LONDON — Hanover is making leadership changes to its flagship public affairs operation in London, prompted by Laura Swire’s decision to step down from her MD role to spend more time with her family.

Katie Blower, who has been with the agency for 11 years, will assume the MD of UK advocacy role currently held by Swire.  As such, she will oversee the day-to-day operations of the group, whose clients include Sky, Tesco, Facebook, Microsoft and Airbus.

Blower most recently served as the operation’s advocacy director.

Swire, in turn, will become a senior advisor. She spent the last four years of her 10-year career with Hanover as the agency’s MD of UK advocacy, during which time the team doubled in size and revenue, according to Hanover. That growth was a factor in Hanover being named Holmes Report's 2017 Global Public Affairs Agency of the Year.

Other changes in the group include: creative industries specialist Rosie Luff and former Conservative special advisor Daniel Gilbert being named directors of the business; and former Liberal Democrat advisor Tom Gault, energy expert Alison Woodhouse and former Big Brother Watch head Emma Dean being named associate directors.

The news follows the announcement last month that Hanover Group has agreed to acquire Bell Pottinger Middle East, which will add 14 consultants to Hanover’s EMEA team of 125 and take its 2018 fee income to over £20 million.