Weber Shandwick bolsters fast-growing Scotland team with eight new consultants 

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Weber Shandwick has welcomed eight new consultants to its award-winning Scottish team.

 

This latest intake follows a year of record-growth for Weber Shandwick Scotland, which saw the agency expand its client portfolio across diverse sectors including hospitality, consumer tech, food & drink, energy and shipping.

 

Now an almost 60-strong team, the new recruits bring a wealth of experience to the agency, including two enthusiastic apprentices who are kickstarting their careers in the world of communications with Weber Shandwick Scotland through the Modern Apprentice Programme.

 

Natalie Buxton, Managing Director for Scotland & the UK Network, said: “I’m thrilled that eight brilliant new hires have chosen to join our team here in Scotland. This is an incredibly exciting time for our business – we’re doing some of our most creative and rewarding work yet, and the twelve coveted industry awards we’ve taken home this year are testimony to this.

 

“Our new consultants are already bringing fresh perspectives and ideas to the mix, which is crucial as we strive to be bold and impactful in our work going forward and further broaden our service offerings and capabilities beyond earned media.

 

“Weber Shandwick has a unique employee offer in the Scottish communications landscape. As well as being part of a UK network of five offices with industry-leading specialisms and skills, we work closely with colleagues around the world to support leading Scottish and global brands.”

 

The new additions to the team include:

  • Emma Bain, Account Director: Emma has 10 years’ experience in the PR industry and joins from tigerbond where she worked with a number of clients in the healthcare and medical sectors. As part of Weber Shandwick’s corporate team, Emma will continue to specialise in healthcare PR and media relations, working with the agency’s wide range of clients in this space.
  • Stephanie Carberry-Main, Senior Manager: Stephanie joins Weber Shandwick with both journalism and agency experience. She spent four years at The Scottish Sun before moving to Smarts, where she specialised in consumer PR and influencer relations for almost seven years. She will work across a range of accounts at Weber Shandwick, providing expert media relations and consumer support.
  • Catriona Martin, Manager: Catriona started her career in Healthcare PR where she worked closely with global pharmaceutical companies, before moving to MERCIECA where she developed expertise in consumer communications. Catriona joins Weber Shandwick’s client experience team and will flex across both consumer and healthcare clients.
  • Diana Bengea, Manager: Diana joins Weber Shandwick following more than seven years’ experience at other global and UK agencies. In her previous roles, she supported a range of corporate clients across various sectors including energy, technology, infrastructure and manufacturing. Diana will work across energy and corporate clients at Weber Shandwick.
  • Rebecca Watson, Senior Associate, Public Affairs: Rebecca joins Weber Shandwick’s public affairs team with two years’ experience of supporting clients in the health, retail and technology sectors. An Executive Committee member of Women in Public Affairs (WiPA) Scotland, Rebecca is passionate about supporting and promoting women in the sector.
  • Evan Balfour, Junior Associate: Evan recently graduated from the University of Strathclyde with a BA(Hons) degree in Marketing and Human Resource Management. Evan will support a number of clients, while developing media relations and corporate communications skills.
  • Ilona Halkides, Project Management Apprentice: Ilona studied at the University of Florida and joins the Weber Shandwick Scotland team, from a background in TV production, as part of the Modern Apprentice Programme. She will work closely with the studio team while gaining an SVQ Level 7 Qualification in project management.
  • Innes Christie, Digital Marketing Apprentice: Innes joins Weber Shandwick as part of the Modern Apprentice Programme, specialising in digital marketing. Prior to joining, Innes was a Business and Marketing Assistant at Barra Energy, where she managed social media channels.

 

Ilona and Innes are the latest in a successful line of modern apprentices to join the agency in recent years. Since signing up to the Young Person’s Guarantee in 2021, Weber Shandwick Scotland has supported the development of six apprentices, providing hands-on experience, exposure to real-world projects and mentorship from experienced communications professionals.

 

As part of the Modern Apprentice Programme, Ilona and Innes will enjoy a mix of classroom and on-the-job training. They will gain valuable work experience as full-time paid employees, while also working towards obtaining an SVQ Level 7 Qualification.

 

The new recruits join an award-winning team. In the past year alone, Weber Shandwick Scotland was named winner of five CIPR PRide Scotland and four PRCA DARE Scotland awards, including Large Consultancy of the Year Award as well as awards for diversity and inclusion, consumer relations, media relations and corporate communications campaigns. The team also won coveted PRCA Platinum and Grand Prix Awards, which celebrate the very highest standards in global public relations, for its Bite Back consumer relations campaign with Quality Meat Scotland.