Former agency boss Gemma Mc Aloon on the ‘shock’ of moving in-house
When Mc Aloon moved to a brand new role building an in-house comms operation at a luxury hotel and investment group, life definitely did not slow down.
In-house PRs happiest with their pay
Pay and bonuses have improved more for in-house PRs in recent years than for their agency counterparts, says new survey.
CIPR urges PRs to call out prejudice and prevent hate taking root
Advita Patel, CIPR president, has issued a call to action in the wake of attacks on both a Manchester synagogue and an East Sussex mosque.
Championship football club in PR storm over newspaper ban
A war of words has broken out after a decision by Blackburn Rovers to ban its local newspaper from the club.
How a tiny team uses AI to punch above its weight
Within a year, the small comms team at West Oxfordshire District Council has gone from interested bystander to exploiting AI, with dramatic results.
CIPR awards internal comms expert an honorary fellowship
The ‘immense contribution’ of one of the UK’s leading internal comms specialists has been recognised by the CIPR.
Road Haulage Association boosts public affairs with new senior role
David Boot will take charge of the trade body’s public affairs and policy.
IoIC announces four new ’exemplary’ fellows
Senior internal communications professionals in banking and insurance are among those to have been awarded fellowships.
Another council quits X as a comms channel
Elon Musk’s controversial social media platform is being abandoned by a growing number of organisations.
Covid-19 Inquiry highlights comms shortcomings
The very effectiveness of the Government’s ‘stay at home’ messaging created problems of its own, according to a major report into the UK’s pandemic response.
Nearly 1,000 applicants chase single job in public affairs
The extraordinary level of interest in a role at the London School of Economics has prompted the university’s head of public affairs to offer some timely careers advice.
Prime minister urged to remove comms figure from BBC board
Robbie Gibb, a former director of communications at Downing Street, is under mounting pressure to step down from his role as a BBC board member amid concerns over his impartiality.
Exclusive: Future comms trends revealed
The findings of a new report looking at what the future holds for comms professionals have been shared with In.Comms.
Major overhaul of police comms unveiled
Radical new proposals have been announced seeking to redefine the relationship between police and the media.
Ex-government comms chief condemns ‘chatty’ media briefings
The prime minister’s former director of communications has hit out at the extent to which government sources are briefing the media.
Trade body for opticians elevates comms
The Association of British Dispensing Opticians (ABDO) has created a new senior comms role.
Pool Re comms chief awarded life peerage
A Labour grandee who heads up communications at the UK’s largest terrorism reinsurer has been nominated as a life peer.
Covid-19 fraud report recommends new comms framework
‘Compliance campaigns’ were a factor in billions that were lost to fraud in Covid-19 support schemes having to be written off.
Ex-BBC sports editor to lead comms at football regulator
A comms strategy is being developed to promote the work of the fledgling regulator which was established in September.
Legal & General hires internal comms specialist
The financial services giant is boosting internal comms at its asset management arm.
Barts Charity hires first director of fundraising and comms
The East London healthcare charity has created a new senior comms role.
Electoral Commission boosts digital team
The Electoral Commission has made a senior hire to help it develop its digital comms.
Gym King brings PR in-house with new hire
The fashion brand has recruited its first communications manager.
National Museum of the Royal Navy hires first comms and digital lead
The organisation, which has six sites across the UK, has created a new senior role to oversee comms and digital engagement.
Civil engineering trade body hires public affairs and policy chief
Ben Goodwin will drive the Civil Engineering Contractors Association’s policy agenda and enhance stakeholder relationships.
NFU comms chief to join mining trade body
The National Farmers’ Union is set to lose its current comms chief next year.
Comms reshuffle at luxury yacht brand
Sunseeker, the Poole-based luxury yacht brand, has split responsibility for marketing and sales.
TPT Retirement Solutions appoints head of policy and external affairs
The workplace pension provider has recruited a former policy specialist at Pensions UK to the newly created role.
Police Federation turns to experienced comms leader to manage reputation
Gabriel Milland, an ex-journalist who has held senior in-house and agency roles, has been brought in to lead external affairs at the scandal-hit police body.
Housing body boosts comms team
The Chartered Institute of Housing has hired a new head of policy and external affairs.
Save the Children director leaves for Refuge
Domestic abuse charity Refuge has finally found a permanent director of fundraising, communications and policy more than a year after the post became vacant.
FirstGroup appoints brand and comms director
One of the UK’s biggest bus and train operators has secured the services of a former senior comms figure at the British Retail Consortium.
Ex-Royal PR joins Jockey Club as corporate affairs chief
Donal McCabe, one of the country’s most experienced PR professionals, has reunited with a former colleague who now runs The Jockey Club.
Ex-minister joins Make UK to lead external affairs
Robert Halfon has taken charge of policy and external affairs at the manufacturing trade body.
Philips’ global comms head will oversee corporate affairs at BT
Former Philips’ lead Leslie McGibbon is set to manage BT’s reputation as it undergoes a 'radical digital transformation'.
British Chambers of Commerce hires new comms chief
Tim Snowball has returned in-house after more than a decade working for PR agencies.
University of Westminster hires new comms head
Andrew Bate has been recruited to head up a nine-strong team working across corporate media relations and PR, public affairs, and colleague and student communications.
PR agency director returns in-house
Joe Moor has left Hanbury Strategy after six years to take up a senior corporate affairs role in-house.
Sky PR joins American Express
Michael Collins is set to join American Express Global Business Travel in a newly created comms role.
Ex-funeral director joins Which? external affairs team
A communications professional with an unconventional career path has joined the team at Which?.
HSBC hires Amazon comms director for new senior role
Amanda Andrews, international comms director at AWS, will lead a team of both external and internal comms professionals at the banking group.
Cricket comms chief moves to Premiership club role
ECB chief comms officer Kate Miller will handle supporter engagement and reputation management, plus engagement with key stakeholders, at Tottenham Hotspur FC.
National Lottery appoints former Cabinet Office official
Nadine Smith has more than 25 years comms experience and will now take on the NLCF’s comms strategy, marketing and external affairs.
Antonia Walton leaves Balfour Beatty for senior Inchcape role
The group comms head switches to the automotive parts multinational after a decade at Balfour Beatty.
GSK hires ex-civil servant for senior PA role
A former senior official at the government’s Office for Life Sciences has left the public sector to join the public affairs team at pharma giant GSK.
PR budgets set to shrink, new report warns
Despite a rise in recent months, PR budgets are expected to fall in the year ahead.
PRCA bids to redefine PR following heated Radio 4 debate
Members are being asked for their views on the new definition, which follows a debate between PRCA chief Sarah Waddington and adland grandee Sir Martin Sorrell.
University Alliance appoints new director of comms
Elizabeth Somerville ‘will bring a wealth of expertise’ to her new role raising the profile of the organisation.
PM’s right-hand man criticises government comms
The government’s communications operation has come under fire from the very minister who oversees its work.
Political row over Swansea Council’s comms spending
A war of words has erupted between Welsh politicians, who have clashed over the level of spending on comms, media, PR and marketing.
Industry bodies raise alarm over use of fake experts
Concerns over the use of fake experts to promote companies in the media has prompted PR trade bodies to urge journalists to check the credentials of comms professionals.
Packaging giant promotes comms manager to corporate affairs director
A marketing and comms manager has been elevated to director level.
PRCA teams up with CBI Economics to demonstrate value of comms
An evaluation of the PR sector’s input to the UK economy is underway.
Ex-No. 10 comms chief takes agency role
Guto Harri, who has held several high-profile in-house roles, has joined a global strategic comms and public affairs agency.
Why is it so hard for comms professionals to get CEO roles?
In.Comms asked trade body chiefs and headhunters for their views on how comms professionals can position themselves to reach the very top.
Is it right to hand top comms jobs to journalists?
With PR professionals continuing to lose out to journalists on some of the country's top comms jobs, In.Comms canvasses industry opinion.
Are we seeing more PR heading back in-house?
Set against a tough economic backdrop, a number of companies have dispensed with the services of PR agencies in favour of boosting their in-house PR capability.
How will the Budget affect comms professionals?
As the dust settles after the most dramatic Budget season in living memory, we speak to comms figures for their take on its impact.
PM hits out at former Downing Street comms chief Matthew Doyle
Doyle, who became a peer in January, has been suspended from the Labour Party while it investigates the extent of his links with a sex offender.
Co-op fights back against allegations of a toxic culture and comms failings
A letter, reported the BBC, was sent to Co-op chair Debbie White claiming that various decisions by the company have been “poor, against advice, and carelessly communicated”.
Why rebranding as Intact Insurance meant a radical new approach to comms
Jon Sellors, director of external affairs at Intact Insurance, tells In.Comms how the switch from RSA Insurance has been so much more than just a name change.
HM Treasury recruits ex-Home Office staffer for senior comms role
An ex-tabloid reporter turned government comms professional is to join HM Treasury’s comms team.
Exclusive: Comms revolution at the heart of government
A big shake-up in government communications is set to take place, with a shift towards centralisation.
CIPR launches internal crisis comms guide
New guidance seeks to fill the gap left by traditional approaches to crisis communications.
PR spending set to grow, new report reveals
The confidence of companies in their financial future reaches positive territory for the first time in more than a year, despite a “challenging” climate.
Smaller firms failing to realise internal comms potential, CIPR warns
Professionals are not being given the resources they need to deliver effectively, suggests new research.
Companies must be open and honest about lobbying, report says
Businesses are being urged to adopt structured, values-based decision-making and engagement processes.
Moving in-house harder than ever, report reveals
Many in-house teams will not risk hiring comms professionals from agencies.
ICO comms chief calls for empathy around data breaches
Data protection is about people and should not be treated as a tick-box exercise, according to the top comms person at the Information Commissioner’s Office.
Private healthcare the top-rated perk by in-house and agency PRs alike
But a survey of corporate comms professionals has also revealed some differences in preferred benefits between in-house and agency workers.
Most in-house PRs spend two days a week or fewer in office
In-house comms professionals enjoy far greater flexibility than their agency counterparts when it comes to where they choose to work, new research indicates.
Boring bosses and job losses driving out in-house pros
Being made redundant and ‘uninspiring bosses’ are the top two reasons for in-house comms professionals to move jobs, according to new research.
Nursing and Midwifery Council hires internal comms head
The independent regulator for nurses and midwives has brought in an experienced comms professional, who spent a decade leading internal comms at Serco.
AI startup invests in internal comms
UK AI startup Wayve has recruited an internal comms lead to ensure ‘clear, effective, and strategic communication’.
Accounting firm creates new senior comms role
RSM UK, a major audit, tax and consulting firm, has created a new role to boost its profile.
Unilever boosts internal comms department
The FMCG giant has recruited an internal communications specialist from Sky.
Penguin marketing chief to join Walker Books in comms role
Walker Books is focusing on integrated campaigns to promote the work of its authors.
Former agency director moves in-house at Ticketmaster
The ticket marketplace and distributor has appointed a former agency chief as a director
Glasgow 2026 brings in public affairs manager
With six months to go before the Commonwealth Games take place in Glasgow, the organisers have boosted their comms team.
British Beauty Council hires ex-Glamour exec editor to lead comms
A senior editor has left journalism to move into an in-house comms role.
Music charity hires head of marketing and comms
The chief executive of Music Support has turned to a former colleague to fill a senior comms role.
Global shipping body hires new comms chief
Ex-director of communications at the UK Chamber of Shipping joins the global trade association for shipowners and operators.
Center Parcs boosts comms team
The holiday firm, which has six resorts in the UK and Ireland, has recruited a new manager for its comms team.
Reform recruits ex-Daily Mail columnist for new comms role
Reform has boosted its comms team with several new appointments.
Universal Music Group signs comms chief from rival
A British PR professional has landed one of the biggest comms jobs in the music industry.
Magistrates’ Association appoints PR as CEO
An experienced comms professional has landed the top job at the Magistrates’ Association.
UK Council for Psychotherapy boosts comms team
The professional membership organisation, which represents 12k therapists, has hired a public affairs professional to a newly created senior role.
Comms veteran appointed charity CEO
A senior comms professional has been picked for the top job at a youth charity.
Private health trade body hires first comms director
The Independent Healthcare Providers Network (IHPN) has created a new senior comms role.
Ex-Nationwide PR joins NatWest as media lead
NatWest has hired a media relations lead for commercial and institutional banking.
Reckitt hires BT comms chief
The pharma giant has made several senior additions to its in-house communications team in recent months.
Reckitt hires Unilever content and channels comms director
Kasia Kehoe will oversee Reckitt’s external digital strategy and channels.
Lego public affairs director joins Reckitt
Claire Thwaites takes charge of the pharma giant’s government affairs function.
Glasgow University’s govt relations head leaving for new role
The Scottish Federation of Housing Associations has boosted its comms team with a senior hire from the academic sector.
Ovo Energy's former corporate affairs chief to join M&S
The British retailer has recruited Alex Doorey to replace Victoria McKenzie-Gould, who stepped down last year.
Skipton Group hires corporate affairs director
Public affairs specialist brought in to boost comms function.
Adoption UK hires comms chief
An experienced fundraiser with more than 20 years experience has been recruited to a newly created comms and fundraising role.
IOC president condemned for public attack on comms team
The conduct of IOC president Kirsty Coventry during the final daily press conference of the Winter Olympics has prompted a furious response from comms professionals.
UK corporate affairs turnover far higher than other countries, report reveals
Turnover rate is down but UK corporate affairs leaders change jobs more frequently than their counterparts in Europe and the US.
UK Finance hires CBI head of public affairs
The banking and finance industry trade body has reinforced its comms team with a new senior appointment.
British Library’s corporate relations chief leaves for museum comms role
The newly created role at the Foundling Museum brings together its comms and philanthropy teams.