PR firm Grayling promotes Holly & Sophie and welcomes grads Kaya & Jake in Southampton

PR and comms agency Grayling has made three new hires in Southampton – including the promotion of Holly Barber to head of South.

Holly has coordinated PR campaigns for the likes of B&Q, Red Funnel and The Ivy, the latter of which held successful launches recently in both Bournemouth and Canterbury.

“I’m thrilled to lead the brilliant Grayling South team,” said Holly.

“Our regional network offers unparalleled local insight, enabling us to deliver everything from community and stakeholder engagement on major redevelopment projects to national-level strategic profiling for our clients.”

The Southampton team, based near Ocean Village, has also welcomed Kaya Finch, who moves into a full-time position following her three-month internship.

During that time, she impressed the team with her work across manufacturing, travel, health and professional services.

And more recently, the team took on graduate Jake Austin fresh out of Edinburgh University, who brings experience working with organisations like the National Trust and London Marathon.

Finally, Sophie Bates – who started off with Grayling as an intern – has now been promoted to senior account manager.

Heather Blundell, CEO of Grayling UK, added: “The promotion of Holly and growth of our South office demonstrates Grayling’s commitment to growth, diversity, exceptional client service and advancing regional excellence.

“With this strengthened team, we’re well-positioned to continue driving commercial impact and delivering outstanding results for our clients in the South, across the UK and beyond.”

• grayling.com