Hydra Strategy, the senior-only strategic communications consultancy, has appointed financial services expert Henrietta Hirst as a partner.

Hirst was most recently a partner at City Savvy, where she spent five years advising primarily asset management groups on reputation management, international media relations and corporate communications.

Previously, Hirst was founder and managing director of Par Excellence PR, where, over 10 years, she developed a sizeable franchise in the alternative asset management space.

In her earlier career, Henrietta was a board director at Ludgate Communications, before moving in-house in 1999 as group director of communications at United Pan-European Communications, then Europe’s largest cable operator.

Hydra’s managing partner Stephen Benzikie says, “Henrietta is one of the best known and most respected senior communicators advising alternative asset management firms, from hedge funds and private equity to sector service specialists such as fintech. We are delighted that she has chosen to join Hydra as we continue to build our client list and service offering supporting asset managers and broader financial sector firms.”

Hirst adds, "I believe that Hydra’s senior-only model for both strategy and execution is a compelling offer. Clients increasingly want specialist insight and added value to complement their own resources. I look forward to working with my fellow Hydra partners to develop broad programmes that make a real difference to financial services businesses and beyond.”

Hydra’s consultants have, variously, advised financial services businesses including UBS, Close Brothers, Invest Europe, Riverside Europe, Duke Street, Endless, Baring Private Equity, Mellon Trust and KAS Bank.

Based in Mayfair, Hydra offers both board-level advice and senior-only execution across all key areas of corporate communications, focusing on supporting CEOs and communications directors. The firm brings together some of the UK’s most senior communicators, and aims to deliver substantial integrated programmes, led by consultants with typically more than 20 years of experience of advising leading companies.

Services comprise corporate, financial, IR, brand strategy, employee engagement and change communications, litigation support and the full range of digital communications.