Client services appointment for Cogent Elliott

COGENT Elliott has appointed Stephen Furlonger, previously at agencies including The Marketing Store Worldwide (TMS) and WARL to support ongoing plans to strengthen its client services team.

Furlonger brings a wealth of marketing and consultancy experience, joining Cogent as business unit director and will also be joining the board.

Prior to joining Cogent, Furlonger worked on McDonald’s Europe, Shell Global retail Diageo and Vodafone UK retail accounts.  He was responsible for European marketing and promotional campaigns for McDonalds and the ‘Why Vodafone’ brand iconography campaign for in store and press.

He also developed shopper and category strategies for leading FMCG brands including Ryvita, Twinings, Unilever personal care brands (Sure, Dove), Innocent, Diageo as well as overseeing campaigns for MasterCard, WHSmith, FIAT and Mars.

Cogent’s CEO Mike Phillipson said:  “Stephen is hugely experienced and his joining is a real asset for the company.  We will be looking for Stephen to add value to our existing client base and also look forward to him playing a significant role in our new business drive.”

Furlonger is the second new board director to join Cogent in the last 12 months following Tim Gearey’s arrival from Big Communications to head up the company’s growing specialist PR division.

New contract win for Prova PR

PROVA PR has won the PR and communications account for Tottenham-based waste management company, O’Donovan Waste Disposal.

Prova, an environmental and waste management specialist, will both build and preserve the reputation of O’Donovan while also raising its profile and position within the industry.
 
Managing director, Jacqueline O’Donovan, said: “By teaming up with Prova, who have vast experience within the environmental sector, we are partnering with an organisation that can help us to grow our business and tap into new markets.”
 
Richard Postins, managing director at Prova, added: “We are delighted to be working with O’Donovan. The family-run business delivers dynamic and innovative solutions to the waste disposal sector and has a real passion to create a more sustainable industry as well as to delivering the very best customer service. We look forward to building on their already well-established reputation.”
 

Shropshire PR recognised by Dragon

A SHROPSHIRE PR company has been recognised for it work by scooping a  business award judged by a former BBC Dragon’s Den panellist.

J&PR Ltd, run by directors Rhea Alton and Kirsty Smallman, was crowned Start Up Business of the Year at the Free2Network Business Awards.

Co-director Ms Smallman accepted the award on behalf of the business from judge Rachel Elnaugh, who was the first female Dragon on the TV show.

Ms Alton and Ms Smallman, both former Shropshire Star journalists, launched J&PR Ltd 12 months ago and now have eight other people working for them. They are shortly due to move into new office at The Glebe Centre in Wellington.

Ms Smallman said: “This is a fantastic award to have won and has topped off an amazing first year in business for Rhea and I – it feels absolutely fantastic. It proves that hard work pays off – we have stayed true to our roots and the reasons we set up the business – to give Shropshire’s businesses the chance to access affordable PR.”

Free2Network founder Nina Sarder (far right) and judge and former Dragon Rachel Elnaugh (far left) with the Free2Network award winners including Kirsty Smallman, director of J&PR (Start Up Business of the Year winner) second from right.