FORWARD opens Melbourne office headed up by new senior hire Lucy Saarelaht

Award-winning public relations agency FORWARD has announced its expansion to Melbourne, following GrowthOps’ acquisition of the business in February this year.

FORWARD has also announced the appointment of Lucy Saarelaht as the lead of the Melbourne FORWARD team. As senior account director, Saarelaht will work with agency founder and managing director Fergus Kibble to strengthen FORWARD’s presence in Melbourne, create new client partnerships and build a local team over the coming year.

By having boots on the ground in Melbourne, FORWARD expands its reach and gains enhanced access to an extensive array of strategy, creative, and digital services offered by GrowthOps’ other leading agencies in Melbourne, including AJF Partnership, Khemistry and GrowthOps Performance. Saarelaht and Kibble will collaborate with GrowthOps’ newly-appointed chief growth and innovation officer, Con Frantzeskos (pictured below right), to foster seamless inter-agency cooperation and deliver even more value to clients.

Says Kibble: “Melbourne feels like home to us, and we are thrilled to be opening our doors here. Over the past ten years, we have worked with Melbourne-based clients, including Lion Dairy and Drinks (now Bega), Fonterra, General Mills, Mentholatum and Sensis. Lucy is an excellent addition to FORWARD, and her expertise across corporate and consumer public relations builds additional capability for our network.”

Says Clint Cooper (above left), CEO, GrowthOps: “Since GrowthOps acquired FORWARD in February, Fergus and his team have collaborated with us across the region and brought earned media, influencer marketing, and content offerings to elevate our clients’ brands. This exciting step marks a significant milestone in our growth ambition for FORWARD.”

Says Saarelaht: “I am pumped to join the FORWARD team and kickstart this new adventure. The opportunity to work alongside such talented professionals, collaborate with great clients, and contribute to a thriving agency culture is exciting. I am also energised by the entrepreneurial spirit here and look forward to developing campaigns that will contribute to the agency’s and our clients’ continued success.”

Saarelaht joins FORWARD from Porter Novelli and has a wealth of experience spanning health, FMCG, government and not-for-profit sectors. She’s well-versed in leading teams to deliver large-scale communication and public relations projects that make an impact.