PRINZ appoints Leigh Harris and Jill Dryden as committee members PRINZ has appointed Leigh Harris FPRINZ and Jill Dryden FPRINZ as co-opted Committee members, bringing seven decades of combined experience across strategic communications, reputation management, crisis communications and stakeholder engagement.  Dryden will also serve as Chair of the PRINZ College of Fellows, strengthening senior industry representation and governance within the institute. PRINZ Committee Chair Celia Crosbie welcomed the appointments, saying Harris and Dryden would bring extensive experience, sound judgement and a strong commitment to the profession to the institute's governance.  The appointments bolster senior industry expertise on the PRINZ Committee as it continues to support communications professionals across Aotearoa New Zealand. Jessica Glanz steps up at Google Jessica Glanz has taken up the role of public affairs manager at Google’s Government Affairs and Public Po

Amélie Mahieux joins Cymbal Agency Amélie Mahieux has started a new role as social media and content coordinator at Cymbal Agency. She worked across Joy in Movement and Pixelz360 previously. Jack Finucane joins We Communications Jack Finucane has joined We. Communications (Australia) as an account manager, making a move from London to Sydney.  He worked across MHP Group, Woodrow and Penta Group in London. Nina Funnell joins Adhesive Nina Funnell has started a new position as account director at Adhesive.  She worked across Eleven, The Academy and Clareville PR previously. Betsy Brandon joins Dentsu PR Betsy Brandon has joined the consumer PR team at Dentsu Creative PR. She worked across Burson, Elevate Communication and KDPR previously. Sophie Clarke moves to London Sophie Clarke has relocated to London after three and a half years with C7EVEN Communications and Talent Stable in regional Australia. She is now seeking opportunities across ma

PJ Morris joins BlueOcean agency PJ Morris has announced that she has joined BlueOcean as a marketing director. In the role, she will work with B2B businesses to drive strategic, sustainable growth through integrated marketing.  Building trust with B2B buyers, align marketing with sales, and turn strategic clarity into measurable growth.  In her previous experiences, she worked across Fletcher Building, Universal Homes Limited, Sky New Zealand, Triplejump Ltd, CSP Architects, and Sika. Rebecca Sowden joins Publicis Groupe ANZ Publicis Groupe ANZ has appointed former Sky Sport executive Rebecca Sowden as director of sport, partnerships & content in New Zealand.  She will lead Publicis Sport & Entertainment in the market and oversee the strategic and commercial direction of the New Zealand business within Publicis Media Exchange (PMX). Sowden brings experience across sport, media and partnerships, including senior leadership roles at Sky Sport and foundi

Ciara Wylie begins at Herd MSL Ciara Wylie has announced that she has started a new position as an account director at Herd MSL.  She was most recently a senior account manager at Thrive PR.  Wylie was a freelance PR and social media consultant and a senior associate consultant at Teneo in Ireland previously.  Journalist trio launch Nomen Partners Three journalists, Harrison Polites, Melissa Mack and Alexander Liddington-Cox, have launched Nomen Partners, a boutique PR consultancy for technology companies and disruptors.  On LinkedIn, he announced that the agency will operate with a capped client roster, with each client working directly with a partner who manages both the account and media and stakeholder relationships. “We are not just former journalists, we have led disruptive PR agencies, won awards, sat on boards, and led in-house communications,” Polites said.  “We’re committed to practicing in a way that respects and,

Iris Nguyen joins Sling & Stone as senior account manager Iris Nguyen has joined Sling & Stone as senior account manager in Melbourne, marking a move to Australia after relocating from New Zealand.  Nguyen said she was grateful for her time at FleishmanHillard Aotearoa, where she worked across clients including Samsung, Booking.com, Google and The Warehouse. She described the experience as "a truly rewarding few years" and said she was looking forward to getting stuck into her new role and life in Melbourne. Before joining Sling & Stone, Nguyen spent a year as senior account manager at FleishmanHillard Aotearoa, following almost four years at Botica Butler Raudon Partners, where she progressed from account executive to account manager.  Earlier in her career, she held PR roles in Vietnam with Biz-Eyes and Jigsaw Integrated Marketing Communications, working on campaigns for brands including Tiger Beer, Coca-Cola and Lifebuoy. Aviva Waks joins Carri

Hayleigh Thompson joins Shopify Hayleigh Thompson has joined Shopify as senior customer success manager, ending a four-year tenure at Convert Digital where she most recently served as senior account manager.  Reflecting on the transition, Thompson thanked the Convert Digital leadership team and colleagues for their support over the past four years. She said joining Shopify had exceeded her expectations, highlighting her onboarding experience at Shopify Summit in Toronto and subsequent training in Ottawa. "One month into Shopify and I already feel like I'm walking amongst giants," she wrote, adding that she was excited to work with Tricia Fallows and support merchants across the region. Thompson joins Shopify after progressing from account manager to senior account manager at Convert Digital, where she spent four years managing client relationships and digital strategy.  Earlier in her career, she held roles at Thirteen Digital, Itoc, CUA (Credit Union Aust