Sound Story acquires The Comms Department Strategic communications and reputation consultancy Sound Story has announced the acquisition of The Comms Department, marking a significant expansion of its independent communications offering. The Comms Department will continue to operate as a distinct specialist brand alongside Sound Story. While Sound Story remains focused on strategic communications and reputation for creative industry leaders and challengers, The Comms Department will specialise in crisis and issues management, change and transformation, mergers and acquisitions, executive advisory and media training.  As part of the acquisition, The Comms Department’s founder, Bec Brown, will join as a strategic advisor across both businesses, working with Sound Story founders and managing partners Jake Challenor and Brian Lawlor, along with senior leaders Jane Elliott, Zanda Wilson and General Manager Jono Harrison. The move follows a year of collaboration between the fi

Allan Hunt calls out brands seeking comms support Allan Hunt, account director at Archetype, has issued a callout to brands seeking communications support, highlighting Archetype's global capabilities and positioning the agency as a partner for building “magnetic brands”.  In a LinkedIn post, Hunt encouraged prospective clients to connect with the agency. Hunt joined Archetype as an account director recently. He was a senior account manager and an account director at Havas Red before joining Archetype.  Hunt worked across Hotwire Australia, Weber Shandwick and One Green Bean previously. Isabelle Ronksley steps up at Pureprofile Isabelle Ronksley has announced that she has been promoted to senior account manager at Pureprofile.  She joined Pureprofile as an account executive in 2024 and was an account manager most recently.  Ronksley worked as an executive production assistant at Sound Film Studio previously.  OpenAI hires consumer a

Havas Red launches Havas Blak for First Nations communications HAVAS Red has partnered with BlackCard founder and First Nations advocate Mundanara Bayles to launch HAVAS Blak, a new communications offering focused on elevating First Nations voices and strengthening Indigenous representation in Australia’s media and communications industry. The offering will provide First Nations-led strategic communications, cultural capability training, media coaching, leadership visibility programs and consultancy services across the wider HAVAS Village network. Launched during National Reconciliation Week 2026 under the theme “All In”, the initiative aims to address the shortage of culturally informed First Nations communications services in Australia. According to Campaign Brief, James Wright, Group CEO HAVAS ANZ, Global CEO HAVAS Red and Global Chair HAVAS PR Network, said the initiative was more about action, not intention.  "The communications industry has a res

Via strengthens comms team with senior appointments Marketing and communications agency, Via, has appointed Jose Verbeek as communications director and Kate Evans as senior account manager.   Verbeek will strengthen the firm’s corporate, financial and investor communications solutions and provide strategic media relations support to clients across Via’s client groups, and Evans will focus on the company’s integrated global marketing and communications capabilities. Tala Booker, CEO and Founder of Via, expressed confidence in the appointments, saying, "We know our clients are increasingly looking for senior, high-touch partners who understand how to weave together commercial acumen with brand and reputation. We partner with our clients in high-stakes situations, where pace matters but judgment prevails. I’m confident that Jose and Kate bring discernment, bold thinking and passion to how we show up and deliver for our clients." Evans expr

Dylan Quinnell joins the Global Strategic Communications Council  Dylan Quinnell takes up a new role as senior associate, electrification at Global Strategic Communications Council (GSCC).  He was most recently a media consultant at Beyond Zero Emissions.  Quinnell is also a strategic advisor at FrontRunners Athletes, where he provides pro-bono strategic media and communications advice to FrontRunners to help them in their mission of taking sport from the sidelines to the centre court on climate action. He worked in communications roles across various groups in Australia, New Zealand, London, China, Germany and Indonesia, including ENGIE AU, Climate Council, Department of Justice and Community Safety, Oxfam Australia, CARE, Berry Street, World Vision New Zealand, ICLEI, CIFOR and as a news intern at Televisi Republik Indonesia and Television New Zealand. India S joins The Royal Sydney Golf Club Marketing and communications professional India S has announced tha

Alexander Clampett joins Foxtel Group Alexander Clampett has joined Foxtel Group as a communications manager of entertainment.  He was most recently a corporate communications specialist at SBS.  Clampett’s previous stints include communications roles at HERO and Original Spin. Sophie Payne steps up at Archetype Sophie Payne has announced that she has been promoted to head of communications at Archetype.  She was most recently a principal consultant at Archetype for over two years. Payne previously worked at Nelson Bostock UNLIMITED, Google, Babel PR and The Tab and interned at Citypress and Salt Communications.

Persephone Walton-Clark takes up the baton as COO at TMC PR Persephone Walton-Clark has officially announced that she has stepped into the role of chief operating officer and head of strategy at TMC PR. In her new role, she will lead the agency's operations and strategic direction across business growth, team structure, client partnerships, and integrated communications.  She wrote that she was excited about the role, calling it a “right long-term fit”. In addition, she will continue working with Nail Concrete as a brand and communications director, spearheading their launch.  She was consulting across Sydney’s beauty, wellness and lifestyle space for over a year.  Previously, she worked across various PR agencies in London, including Capsule Communications, Ogilvy, Toni&Guy, Talk PR, Kilpatrick PR, Mission and ModusBPCM. Carla Montemayor joins Hyde and Seek as senior PR specialist Hyde & Seek has welcomed Carla Montemayor as a se