60-second summary: last week's PR news (11 March)

Account reviews

Bacardi is understood to be holding a six-figure pitch for its Bacardi Beginnings music platform.

Ikea initiated early-stage talks with a range of agencies as it trawls for new consumer PR help.

InterTradeIreland, a body promoting economic co-operation between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, is seeking PR support in both countries.

People moves

Nick Jones, the Government's head of digital communications, took a senior digital role at Visa Europe.

Anthony Simon was appointed as interim head of digital communications for the Government.

Kitty Ussher, a former MP and Treasury minister in the last Labour government, joined Portland.

Gavin Davis was promoted to managing director of Pelham Bell Pottinger.

Scott Hailstone was recruited by Eurocopter as UK head of communications.

Drew Benvie, UK chief executive of Hotwire, departed to launch an agency called Battenhall.

Giles Peddy, deputy managing director at Hotwire, is to leave to become group managing director of Lewis PR's UK operations.

Lisa White is to join the Environment Agency as head of media and corporate comms.

Marc Cohen moved from FTI Consulting to Kreab Gavin Anderson as a director in its London office.

Gurpreet Brar joined Bell Pottinger Public Affairs as a director in the financial services team.

Katy Towse was appointed director of offline at Way To Blue.

Client wins

Citigate Dewe Rogerson landed an IPO brief to support the forthcoming listing of esure.

Hill+Knowlton Strategies won a public affairs and corporate PR brief for DONG Energy.

College Hill Life Sciences was appointed to handle Nanobiotix's global and financial corporate PR work.

Launch PR was handed a rolling project by Zurich Insurance.

London Communications Agency was called in to support a major redevelopment for the Southbank Centre.

Forster Communications was awarded a project by the South Downs National Park Authority and New Forest National Park Authority.

Tetra Strategy was drafted in by Meningitis UK to support a vaccine campaign.

Agency investments and restructures

Eulogy launched a professional services division headed by a legal sector PR specialist.

Chime Communications reported increased profits on marginally lower PR revenues in 2012 after the sell-off of its Bell Pottinger PR businesses.

Porta Communications acquired financial services specialist Cauldron Consulting.

Other news

The PRCA launched a set of regional PR awards called the DARE Awards.

Outgoing CIPR chief Jane Wilson called for the trade body to go international.

It emerged at least one government department is looking at how to get around the Government's newly decided big-budget PR roster.

The Museum of London revamped its comms as it focuses on becoming a 'consumer brand' to sharply drive up visitor numbers.

This article was first published on prweek.com