LONDON – EasyJet communications and public affairs director Paul Moore is joining ITV as group corporate affairs and communications director. He will move to the broadcaster once his successor at easyjet is appointed. Before joining easyJet in 2010, Moore was group public affairs and communications director at transport operator FirstGroup, and was also director of corporate affairs at Virgin Atlantic.

LONDON – Europe’s largest private AI company, BenevolentAI, which specialises in the development and application of AI for the bioscience sector, has appointed WE Communications to raise its profile in the UK. The integrated brief includes marcomms, media relations and content marketing. WE won the account, previously held by Red Consultancy, after a competitive four-way pitch.

JOHANNESBURG – M&N Brands, South Africa’s first 100% black-owned marketing and communications holding group, has bought events company Mela Events in the latest stage of its plan to create a pan-African agency network. M&N Brands also plans to launch a PR agency, Bozza soon.

CANNES – The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity has announced its 26 jury presidents for the 2018 awards. They include Ogilvy PR global CEO Stuart Smith as chair of the PR Lions jury, and Facebook chief creative officer Mark D’Arcy as chair of the Social & Influencer Lions jury.

LONDON – We Are Social has launched a dedicated sports arm, We Are Social Sport, as its first separate division in the UK. We Are Social Sport will offer creative, strategy, editorial, research and insight, and production services to the agency's existing sports clients, including adidas, DAZN, Playstation and Gatorade. The division, run by director Joe Weston and creative director Gareth Leeding, also plans to expand into areas such as sponsorship.

LONDON – Richmond Sausages, owned by Kerry Foods, has appointed 3 Monkeys Zeno to handle consumer PR, including campaigns around the leading sausage brand’s new Nation’s Favourite proposition. Director Alex Perry will lead the account, working with Kerry Foods’ new CMO Nick Robinson. Kerry Foods brands also include Cheestrings, Wall’s, and Matteson’s.

LONDON – Creative communications consultancy The Playbook, part of the Hanover Group, has appointed former Red Consultancy group MD Andrew Baiden as managing director. He joins from Newgate Communications, where he was creative director, and takes over from Eddie May, who was brought on board to set up The Playbook in June 2016. The Playbook’s clients include Henley Royal Regatta, the NFL, the England and Wales Cricket Board.

BRUSSELS – Cicero Group has boosted its EU affairs team with three new hires, including account director Ian Emond, previously EU and international affairs advisor at the Association of British Insurers. He will report into Helena Walsh, executive director for Brussels and Dublin.