PHD Group has appointed Dallas Gurney as general manager of Spark PR & Activate, replacing Robin Wilson, who is returning home to the UK.
Gurney was most recently general manager group content marketing at NZME and prior to that spent over five years leading the editorial teams of Newstalk ZB & Radio Sport as general manager and editor-in-chief.
At Spark PR & Activate, he will report into PHD Group ceo Louise Bond and will lead the business’ full-suite marketing communications offering including PR, Content, Social Media and Activation.
“Dallas has successfully led the business direction and people teams of prominent New Zealand organisations,” said Louise Bond. “We’re excited to have him join our business and have every confidence his depth of leadership experience and decades working across both editorial and advertising spaces will add significant value to our clients.”
Gurney says some of his best experiences were leading the Newstalk national team through the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, managing some of the country’s top talent including Mike Hosking, Paul Holmes, Rachel Smalley and Jack Tame and being instrumental in landing game-change NZME sponsorship deals such as Mike Hosking Breakfast with ASB.
“Moving on after 20 years in one organisation was always set to be a carefully curated process, but from the get go of my conversations with Louise, I know this opportunity was the right one,” Gurney said.
“The client base is stellar, the work the team have been delivering is award winning and I’ll be working with one of the industry’s most stable and respected senior teams.”
He starts on Monday 28 November.
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