Weber Shandwick Australia appointed Angela Malkin as Head of Weber Shandwick in Australia, and bolstered leadership team across the consumer, technology & corporate, and healthcare practices.
Lead image: left to right, Rachel Vidaic, Akina Taniguchi, Angela Malkin, Addie Freyne
Angela joined Weber Shandwick with nearly two decades of experience delivering high-profile integrated communications strategies in Australia and the UK. She spent eight years in global PR agencies before transitioning to senior communications roles in the finance and government sectors. With this, Angela returned to agency with an understanding of both client needs and agency dynamics.
“When I look back, my standout career moments have been in agency. There’s nothing like the buzz and excitement of working with diverse, creative minds to bring extraordinary ideas to life,” said Malkin. “Working client side, the best agencies understood my business and were able to look at a brief with real results in mind. They were smart, considerate, and knew how to execute exceptionally – that’s the ethos we live by here at Weber Shandwick Australia”.
In addition to Angela’s appointment, Weber Shandwick Australia has bolstered its senior bench by appointing Addie Freyne as business director, leading the agency’s tech and corporate practices. Addie has over a decade of integrated communications experience and has previously worked at Ogilvy, Edelman, and Mahlab.
Rachel Vidaic also returned from maternity leave, rejoining as a business director, leading the consumer team. Rachel has 15 years’ experience working agency-side, delivering creative and impactful campaigns for businesses in the lifestyle space.
Following rapid growth in the healthcare space, Weber Shandwick also welcomes Akina Taniguchi, who brings over seven years’ experience working on integrated healthcare communications campaigns, working in Oncology, Rare diseases, HIV, Ophthalmology, IBD and consumer health in Australia, the UK and Europe.
“While attention spans shrink, our clients want partners who are deeply invested in their business and can push boundaries to deliver real results. We’re in a unique position because we’re independent and small yet backed by the Weber Shandwick Collective which gives us access to global insights, award-winning inspiration, and tools to track cultural trends. We offer our clients the best of both worlds,” continued Angela.
Since 2021, Weber Shandwick Australia has been an independent agency and it forms a unique Australian agency alliance with acclaimed brand experience agency, Jack Morton, and content agency, Vocal. This Alliance forms a rare collaboration for the region between committed lovers of Creative, PR, Experience and Content that delivers a new model for insightful storytelling that builds brands and drives demand.
“Angela and I have huge ambitions for Weber Shandwick in Australia. As our client portfolio continues to grow, I’m personally thrilled to welcome this new cohort of leaders who excel in their own unique ways,” said Helen Graney, CEO at Weber Shandwick Australia. “Their collective expertise and creativity will allow us to deliver outstanding work and growth for our clients.”
