PORTLAND, OR--Former Waggener-Edstrom veteran Kent Hollenbeck has launched a new consultancy, snaring Taiwanese handset player HTC as an anchor client.

Hollenbeck Group is charged with providing US public relations support for HTC’s global corporate communications function. The firm is also tasked with driving integration with HTC’s other agency partners, which include Waggener Edstrom in North America and Asia, and Nelson Bostock in EMEA and Asia.

Hollenbeck departed Wag-Ed in July, after 13 years with the firm. His new consultancy will also focus on startup companies in Portland and Seattle.

“This was an initiative I kicked off while I was at WE and I realized that it was something that I wanted to continue pursuing in this new venture,” he said.

Hollenbeck's new firm will provide a broad range of public relations services, including brand positioning, social media, content strategy, crisis management and influencer engagement.