Brunswick Group, the strategic advisory firm focused on critical issues, today announced that it has promoted nineteen people to Partner. The nineteen individuals, from nine offices, join 183 colleagues in the Brunswick partnership and reflect the depth and breadth of expertise across the firm.
Neal Wolin, Chief Executive Officer, said: “I am delighted to welcome nineteen colleagues to the firm’s partnership. Each of these individuals has displayed exceptional character and capability during their careers at Brunswick and particularly in the last year, which has presented so much complexity for clients and the world around us. Their promotion underscores our strength and ambitions across our geographies, sectors and offers, and I am confident they will continue to add tremendous value to our global client base and our firm.”
Louise Charlton, Co-Founder, Vice Chairman of Brunswick and Co-Chair with Rob Pinker of the Partner Promotion Committee said: “I am extremely excited that these colleagues are joining the partnership, representing one of the largest Partner promotion groups in the firm’s history. As Brunswick continues to grow, their experience and leadership will further strengthen the advice we give to clients and the development of colleagues across our firm.”
New Partners
Adam Fothergill, Dubai
Adam joined Brunswick’s creative services team, MerchantCantos, in 2018 and leads MerchantCantos in the Gulf. He oversees a team specializing in brand, film, digital, investor communications, employee engagement and strategic communications.
With over 20 years in creative communications, Adam started his career in advertising and brand consultancy at respected agencies such as TBWA, JWT and LOVE leading mandates for Nissan, Casio, Sony PlayStation, Nike, Bank of America, the BBC and Accenture. In 2015, he relocated to the Gulf as Business Director at M&C Saatchi to run the global Etihad account.
Anthony (Tony) Applewhaite, Washington, D.C.
Tony has spent almost two decades advising clients on a diverse range of communications and public affairs engagements including litigation, crisis situations, media relations, corporate profile raising/change management, internal communications, federal and state government regulation/investigations and digital/social media. Tony’s client experience has included Sodexho Alliance, Cotecna, BNP Paribas, Affiliated Computer Services, Dupont, Elementis, PepsiCo, Yahoo!, Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) and the Entertainment Software Association.
Before joining Brunswick, Tony worked in the Washington, D.C. office of Morrison & Foerster LLP and in judicial chambers at the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
Ayesha Bharmal, London
Ayesha is part of Brunswick’s global Healthcare and Life Sciences team, working with clients from major pharmaceutical and medical device developers to biotech and healthtech companies.
Ayesha joined Brunswick from the Royal Household where she was Assistant Private Secretary to HRH The Duke of York, KG and Chief Marketing Officer for [email protected] Prior to this, she spent over five years with AstraZeneca as Global Media Relations Director and as Director of Business Development and Partnering Communications. This followed eight years with the communications consultancy Fishburn Hedges, where Ayesha built and led the agency’s Health Practice, supporting clients on issues ranging from NHS reform to the introduction of the smoking ban in England to medicine shortages. Ayesha’s early career included a focus on consumer technology, both in agency and as Press Officer to the Minister for e-Commerce in the then Department of Trade and Industry.
Dave Carlson, Chicago
Dave advises clients on a broad range of corporate reputation and financial communications initiatives. He joined the firm in 2017 and has since played an integral role in the growth and development of the Chicago office, leading several of the region’s most notable client mandates and serving on the firm’s Fee Committee.
Prior to joining Brunswick, Dave was a Senior Vice President at FleishmanHillard where he held positions of increasing responsibility. He also worked in client leadership at Ogilvy & Mather and as a Communications Manager for Getco LLC, a global trading firm. Dave serves on the Board of Directors for Bernie’s Book Bank, a non-profit organization that has donated more than 19 million books to at-risk children throughout the Chicago area.
Gaëlle Lemaire, Brussels
Gaëlle has 15 years’ experience in public and corporate affairs. She specializes in advising clients on European and global engagement campaigns spanning a broad range of industries, including media & digital, agri-food, energy and environmental services, mobility, and professional services firms. Gaëlle also advises clients on M&A regulatory clearance, litigation communications and on trade and Brexit related matters. Gaëlle is co-chief of staff to Brunswick Chairman of Europe Pascal Lamy.
Gaëlle started her career working with the European Commission’s diplomatic team coordinating the political dialogue with the African Union and relations with the Africa chapter of the G7 and G20 processes. She also served as adviser to European Commission President Barroso’s personal representative for Africa and was stationed for three years at the EU embassy to Egypt. Before joining Brunswick in 2018, Gaëlle was a partner at a leading European public affairs and communication agency.
Guillaume Maujean, Paris
Drawing on 20 years’ experience as a journalist and manager in newsrooms, Guillaume advises companies across sectors in their interactions with the media, financial markets and all their stakeholders. He has a particular interest in Finance as well as the broader reputational questions facing business.
Guillaume joined Brunswick in 2019 from Les Echos, the French leading newspaper for economics where he held several senior management roles, including Editor in Chief for Finance & Markets for six years. He has also been a TV and radio columnist (CNews, France 5, Radio Classique, Europe 1) and a regular speaker at conferences. He published in 2020 “Les Seigneurs de l’Argent” (Lords of Money: From the Medici to Bitcoin).
Hugues Boëton, Paris
Hugues advises a wide range of clients, both listed and privately-held companies of various sizes and across sectors. He has worked on a number of high profile and complex engagements for large global players, including EssilorLuxottica, Euronext and EQT. He has strong expertise in media relations and financial transactions, especially IPOs, and has advised on more than a dozen listings on Euronext Paris and other exchanges. Hugues is a member of Brunswick’s European Inclusion and Diversity Committee.
Hugues joined Brunswick’s Paris office in 2011, having begun his career in finance. He worked in the M&A department of French retailer Casino, prior to which he was an auditor at EY.
Janelle Nowak-Santo, Washington, D.C.
Janelle specializes in integrated digital and social media strategy. She has over 16 years’ experience in financial services, real estate and corporate marketing, solving complex digital and communications challenges for publicly traded and private companies – from mortgage brokerage to commercial real estate to consumer banking.
Prior to Brunswick, Janelle built Capital One’s social media team from the ground up, advising internal clients and business partners on their social media strategy and integrated digital campaigns. Before this, Janelle spent five years in the REIT Industry, leading corporate communications and investor relations outreach for an $11B retail REIT. Janelle also has dedicated experience in the mortgage brokerage and residential real estate industries, and in 2014, she was named to the “20 Rising Stars to Watch in Financial Services Marketing” by the Grammercy Institute.
Kate Beers, New York
Kate advises clients across industries on a variety of public relations and investor relations matters. She often works with companies navigating high-pressure financial situations including friendly and contested M&A transactions, shareholder activism and other issues impacting corporate reputation.
She joined Brunswick in September of 2018 from FS Investments, an alternative asset management firm, where she ran the firm’s corporate communications function. While at FS, she successfully led the company’s communications efforts around a complex, multi-party transaction between the company, Blackstone, and KKR. Prior to FS Investments, Kate was a Director at Joele Frank, a financial communications firm, originally in the firm’s New York office and later as part of a small team that opened the firm’s San Francisco office. She began her career in investment banking at RBC Capital Markets in New York as a member of the Equity Capital Markets team.
Kevin Helliker, New York
Kevin joined Brunswick in early 2017 as Editor of the Brunswick Review. In 27 years at the Wall Street Journal, he covered politics in London, served as a Bureau Chief in Dallas and Chicago and worked as a Page One Editor in New York, responsible for industries ranging from healthcare and agriculture to restaurants and retailing.
In 2004, he and Thomas M. Burton shared the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting, on the strength of "their ground-breaking examination of aneurysms, an often overlooked medical condition that kills thousands of Americans each year.”
Matt Levine, New York
Matt works on a range of business-critical issues, including financial situations, corporate reputation and issues and crisis communications. Matt regularly advises clients on media relations, executive presentation and engagement campaigns. He has experience across a variety of industries and sectors, with particular expertise in Technology, Media and Telecommunications.
Prior to Brunswick, Matt was the Head of U.S. Programming for Bloomberg Television, directing the network’s editorial content, special programs and documentaries. Before Bloomberg, Matt was a senior editor at CNBC.
Melissa Ward, London
Melissa oversees Brunswick’s Operations in the UK. She works closely with the regional leadership team, supporting the firm’s growth in the region by both defining strategic direction and by translating this into deliverable operational plans. Melissa leads on business transformation initiatives in London across our clients, operations and culture. She is also responsible for compliance globally at Brunswick.
Having been with the firm for over a decade, Melissa has worked both in London and in Hong Kong, in group management roles and in a client advisory capacity (with a focus on financial situations in the consumer and private equity sectors). Melissa was Chief of Staff to Sir Alan Parker, Chairman of Brunswick, from 2011 to 2014. Melissa joined Brunswick from boutique law firm Dickson Minto WS, where she spent four years as a corporate and commercial lawyer, focusing on M&A.
Phil Ryan, London
Phil has over 20 years of strategic communications consultancy and advisory experience, specifically around the use of digital and social media. He advises clients across a range of sectors and has acted on mandates that span corporate positioning, IPOs and listings, extensive M&A work, restructurings, crisis communications, cyber breaches, litigation support, public affairs (UK and the EU) and activism and shareholder engagement.
Phil was one of PRovoke’s EMEA Innovator 25, recognizing individuals who are reshaping the marketing and communications world. He has worked in London most of his career, though has worked on numerous international briefs and has worked extensively in the UAE. Prior to joining Brunswick, Phil was Head of Digital at Laing O’Rourke.
Pip Green, London
Pip has more than 10 years’ experience advising companies on their corporate communications. She specializes in cross-border M&A, issues management and financial and corporate communications. Pip joined Brunswick London in 2009 and spent two years in Brunswick’s Brussels office from 2016 – 2018. At Brunswick, Pip’s clients have included Anglo American, EG Group, IAG, Rolls-Royce and UK Asset Resolution.
Pip qualified as a Chartered Accountant at PwC in Australia. She has also completed the Certificate in Investor Relations from the Investor Relations Society (UK).
Rick Sellers, London
Rick is a digital corporate communications expert with over 18 years’ experience developing tailored and comprehensive digital strategies for large international organizations. Rick has advised on and led the implementation of a wide range of digital and creative solutions for clients including Ahold Delhaize, Naspers, Chrysaor, Riverstone Energy and LafargeHolcim, and he is a leading expert on digital communications around business critical events – M&A, IPO, crisis and financial reporting.
Before joining MerchantCantos, Rick was Director of Strategy and Operations at Comprend, advising clients including Dana Petroleum, Melrose Industries and VimpelCom. Prior to this, he was Head of Consulting at The Group, working closely with Aviva, Barclays, Centrica and Imperial Tobacco.
Simone Selzer, London
Simone specializes in the financial services industry, advising global companies on financial and corporate communications, crisis communications, M&A, media relations and regulatory investigations. Since joining Brunswick, Simone’s clients have included BNP Paribas, Hiscox, HSBC, Rothschild & Co, and Schroders. She advised on the IPO of Trainline and the defense of Provident Financial.
Simone joined Brunswick in September 2011, having previously worked at a financial services-focused communications agency for four years.
Taryn Wulfsohn, Johannesburg
Taryn joined the firm in 2002. She brings the experience of having been a client advisor for nine years, Chief of Staff to the Group Chief Operating Office and Head of IMEA for seven years, Chief of Staff to the Chair, Emerging Markets for the last three years and, in parallel, has been Director of Operations for the South African office for the past six years. She plays a key role in coordinating internal programs across the Group and the IMEA region around management, operations and people.
As a client advisor, Taryn has counseled a range of clients on a wide variety of communications issues, including transactions and other financial, media, advocacy and crisis work.
Yasmin Brooks, London
Yasmin joined the firm in 2019 and is the UK and EMEA lead for cyber. She works with a range of global clients to advise them on their cyber and data risks, resilience and crisis response.
Prior to joining Brunswick, Yasmin held a number of senior roles in the UK Government, mostly recently as Director General for Digital and Media at Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). She brings extensive experience of policy-making and regulation, complex problem solving across the public affairs landscape, and navigating the political and Parliamentary landscape. During her time at DCMS and previously at the UK Cabinet Office, Yasmin led on a wide range of cyber and data issues. She has led the co-ordination of several major incidents at national level, produced the UK’s current five-year National Cyber Security Strategy and delivered the UK’s Data Protection Act. She has also worked closely with a wide range of FTSE 350 companies across technology, finance and other sectors on cyber resilience and awareness.
Yoichiro Sato, Tokyo
As a leading member of the firm’s team in Tokyo, Yoichiro Sato provides strategic counsel at the highest levels of the private sector with his extensive experience in strategic communications, public affairs and multi-stakeholder engagement. Yoichiro has advised Japanese clients including Mitsubishi UFJ Trust Banking, Kirin Holdings, the Nikkei Global Management Forum, as well as international firms and organizations including Ares Management and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Prior to joining Brunswick in 2018 as the firm’s first appointment in Tokyo, Yoichiro worked at Goldman Sachs, where he advised on geopolitical and regulatory developments as vice president of the Office of Government Affairs. Yoichiro started his career at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan in 2005, where he held several senior roles. Between 2013-2015, he served as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s special assistant on foreign affairs.
About Brunswick Group
Brunswick is a strategic advisory firm focused on critical issues. Our purpose is to help the great value-creating organizations of the world play a more successful role in society. We advise on critical issues at the center of business, politics and society, and help our clients – the leaders of large, complex organizations – understand and navigate these interconnected worlds. Brunswick is one firm globally, operating as a single profit center. This allows us to respond seamlessly and effectively to clients’ needs wherever they are in the world.
For more information, visit: www.brunswickgroup.com.
Contact
Name: Tim Danaher
Email: [email protected]