The University of Westminster has appointed Andrew Bate as its new head of communications and public affairs. He has joined from the University of East Anglia, where he was head of comms and advocacy, and started last month.
Bate has replaced Poppy Crispin, who left to become an associate director at PR agency Burson, and reports to Caroline Benyon, director of global recruitment, admissions, marketing and communications.
He heads up a nine-strong team working across corporate media relations and PR, public affairs, and colleague and student communications.
Bate told In.Comms: “My initial priorities will be to listen and gain an understanding of key stakeholders, influencers and great stories in a complex multi-national organisation and implement strategies that can help support the wider Being Westminster strategy.”
He added: “We also have a huge job to do to tell the world about Zone 29, our amazing new home of careers and enterprise that is set to open in spring 2026. In a tough employment market this will be a game changer in supercharging career, business and community prospects by forging collaborations and opportunities for students, graduates, organisations and local communities.”
Bate started his comms career as a national media officer at Barnado’s in 1997. He has subsequently held public sector comms roles ranging from press and PR manager at the Department for Education and head of comms at the BBC, to head of strategic comms, Middlesex University, and head of comms, London Borough of Newham.