'PEOPLE MOVES' - September 2010 edition

After more than 12 years on the East Coast railway, Alan Hyde has left his head of comms role to work as a freelance consultant and ‘pursue other career opportunities’. He is succeeded by Neal Smith, who is promoted from external comms manager at East Coast Trains.

Defence industry contractor General Dynamics UK has hired former Politics International director Bill Clare as PA director. Clare left the-then PI (now Interel Consulting UK) in the run-up to May’s general election to work for then-shadow home secretary Chris Grayling (PAN, Feb).

Young people’s charity Catch22 has appointed Pat Thompson to the new role of assistant director for comms. Formerly at Grayling, she joined a year ago as maternity cover for head of policy and PA Kate Jopling, who has opted not to return to the charity.

GlaxoSmithKline UK director of portfolio and partnership marketing Patrick Hopkinson has joined Bristol Myers-Squibb (BMS) UK as director of market access and external affairs.

Former Daily Mail political correspondent Michael Lea has joined BSkyB as corporate comms manager. He left the Mail last year to take the unusually titled role of ‘chief writer to the PM’ at Number 10.

Pharma firm UCB is recruiting a replacement for UK corporate comms and PA director Dr Ian Weatherhead, who is moving to Sanofi-Aventis to be director of comms for the UK. He starts next month.

Insight Public Affairs associate director Andrew Hobson has left to study for a Master of Public Administration in the US.

The Campaign for Better Transport has hired Alexandra Woodsworth as public transport campaigner. Formerly working for FairPensions, she is a replacement for Cat Hobbs and reports to campaigns director Richard Hebditch.

British Institute of Human Rights director Katie Ghose has been appointed CEO of the Electoral Reform Society. Ghose is a former campaigns and parliamentary manager at Age Concern England.

Healthcare public affairs firm Helen Johnson Consulting has recruited Jenny White as an account manager. White, who was shortlisted in the ‘Newcomer of the Year’ category at last year’s PAN Awards, was previously at DLA Piper Global Government Relations.

RenewableUK has appointed Rob Jeffery as parliamentary officer, reporting to head of PA Jennifer Webber. He was formerly a political researcher at DeHavilland.

Hanover has recruited Daniel Gilbert as a consultant. He was formerly senior researcher to Tory MP Adam Afriyie.

Royal Mail is hunting a new director of corporate and government affairs as Mary Fagan prepares to depart after seven years.

Guide Dogs is hunting a new director of external affairs as Tom Pey is leaving after 11 years to become CEO at the Royal London Society of the Blind in October.

The Children’s Society has recruited Ellen Broome as PA manager. She was formerly PA officer at the National Autistic Society, which is interviewing candidates for the new role of PA manager.

Fleishman-Hillard has appointed Nick Waugh as an account manager in Edinburgh. He was formerly senior policy and parliamentary officer at Age Scotland.

Grayling has responded to the exit of its MD for UK public affairs, Tanya Joseph (PAN online, 30 July), by promoting Steve Wakelin to head its London PA team, although the agency is recruiting a new UK MD to oversee its England, Scotland and Wales operations. Wakelin is acting in this latter role on an interim basis. Joseph has joined The Communication Group as MD of public affairs.

Local Government Group corporate affairs director Iain Wilton left the Smith Square-based association last week to do a PhD in post-war British political history and teach at London University’s Queen Mary College.

Newcastle-upon-Tyne-based Admiral PR & Marketing has hired Chris Kelsey to head a new public affairs division. Previously at Newcastle-based Robson Brown, which he joined last autumn (PAN, Sep 09), he has also formerly worked for Finsbury, London Taxis International and as an aide to various Labour MPs.

Channel 5 corporate affairs director Sue Robertson left the broadcaster, recently bought by Richard Desmond, after nine years on 31 August. She is a former press secretary to Dr David Owen MP.

British Chambers of Commerce press and comms manager Sam Turvey is leaving next month to join financial and corporate comms agency Maitland as a consultant.

Curtin & Co has hired Pavitar Mann as a consultant. Mann, who is a Labour councillor in Slough, started with the agency last week. She is a former aide to Slough’s Labour MP Fiona Mctaggart.

The Money Advice Trust has hired Beth Grossman as PA and comms officer, reporting to head of comms Helen Newton. Grossman was formerly policy and strategic development manager at the Qualifications & Curriculum Development Agency.

National Landlords Association head of comms Simon Gordon has been appointed to the newly created role of head of external relations. He has been with the NLA since 2002.

The agency Hume Brophy has appointed Adam Honeysett-Watts as an account manager, working on PA and PR business. He was previously at Cognito.

Bell Pottinger Public Affairs (BPPA) has appointed Michael McManus as a director and Claire Jakobsson as an account director. McManus was a special adviser in three government departments in the 1990s and has recently been an adviser to Tory peer Lord Hunt. Jakobsson was formerly in the House of Commons Parliamentary Resources Unit. Separately, BPPA account director Sarah Lane has left after four years to join the Royal College of Nursing as parliamentary officer. She replaces Mary Hough, who has left the RCN to relocate to Washington.

The agency TLG has hired Louise Phillips as executive consultant. She was formerly a press officer for the Lib Dems.

The Federation of Master Builders has appointed Beatrice Orchard as public affairs officer. Until last week she was events and campaigns project manager at PAN-owner Dods.

6th September 2010 by PAN staff