LONDON--Fleishman-Hillard has appointed Patricia Hamzahee to lead its financial services team in London. She also joins the agency’s London management team. Hamzahee brings more than 20 years’ experience of international financial markets, as well as expertise in international positioning, crisis management and senior management communications. In her new role, she will build on the agency’s financial services base, covering public affairs, corporate communications, reputation management and investor relations. Hamzahee joins from Kreab Gavin Anderson, where she was a partner and co-head of the financial services practice.

GENEVA—Burson-Marsteller has named Dev Rakshit to lead its healthcare and science practice and David Hart to lead its corporate and financial practice. Rakshit has been with the healthcare practice as a senior consultant since January 2011 and was previously global brand communications manager at Novartis and head of strategic marketing and branding at Swarovski. Hart joined Burson-Marsteller earlier this year from AGT International, a global security solutions provider, where he was responsible for global communications. They replace Toula Stoffeland Ute Dehn Christen, both of whom are leaving the firm.

BRUSSELS—FTI Consulting has added Thomas Bols (pictured) as a managing director in its strategic communications practice. Bols will lead the firm’s EMEA region public affairs, healthcare and life sciences offerings. Prior to joining FTI, Bols was Merck Serono’s vice president of global government affairs and health policy, and previously he served as director, government affairs Europe for Amgen International. Before entering the pharma industry, Bols worked as a consultant for various trade associations.

BRUSSELS—The International Association of Cruise Lines has appointed Tomás Matesanz, formerly a senior director at Spanish public relations consultancy Llorente & Cuenca, as communications director of CLIA Europe. Matesanz, who will work from Brussels, will be responsible for the development of the communication strategy of CLIA in the European market as well as managing media relations and agency relationships in multiple markets.

LONDON—Gatwick Airport has appointed Fishburn Hedges and the London Communications Agency to provide communications support for the airport’s growth plans. The firms are working with the airport’s communications team on an integrated PR and public affairs brief to build Gatwick’s profile in the midst of a debate about capacity problems at London’s airports. Gatwick has announced plans for a new runway that will be submitted to the Independent Airports Commission.

LONDON—College Hill has appointed Tim Linacre as a senior advisor to the capital markets team. Linacre has more than 30 years’ experience in the City as a stockbroker and investment banker. He worked at Panmure Gordon for 20 years and was chief executive for eight years. He was previously with Hoare Govett.

LONDON--Liberty Communications is to launch the Liberty Academy later this year. The programme aims to help young people gain invaluable  experience, insight and training as well as benefit from mentoring and coaching from those already working in the industry. The Liberty Academy will work in a similar way to existing graduate initiation programmes and comprise of a series of one day workshops as well as practical exercises, mentoring and support.  This approach will provide apprentices with exposure to every aspect of both public relations and marketing from understanding the broader industry to content development and the effective use of both social and digital media.

KRAKOW—Eurocom Worldwide, the global network of independent PR firms, has appointed Christoph Schwartz as deputy chairman. He takes up his role following this year's annual conference of member agencies. Schwartz is the founder and owner of Schwartz Public Relations, a technology PR agency based in Munich, Germany, and has been a member of Eurocom Worldwide since 2003. He will work alongside network chairman Robin Baker.

READING—Jargon PR, a Reading-based boutique agency specializing in media relations campaigns, has been named by Paper Tango, a company specializing in origami-inspired gifts and three- dimensional greeting cards, as its retained agency. Jargon PR will manage the media relations campaign and overall reputation of the company throughout the UK press.

LONDON—Leading independent energy supplier First Utility has appointed Grayling to manage its national PR programme. The agency will look to increase consumer awareness of First Utility as the provider of competitive energy tariffs, and promote its innovative range of online services and behavioural insight tools, such as My Energy, which encourages customers to manage their energy consumption.

LONDON—Team Consulting, a medical device design and development specialist, has appointed technology PR agency EML Wildfire to increase global awareness of its expertise. EML Wildfire will promote Team's full range of research and development capabilities across multiple medical sectors, in particular focusing on Team's core focus of drug delivery, critical care, regenerative medicine and surgical equipment. EML Wildfire's work will target decision makers and key influencers within the pharmaceutical and medical device sector.

LONDON—John Doe has been engaged by Tate to support a new national program, “Circuit,” which will seek to engage youth audiences with the art world. The agency will generate marketing and media content to raise awareness of a three day festival to be held in The Tanks at Tate Modern in April 2013. John Doe's appointment follows the agency's previous work supporting the Chris Ofili exhibition to the same audience.

DUBAI—German cosmetics company Beiersdorf has appointed ASDA'A Burson-Marsteller to manage corporate and consumer communications in the GCC and Lebanon. In addition to handling the corporate brand, ASDA’A will handle Nivea Skincare, Nivea Face Care, Nivea Men and Nivea Sun in addition to the Labello, Eucerin and Hansaplast brand portfolios.

LONDON—Chateau Lou Casteou in the French Riviera has called in Turtle PR to launch to the UK travel and consumer sectors in 2013. The boutique travel PR agency will focus on promoting the Chateau's Luxury Cultural Retreat, at which guests will master the arts of Italian cuisine, singing, song-writing, trekking and painting, in the property's lavish surroundings.

LONDON—Harveys, wholly-owned by Steinhoff, has appointed social software leader Bazaarvoice and Ogilvy & Mather, as part of a major rebranding exercise. Social@Ogilvy, Ogilvy & Mather’s global social media marketing unit and Bazaarvoice will manage and execute Harveys' complete social strategy and community management. The core objective will be to drive sales, increase user-generated content, and help engage every day customers who are at the very heart of Harveys' business.

LONDON—Talk PR has appointed Toby Schuster as head of social media and digital to help drive growth across the agency’s fashion, luxury, beauty and grooming, lifestyle technology and global divisions. Schuster is heading up a cross-divisional social and digital task force of eight to oversee campaign development and integration. Schuster was previously head of consumer and social media at Phipps PR and worked at Porter Novelli and Firefly.