Burson adds several new staff including Michael Rhydderch as APAC head of sustainability

(Pictured L-R: Michael Rhydderch, Jessie Gogan, Marcha van den Heuvel, Tom Horn)

Burson, the global communications leader purpose built to create value for clients through reputation, has today announced the appointment of Michael Rhydderch as APAC head of sustainability, expanding the firm’s sustainability and social impact advisory offering across the Asia Pacific region.

This move further expands Burson’s local advisory offering, building on its existing reputation management and brand advisory services and government relations offering through Hawker Britton and Barton Deakin, which are part of the Burson group and provide deep insights into the workings of government and key decision-makers.

Rhydderch is an environmental scientist by trade, and a registered B consultant, with over 10 years’ experience in sustainability advisory. He takes a science-based, technical approach to helping clients understand, measure and meet growing environmental, social and governance (ESG) expectations from consumers, employees, investors and regulators. His expertise provides additional depth to Burson’s existing sustainability communication offering, ensuring a uniquely holistic end-to-end advisory solution for our clients.

Adrian Warr, CEO South Asia Pacific, Burson says, “In today’s environment, a company’s reputation needs to be grounded in real actions that are embedded within the corporate strategy.  A company must be able to capitalise on new opportunities through clear and creative communication. Burson’s advisory solution will help clients focus on impact and transform their business and communications to align with stakeholder expectations. ​ We are thrilled to have Michael in this role to support our clients in navigating heightened demands and increased scrutiny in this space, particularly as mandatory climate reporting requirements come into effect for 2025 and beyond.”

The expanded advisory offering follows several leadership appointments in Australia and New Zealand, including:

Tom Horn has been appointed market leader, Australia and New Zealand. He leads a team across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth and is responsible for shaping the agency’s local offering and driving its performance and success.

Jessie Gogan has been named deputy market leader, Australia and New Zealand, with a particular focus on driving Burson’s creative expertise.
Anna O’Sullivan has been appointed head of reputation and issues management and will lead Burson’s advisory services focusing on building and protecting positive reputations for the agency’s clients.

Marcha van den Heuvel has been appointed head of corporate and public affairs, Australia and New Zealand, leading the agency’s corporate affairs and stakeholder engagement work.

Commenting on the new leadership roles in Australia and New Zealand, Warr added, “Australia plays an important role in Burson’s plans in the Asia Pacific region as it continues to be where we do some of our best work.  This market has long been an engine of creativity and an incubator of innovation where boundaries are pushed. Our new leadership team will be leaning into that potential while ensuring we continue to exceed our clients’ expectations – and that we build a team and culture that people want to be a part of.”

Burson has offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth and an affiliate in New Zealand.