DUBLIN—Ryanair, the ultra-low cost carrier, has appointed Robin Kiely as its new head of communications. A former journalist, Kiely joined Ryanair in April 2012 as communications manager and succeeds Stephen McNamara, who joined the Irish Rugby Football Union after over four years at Ryanair.

LONDON—Hill+Knowlton Strategies UK has bolstered its energy and industrials team with two hires: Tara Singh, who joins as a senior associate director, and Paul Smyth, who joins as a senior consultant. Singh is a public affairs expert who joins H+K from Centrica, where she was responsible for the group's understanding and analysis of political trends and engagement with the Conservative Party. Smyth was a strategic communications and digital consultant for M&C Saatchi and Bell Pottinger and was media director and spokesman for the British Military in Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan.

BRUSSELS—The European Union of Developers and House Builders has appointed the Brussels office of Newgate Communications to provide EU public affairs, lobbying and secretariat support. According to Filiep Loosveldt, managing director of UEPC, the group “took a very important strategic decision in appointing Newgate Brussels in order to implement its vision, set out in the roadmap, to provide professional help for its members and to negotiate and cooperate with different EU institutions and other relevant federation partners active within the European Housing Forum and European Construction Forum."

LONDON—FH Group, which includes Fishburn Hedges, 77PR and design agency Further, has appointed Ali Gee as group planning and strategy director. Gee will work with all three FH Group businesses to deliver insight-led strategies and creative platforms for new business pitches and clients, and integrated thinking to clients working across the group. Gee is currently director of planning at Edelman, where has led a team focused on delivering insights for a range of major clients and new business pitches. 

HAMBURG—Manuel Funk has been named director of digital strategy at fischerAppelt. Funk was most recently managing director of fischerAppelt‘s digital agency Fork Unstable Media, which he helped found in 1997. In his new role, he will drive the digitization of the agency group. Funk was one of the founders.

LONDON—The life sciences team of College Hill has expanded its investor relations and financial PR offer with the appointment of Veronica Sellar as partner. Most recently she was based in the US, working as a consultant and also as communications business partner for AstraZeneca. Prior to this she gained in-house communications experience as head of communications for Xenova and in PR/IR consultancy.

LONDON—BrightMove Media has appointed Hudson Sandler to assist in the launch of TaxiCast, digital advertising from roof-mounted LED panels on top of London's black taxis. Overall account leadership will be handled by Hudson Sandler managing director Kirsty Leighton.