Comms agency Weber Shandwick has announced key promotions within its PR and client leadership team, and introduced an integrated project manager to the fold.
Amelia Thomson and Rishu Sharma will take on the roles of business directors in Australia, growing the agency’s consumer, corporate and tech communications credentials. The new roles will see the two contribute to the next chapter of the agency’s development, responsible for building strong client relationships, producing high caliber strategic and ideas-led work, and leading the a team that thrives.
L-R: Rishu Sharma, Amelia Thompson and Matthew Plant
With nearly 10 years of experience in consumer PR, Thomson will lead some of the agency’s longest-standing relationships with ServiceNow, Pinterest and Ancestry.
With more than 16 years of experience delivering integrated communications campaigns across the corporate and tech categories, Sharma will lead Moderna and IBM among others.
Both Thomson and Sharma joined Weber Shandwick Australia as account directors at the end of 2021 and have been guiding forces helping to unlock the potential of the team and business.
Weber Shandwick group managing director Vinny Panchal commented: “Amelia and Rishu have joined us during the transition, and both have proven to be experienced, trusted and stable forces within the agency. Their dedication and passion for our clients and our people, and the respect they have earned from both, means they are the right leaders to continue to grow our PR business.
“We have some enviable brands in our portfolio and I’m confident that with Amelia and Rishu, we can do some industry-leading, award-winning work.”
Both Thomson and Sharma will join Vinny Panchal and sit on the local leadership team to oversee Weber Shandwick Australia.
In addition to the promotions, and as a reflection of the transformation of the work the agency does, Matthew Plant will leave his role as social media manager for the newly created role of integrated project manager.
Panchal added, “We are committed to being strategy and ideas focused for all our PR clients. That means we need someone in the business who can connect with the right disciplines and experts to create the most effective work possible for our clients’ business. With Matthew’s experience in the world of digital and paid media, his understanding of earned PR, and his collaborative spirit, he is perfect for the role.”
The promotions and the new role reflect a strong year of growth for Weber Shandwick, supported by the agency’s alliance with Jack Morton. New client wins include Ancestry, Moderna, Unisys and Udemy.