Following a number of high-profile national client wins, integrated PR and social media agency Bastion Amplify has announced a series of key senior appointments to its PR team in 2022.
Heading up the agency’s growing Sydney PR arm is the recently-appointed Nancy McDonald (main photo, left), who joins as group business director to oversee client growth in NSW.
Amplify also welcomes ex-Channel 7 News journalist, Georgia Comensoli (centre) as the agency’s first media director, expected to further bolster the team’s media success for clients and drive innovation through an owned news platform for clients.
Finally Susana Liu (right) joins as business director in Melbourne leading Bastion’s B2B portfolio comprising a range of leading property brands including Jinding, Australia 108 and Melbourne Square.
The new hires follow a number of exciting new client wins for the Bastion Amplify team with the signing of European luxe camping brand Dometic, fintech disruptor Tiiik Money, Unilever and international developer SPG Land.
Bastion Amplify CEO, Richard Chapman, said the key hires came off a strong 2021 during which Amplify rebranded from Bastion Effect as part of the Bastion network’s new Think Wide positioning, and it oversaw one of the most important campaigns of the agency’s 20-plus years’ the Million Dollar Vax.
“Bastion Amplify continues to innovate and grow in the market with a number of terrific new clients and strong strategic partnerships in place with our long-term client family,” said Chapman.
“We’re delighted to have Nancy, Georgia and Susana join, all of whom bring a wealth of experience, new ways of working and process into the team and specialist expertise.”
“It has been heartening to see throughout the pandemic how our teams have risen to the challenge, delivering truly integrated campaigns, and working with our clients to demonstrate the value of PR, whether it be in media, or with influencers on social.
“We will continue to see in our industry this year the growth of Corpsumer PR, more brands harnessing the impact of paid social and integrated social and digital, as well as the rise of owned news, something we have high hopes for.”
McDonald joins from Australasia’s leading pet specialist retailer, Petbarn and Greencross Vets where she was head of PR and content.
Prior to this, she spent 13 years working in PR, marketing and journalism in Australia, working across clients including Hungry Jack’s, Kraft Heinz, Honda, Hyundai, Dr. Lewinn’s, Access Corporate Group and as a journalist and presenter for NewsCorp.
Comensoli previously worked as a journalist and Chief of Staff in the Melbourne Channel 7 newsroom, as well as experience in the 3AW newsroom and regional television including WIN News.
Alongside her eight years as a journalist, she has experience in content and brand creation freelancing for global firm Goldeneye Media as well as six years Crisis Management experience with Melbourne firm Crisis Shield.
Liu has worked with a range of leading companies across the property, financial services and tech sectors to deliver strategic communications and integrated campaigns.
Previous clients include Charter Hall, Frasers Property, UEM Sunrise, Architectus, ME Bank and MessageMedia.
Most recently she was an account director at Keep Left.
