MHP announced the appointment of Rachel Bower as head of brand & reputation.

In her new role, Bower will lead a team of 40 specialists in a single practice that will bring together MHP’s existing corporate reputation and brand disciplines to create a new integrated offer.

Bower will join in the summer from Edelman London, where she led its largest team, the Corporate Reputation division, and advised clients including McKinsey, Tetra Pak, F1 and Microsoft.

The move will allow MHP’s current head of brand, Gemma Irvine, to take on a new role as head of creative services, working with Mischief’s leadership team to build a new planning, creative, digital and design hub, at the heart of MHP and Mischief’s combined team of 220 professionals. Together, MHP and Mischief represent more than 200 leading businesses and brands, including Nationwide, Asda Walmart, Astra Zeneca and Lego. 

The developments are part of MHP’s  transformation under the leadership of CEO Alex Bigg, who has embarked on a restructuring programme since joining the agency in 2016.

These changes – which include a total revamp of the senior leadership team – follow a period of growth for MHP. In the past 18 months, the agency launched its award-winning new communications model 'The Networked Age,' won more than 50 major new clients, including BNP Paribas, Revolut and the Restaurant Group, and attracted top specialist talent, including Peter Hewer from Tulchan, Michaela Gray from Golin and Amy Fisher from Conservative Party HQ.

Bigg says, “I’m absolutely delighted that Rachel will be joining MHP. Having worked with her previously, I know just how big a role she played in Edelman’s success and how effective she is as a leader and client advisor. As an agency, we have been growing strongly and I am determined that we will continue to reshape the business to meet evolving client demands.”

Bower adds, “This is a pivotal moment for our industry. Corporate reputation and brand strategy are converging, and clients expect a fully integrated approach. I’m looking forward to being part of an agency that is constantly looking to challenge established thinking and is ambitious for the future. This is an exciting move for me because it’s an opportunity to combine two leading teams to create something genuinely new.”