'PEOPLE MOVES' - June 2011 edition

The Money Advice Service has named Francis McGee  as policy lead, in charge of an 11-strong corporate policy and external affairs team. McGee was most recently head of corporate affairs at Aegon UK. PAN reported last year that he planned to leave the insurer ‘in the early part of 2011’ (PAN, Nov 10). The Money Advice Service does not currently use a public affairs agency.

James Green  is moving to the National Housing Federation (NHF) on 20 June in the role of public affairs manager, reporting to head of campaigns, Chloe Hardy. A former senior researcher to ex-Labour MP Parmjit Dhanda MP, in both his backbench and ministerial roles, Green will arrive at the NHF direct from the Studio Schools Trust.

The British Dental Association (BDA) has recruited Stewart Gregg  as its new public affairs officer. He has previously worked for the Local Government Association and as an aide to Stephen Timms MP, and replaces Laura Brandon, who recently moved to Insight Public Affairs (PAN online, 12 Apr). Also joining the BDA, as media and public affairs assistant, is  Charlotte Booth, previously at the Audit Commission. John Hilsdon remains head of corporate comms and external relations.

Standard Chartered group head of government relations Dan Mobley  has become regional head of corporate affairs for Africa, this month relocating to Johannesburg. His successor is Edward Bowles, previously head of public affairs for Europe. The bank is towards the end of an internal recruitment process for Bowles’ successor. Mobley joined StanChart three years ago after a decade at HM Treasury. Separately, StanChart has also been recruiting for a head of UK public affairs.

The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) has promoted its government affairs adviser, Nick von Westenholz, to head of government affairs.

Balfour Beatty general counsel and company secretary Chris Vaughan  has been appointed to the new role of chief corporate officer, with responsibility for areas including public affairs. The firm’s director of corporate comms Duncan Murray  is to leave later this month. Simon Astley remains head of public affairs.

Guide Public Affairs has hired Sophie Bolsover  as an associate director. She was previously at ComRes. Guide was set up last year by Greig Baker, formerly head of operations at ComRes (PAN, Apr 10).

Kreab Gavin Anderson (KGA) has recruited Fiona Henderson  as a director in its public affairs practice. She currently works in the Financial Services Authority (FSA)’s banking policy department but recently had a three-year secondment to HM Treasury. She leaves the FSA in early July, to join KGA immediately after.

The Financial Reporting Council has hired Oliver Parry  as comms officer. He has previously worked for Cicero Consulting, Dods and Conservative chief whip Patrick McLoughlin MP.

Ogilvy PR Worldwide has appointed Iain Bundred, former political spokesman to Gordon Brown, as director of strategic media relations in London.

Baroness (Margaret) Ford, is to become non-executive chairman of support services firm May Gurney at its AGM on 7 July. She was last month appointed to the firm’s board as a non-executive director. She has recently retired from a senior independent director role at Serco.

HSBC has appointed Charles Naylor and Pierre Goad as global co-heads of group communications. Naylor will join in September from a role as Credit Suisse’s chief comms officer. Goad will join in July from the role of global head of corporate comms at Zurich Financial Services Group. HSBC’s former group comms director was Richard Beck, who left last month (PAN, May).

The Commercial Broadcasters’ Association (known as the Satellite and Cable Broadcasters’ Group until a rebrand three months ago) is hunting a new executive director to replace Victoria Read, who is leaving to go on maternity leave.

Asthma UK has hired Chantelle Roberts as campaigns manager, reporting to PA and policy manager Emily Humphreys. Roberts, who started last month, was formerly senior parliamentary officer at Breakthrough Breast Cancer, which has reviewed its parliamentary team: Tania Hill has been promoted to the new role of PA officer, reporting to PA and campaigns manager Ross Kester.

The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has appointed David Wilson to the newly created role of director of PA. He previously worked at the East of England Development Agency and, before that, Portland PR, where his clients included the Wine and Spirit Trade Association. The BBPA’s PA officer remains Gareth Barrett and Neil Williams is comms manager. Its long-serving former comms director, Mark Hastings, left six months ago. The lobby group recently switched public affairs agency, hiring Hanover to replace Euro RSCG Apex Communications (PAN, Jan 11). Wilson said he had no plans for another agency review.

Interel Consulting UK has recruited Sam Blyth as a consultant. He was formerly a researcher at Portcullis Public Affairs, and before that worked in then Labour minister Baroness Thornton’s private office at the Department of Health.

Former Labour Cabinet minister Lord (John) Hutton is taking over as chairman of the Nuclear Industry Association following the end of Lord (Martin) O’Neill’s three-year tenure in the role. Hutton has been a Member of the Upper House since 2010 after 18 years as Labour MP for Barrow and Furness. He signed up to advise Hyperion Power Generation last year (PAN, July 10).

The Public Relations Consultants’ Association (PRCA) has hired Tom Hawkins in the new role of research and policy executive. He has previously done internships at DeHavilland and worked for Lib Dem MP Norman Baker, as well as a stint in the PA team of the Fitness Industry Association.

Belfast agency Chambré Public Affairs LLP has recruited Aodhán Connolly as an account director. He has formerly worked as public affairs manager for the RSPB in Northern Ireland, as well as for the Prince’s Trust. Chambré has also hired Ashleigh Simpson as research executive. She has formerly worked for MLA Conall McDevitt.

Dods events and campaigns project manager Sarah Baldwin is leaving PAN’s publisher after two years to join the Industry and Parliament Trust as events and marketing officer, starting on 13 June.

Francine Bates has started as chief executive of the Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths (FSID), replacing Joyce Epstein, who has retired. Bates was CEO of Contact a Family from 2000 to 2007 and subsequently a special adviser to former Labour cabinet minister Ed Balls MP.

Gary Follis is joining Nationwide as head of public affairs. The former head of public affairs at Alliance & Leicester is moving from a job as top aide to Labour Party chief whip Rosie Winterton MP. He will report to head of external affairs Alan Oliver, who in turn reports to group director for HR and corporate affairs Graeme Hughes.

Andrew Honnor, a special adviser for a year during the final 12 months of John Major’s government, is setting up his own agency focused on the hedge-fund and private-equity sectors. Honnor has spent the past 11 years at City PR firm Tulchan Communications.

9th June 2011 by PAN staff