One of Australia’s leading strategic comms leaders left Burson to join Atmos this week. B&T caught up with Tom Horn, who worked with the WPP agency for more than seven years. His decision to leave Burson preceded WPP’s decision to spin off the agency and is driven by his passion to tackle cyber crime.
Cyber security has become one of the biggest and most pervasive issues facing corporate Australia.
Tom Horn, who has led the PR agency Burson in this region, moved to the cybersecurity firm Atmos to pursue a passion he has had for some time.
Horn told B&T that his decision to move from a pure play PR agency to a multidisciplinary outfit in Atmos, which specialises in cybersecurity and privacy was driven by his passion to help corporates get on top of an issues that is chicken and egg.
His role at Atmos, as director of crisis communications, leading a team of around half a dozen comms experts, is to lead the communications aspect of cybersecurity, privacy and digital risk.
“This is more just a reflection of passion points for me and where I where I really like to get involved and be operating,” he said.
“When it comes to crisis comms, PR and cyberspace, communications one of those areas where a blindspot exists in a lot of organisations.
“Atmos provides a multidisciplinary approach, we have experts in tech, legal, governance and comms. It requires that sort of holistic approach to be able to respond quickly and well.
“This is a step that’s closer to the fire and working in an operation that’s really set up to provide sharp and specialist advisory in this space.”
Horn will be charged with building a solid comms crisis comms function that sits alongside the other disciplinary offerings at Atmos.
“If the comms is not up to scratch in one of these instances, then the reputation damage is so significant. So the ambition here for me is to build that first in class team that does specialise in this space, working closely alongside those other functions.”
Horn leaves an iconic PR agency that he says is well placed for the future, irrespective of who might acquire it.
He has worked at Burson, and its previous brand BCW, for more than seven years.
There are few better placed to take the crisis comms leadership mantle at a cybersecurity specialist.
