policy and communications. Simpson joined the NHS Confederation two years ago from the General Medical Council. He has also formerly worked at Lexington Communications.

The new Consumer Financial Education Body (CFEB) has recruited Laura McAlpine as an associate in its external affairs team. She was previously PA executive at Digital UK, which she joined from Grayling (PAN, Mar 08). The CFEB’s parliamentary affairs unit is being led by Martin Coppack, while its head of communications is Kate Humphris.

The Multiple Sclerosis Society has promoted Laura Weir to head of policy and campaigns. She has been with the charity for just under three years and had been acting in the role for six months.

Community development organisation Plan International has hired Andrew Johnson as director of policy and global advocacy. He was previously executive director at the Australia Council of Social Service and, before that, spent five years with Save the Children in various roles.

The MD of Edelman UK’s public affairs team, Alex Bigg, was last month promoted to group MD of a new corporate and financial practice.

Cicero Consulting has hired Kieron Merrett as senior associate. Merrett, who worked for the Labour Party during the general election campaign, is a former senior researcher to John McFall, the ex-chairman of the Commons Treasury committee who has been awarded a peerage.

US-headquartered group Aon has appointed Katherine Conway to the new role of head of PR and comms. She is ex-Bradford & Bingley.

Ben Pickering has left his consultant role at headhunting firm Hanson Search to launch a ‘public affairs venture’. He told PAN that details would be forthcoming within weeks.

Ryan Kelly has been appointed public affairs specialist at recruitment firm VMA Group. He will continue to oversee the central government interim recruitment team for Interim Performers, VMA’s interim recruitment arm.

Simon Watts has left his account director role at Fleishman-Hillard Edinburgh. The former London Resilience Team director of comms only joined this spring (PAN online, 15 Apr).

Lansons Communications has hired former Tory parliamentary candidate Clive Booth as director (professional services) in its corporate practice. He joins from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), where he was director of PA and media. Also, Lansons has hired Mark Penton as a board director in its regulatory consulting practice. His recruitment comes five months after that of Richard Hobbs, formerly of Beachcroft Regulatory Consulting (PAN, Feb). Penton worked with Hobbs at Beachcroft although he joins from Sesame Bankhall Group. Finally, Lansons has promoted its head of public affairs, Ben Abbotts, to the board.

Fishburn Hedges director Simon Burton is leaving after 13 years to become controller of media and corporate relations at Camelot Group. He starts in August.

Comms and public affairs agency Champollion has hired the BBC’s education and social policy correspondent, Kim Catcheside, as an associate director.

Cardiff-based PA firm Positif Politics has appointed Kate Lewis as a senior consultant. She has formerly worked at the agency Strata Matrix and for Labour MP Paul Flynn.

Ian Geary has left Connect Communications (formerly Connect Public Affairs), where he was an account manager, after just under three years.

The British Medical Association (BMA) is recruiting a new communications director to replace Brian Butler, who is leaving in October to run his own media training and crisis comms firm, Lines2take.

Betfair has hired Tom Tuxworth as a political researcher. He joins this month from PAN-owner Dods, where he is an account manager in the parliamentary services team.

2nd July 2010 by Ian Hall