Associate Director

Simon Shaw moves on from Chief Communications & Marketing Officer role at King Salman Park. At King Salman Park Foundation, his remit spanned corporate and brand strategy, communications, marketing, governance, stakeholder alignment and opening readiness. Simon Shaw is moving on from his role as Chief Communications & Marketing Officer at King Salman Park Foundation in Riyadh, where he built a multidisciplinary team and strengthened the Foundation's corporate, brand, marketing and communications capabilities. His remit spanned corporate and brand strategy, communications, marketing, governance, stakeholder alignment and opening readiness, supporting one of Saudi Arabia's most ambitious Vision 2030 urban transformation projects. Having worked across the Middle East as a consultant for several years, Shaw's move to the Foundation marked a transition into full-time, in-house leadership in the region. "It was a great honour to contribute to a landmark project of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 and to make Riyadh my home," said Shaw. "The experience deepened my appreciation of Saudi Arabia's rich and beautiful culture and my understanding of the ambition driving the Kingdom's transformation." He added, "With my background in strategy, creativity and architecture, the opportunity to help shape a place that brings together nature, culture and community was particularly meaningful. I leave proud of what we built: a clear direction for the brand, stronger marketing and communications capabilities, and a talented team equipped to support the Park's next stage of development. I'm excited to see what they achieve next." Shaw previously served as Global Chief Creative Officer at Burson and Global Chief Creative Strategy & Innovation Officer at Hill & Knowlton. In these roles, he advised CEOs, executive teams and marketing leaders on corporate, brand and reputation strategy, alongside communications and marketing. He also led global transformation programmes, integrated strategy, creative and content capabilities, and built international innovation hubs at the agency. His experience spans the Middle East, China, Europe, the UK and the US. As he considers his next chapter, Shaw will now move into an independent advisory role, bringing together his international consulting background and in-house leadership to advise organisations on strategy, building brand and corporate reputation, creative transformation, communications and marketing strategies. "The Middle East remains close to my heart and an important part of my plans," he concluded. "I'm enjoying applying the experience gained across consultancy and in-house leadership to new challenges and look forward to reconnecting with colleagues and exploring new collaborations and opportunities across the region and beyond." Anup Oommen is the Editor of Campaign Middle East at Motivate Media Group, a well-reputed moderator, and a multiple award-winning journalist with more than 15 years of experience at some of the most reputable and credible global news organisations, including Reuters, CNN, and Motivate Media Group. As the Editor of Campaign Middle East, Anup heads market-leading coverage of advertising, media, marketing, PR, events and experiential, digital, the wider creative industries, and more, through the brand's digital, print, events, directories, podcast and video verticals. As such he's a key stakeholder in the Campaign Global brand, the world's leading authority for the advertising, marketing and media industries, which was first published in the UK in 1968.

Burson hires NBC correspondent as UK crisis lead. Former foreign correspondent Meagan Fitzgerald joins Burson UK from NBC News to head its crisis and issues practice. LONDON - Burson has appointed former NBC News foreign correspondent Meagan Fitzgerald as UK head of crisis and issues, strengthening its offer to clients navigating geopolitical uncertainty, fast-moving reputational threats and an increasingly fragmented media environment. Fitzgerald (pictured) joins the WPP-owned agency after nearly two decades in broadcast journalism, most recently as a foreign correspondent for NBC News Worldwide. A twice Emmy-nominated journalist, she has reported from the front lines of major global events, including wars, geopolitical crises and political and economic developments. In her new role, Fitzgerald will lead Burson UK's crisis and issues team, advising clients on anticipating risk, responding under pressure and communicating clearly when scrutiny is at its most intense. "Clients are facing unrelenting pressure and continuous disruption, from geopolitical turbulence to a hyper-fragmented media landscape," said Burson UK CEO Simon Redfern. "Meagan's considerable experience provides a unique perspective on how narratives form in real time and how brands can communicate effectively when the stakes are highest. "This expertise will be invaluable in helping our clients build and protect their reputations in this new intelligence era." Redfern added that Fitzgerald's ability to distil complex issues into clear narratives across broadcast, digital and social platforms, along with her experience building high-performing teams, made her "the perfect fit" to lead the agency's crisis and issues practice. Before becoming a foreign correspondent, Fitzgerald was an anchor and reporter at NBC-owned Washington DC station WRC-TV, where she led live coverage of breaking news and produced original reporting for broadcast and digital audiences. She began her career as an investigative reporter in Louisiana. "Issues can become crises in minutes. I've seen it firsthand, reporting live as stories unfolded," said Fitzgerald. "The strongest crisis counsel starts well before that moment - helping leaders anticipate risk, make sound decisions under pressure and communicate clearly when every word matters." Article tags News direct to your inbox The agency playbook. The PR industry's most comprehensive listing of firms from every region and specialty.