PR Agency HMC appoints Vicki Jones to Senior Account Manager role

Award-winning, PR and communications agency HMC has appointed Vicki Jones as senior account manager.

Jones has over 30 years’ experience in the communications and marketing profession, spanning agencies, in-house and contracting roles here and in the UK. She spent 17 years with Verdict Communications in Hamilton, where she became a familiar face to clients across the region.

Jones started her career in creative agencies in London, working largely on investor relations and corporate communications projects. Jones grew her account management experience with clients such as Shakespeare’s Globe, Jones Lang Wootton Hotels and Abbey National building society.

“I was very lucky to learn my trade with some chunky clients, working with well-established comms teams to bring their stories to life,” says Jones. “Then, online marketing and digital PR were in their infancy, but the fundamentals a good story, a strong brand and knowing your audience never falter.”

Jones and her Waikato-born husband moved to Wellington in 1999. She was briefly in New Zealand Post’s corporate comms team until spotting a recruitment ad for Verdict back in Hamilton.

Her Verdict portfolio included clients in the ag sector, local government, education and businesses across the region, spanning brand strategy, advertising campaigns and stakeholder engagement.

From 2017, Jones freelanced for seven years, concentrating on communications contracts, finishing up in-house at Waikato District Council until the role at HMC tempted her back into consultancy.

“The pace and variety of agency life is strangely addictive,” says Jones.  “So I just had to give Director, Heather, a call. I’d known enough about HMC and her approach to know that the fit would probably be right for me. And with great clients and an impressive and close-knit team, it most certainly is.”

Says HMC director Heather Claycomb: “Vicki’s agency background, her variety of industry experiences plus her deep knowledge of the Waikato business community makes her a great fit for HMC.  She’s a strong addition to our experienced senior account management team.”

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