Communications agency Social has strengthened its Yorkshire team with a senior hire as it looks to build on a run of new business wins.
Lucy Newton has joined the agency as Senior Account Director, taking a place on the Yorkshire office’s senior management team alongside Director Racheal Johnson and Account Director Beth Chaplow.
Her appointment comes after what the agency describes as a period of sustained growth, with recent wins including work with York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority and the £1bn Eastgate Quarter scheme in Leeds.
Newton joins from Wakefield Council, where she was Economic Place Manager, leading on key account management and inward investment. Her role focused on promoting Wakefield as a destination for business and investment. She has also held roles at Marketing Manchester, Radisson Hotel Group and Arriva Group.
In her new position, she will work across Social’s portfolio of built environment and public sector clients, supporting developers, housing bodies and place-focused organisations with communications, stakeholder engagement and place marketing.
Newton said: “I’m delighted to be joining Social at such an exciting time of growth for the business. With a long-standing passion for people and place-based communications, the opportunity to work alongside the team and contribute to Social’s diverse client portfolio is hugely exciting.”
Social’s Yorkshire office works with clients including Extra MSA, Caddick Developments, Lovell Partnerships, Ahead Partnership, RLB, Leeds Beckett University and York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority.
The agency, which has divisions based in Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds and London, has also been active around the annual UK Real Estate and Inward Investment Forum in Leeds, where it supports clients looking to attract investment. This year, the team is working with six clients and is involved in organising more than 30 events around the forum, expected to draw over 1,000 delegates.
Johnson said: “Having worked closely with Lucy on UKREiiF in recent years, I’ve been hugely impressed by her expertise and passion for West Yorkshire and am so pleased to welcome her to Social. She joins us at exactly the right time as we gear up for our busiest UKREiiF yet, supporting clients across the public sector and built environment.
“Lucy brings extensive experience in place branding, communications and marketing and first-hand knowledge of the region’s political and business landscape that will help us strengthen and grow our offer to clients around public consultation, stakeholder engagement, event management and place promotion.”
