Stonehaven Launches Global Communications & Campaigns Offering

LONDON — Policy, sustainability and advocacy consultancy Stonehaven has launched a global communications and campaigns offering, led by new managing partner James Ruane.

According to the agency, the new offer aims to“turn strategy into action and help brands to change attitudes and behaviours and deliver deep, sustainable change.” It will operate across Stonehaven's London, Singapore, Australia and Dubai operations, working with existing consultants on new business and major client campaigns.

Ruane (pictured, centre) joins from National Grid, where he was group director of brand and communications, including corporate communications, social purpose and digital. He previously headed the global Shell business at Edelman, one of the agency's largest accounts, as managing director and was a member of the Edelman UK board. In his new role heading the communications and campaigns offer, Ruane will become a member of Stonehaven's global leadership team.

Stonehaven founder Peter Lyburn (pictured, left) said:“We are delighted to have someone of James' calibre join us. He has a formidable track record leading high-performing teams, and incredibly successful communications campaigns. His experience will be invaluable to so many of our clients and teams, as he brings decades of experience to our growing bench of campaign specialists and reputation advisers.

Lyburn added that the new offer was the next stage of the firm's growth and investment in corporate reputation, creative strategy, and integrated campaigning:“Stonehaven has built an enviable reputation for its strategic, political, and advocacy work, and now our enhanced focus on strategic creative communications, underpinned by science-based, data-driven, systems-level change, allows us to help a wider range of organisations successfully act on, and navigate unprecedented societal and environmental trends impacting a more interconnected world.”

Ruane added:“By combining the best of a creative agency that delivers transformational change, with the best of a strategy consultancy that delivers creativity, we are in a great position to bring brilliant strategy to life, with bold and courageous ideas that makes critical change happen.”

The global communications and campaigns leadership team also includes director India Knight (pictured, right), who will focus on the UK market. Knight has been instrumental in developing Stonehaven's current campaigning and digital marketing expertise and the development of the consultancy's creative studio.

Knight joined Stonehaven in 2020 from Teneo, where she was a managing director with responsibility for public affairs, integrated campaigns, and corporate reputation across a global portfolio of clients.

The launch of the new offer follows Stonehaven's recent expansion into the Asia Pacific region, through the , a corporate communications and sustainability advisory business founded by former Weber Shandwick regional leader Ian Rumsby, who is now Asia Pacific managing partner. In 2021, the firm also bought sustainability firm Robertsbridge in 2021. Stonehaven now has operations in London, Dubai, Singapore and Sydney.

In the past year Stonehaven has also added senior adviser Paul Maddon, former British Ambassador to Japan, British High Commissioner to Australia; and British High Commissioner to Singapore, to its leadership team.

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