The Haggie Partners team
Haggie Partners comprises individuals with diverse and successful backgrounds ranging from in-house and agency communications to journalism, broking, academia, design, project management, accountancy, and recruitment. We are at once youthful and extensively experienced. We are creative and incisive. With broad experience across multiple sectors, no communications firm is better connected to the financial services sector than Haggie Partners. We also solicit regular, sage advice from our very experienced advisory board.
Ben Abbotts
Account director
Richard Adams
Director
Damian Beeley
Partner
Olivia Fatkin-Kane
Account manager
David Haggie
Partner
Jane Hermiston
Bookkeeper
Cordelia Hawkings
Account executive
Megan Jay
PR assistant
Caroline Klein
Partner
Ewelina Kudla
Business development director
Michael Mattinson
Partner
Emma McCarthy
PA and group administrator
Rowena Nelson
Operations director
Peter Rigby
Partner
Jack Sandbach
PR assistant
Bec Seaton
PR assistant
Mazin Shammas
Head of Social Media
Hannah Stewart
Senior account manager
Richard Adams
Richard has more than 20 years of experience in journalism and public relations in the insurance and reinsurance markets. His editorial background as an award-winning journalist and editor helps clients foster a mutually beneficial working relationship with the media as an important tool in managing their reputations. Before joining Haggie Partners, Richard worked for Incisive Media and in financial services PR consulting.
Ben Abbotts
Ben has more than 20 years’ experience in PR consultancy specialising in financial services, corporate communications and public affairs/ issues management. He has previously headed media relations working for general insurer Canada Life. Before joining Haggie Partners he worked for a City based professional & financial services consultancy. He has previously stood for Parliament.
Damian Beeley
Damian has 20 years’ experience in PR consultancy, with a focus on financial services. Before PR, Damian’s career began with a four-year spell as a Lloyd’s insurance broker followed by three years in Asia as a financial journalist. He has extensive experience in financial PR, corporate positioning and issues management, helping small and large companies and their senior management to stay on or off the financial pages. Damian is also a trustee of Walking With The Wounded.
Johanna Bernhard
Johanna joined Haggie Partners following a five year stretch studying and working in the United States. With a degree in Journalism and Spanish, Johanna worked as a journalist in the Pacific Northwest covering an array of social justice and human rights issues, as well as education, health care and agriculture. Following her return to the UK and before joining Haggie Partners, she transitioned into PR and communications working for a creative communications firm in London.
Hannah Clift
Having graduated from Queen Mary University with a BA in English Literature in 2018, Hannah went to teach in Southern China. She developed a keen interest in communications and working with international businesses, particularly creating content and building professional relationships. Hannah joins Haggie with an eagerness to pursue a career in financial and corporate PR.
Olivia Fatkin-Kane
Olivia graduated in 2019 with a BA in English Literature from Queen Mary’s University London, her final research dissertation centred on the impact of the global financial crisis on contemporary British literature. While at university, she interned at Landmark Public Affairs in Brussels, where she first gained experience working within PR. After a month-long internship she joined Haggie Partners as a PR assistant having developed an interest in the financial services PR sector.
David Haggie
A chartered accountant and former plc finance director, David founded Haggie Partners in 1986. During his many years in communications David has been involved with companies in virtually every quoted sector from property, technology and engineering through to financial services. He has been at the forefront of insurance sector communications since the early 1990s when corporate capital came into the Lloyd’s market.
Cordelia Hawkings
Cordelia joined Haggie Partners as a public relations assistant in 2021. Despite the considerable challenges of doing so during lockdown, she swiftly acclimatised and less than a year later was promoted to account executive. Cordelia plays a key role in supporting a broad range of clients across the London and international insurance markets. She previously completed various communications internships and work experience at Morgan Stanley.
Megan Jay
Megan graduated in 2020 from the University of Liverpool with an LLB in Law, followed by a Master’s degree in Law with Medicine and Healthcare in 2021. During her undergraduate degree Megan volunteered in numerous legal services, interviewing clients and assisting in representation at tribunal level. Throughout placements and her degree, she developed an interest in the importance of communications and furthered this by exploring the different methods. After six months working in healthcare to alleviate the pandemic pressure, she joined Haggie in early 2022 as a PR assistant with the goal of pursuing a career in financial PR.
Caroline Klein
Caroline has worked in communications, public relations and marketing in the financial services sector for nearly 20 years. Before joining Haggie Partners in 2019, she held roles at Canopius, Miller, PPL and Japanese investment bank Daiwa Securities. She has wide ranging experience across external and internal communications, with a particular recent focus on change and M&A, and currently looks after a broad range of clients, including underwriters, brokers and technology providers. Caroline holds an MA in Japanese Studies from the University of Cambridge and lived and worked in Japan for a number of years. She also speaks French and German.
Ewelina Kudla
Ewelina joined Haggie Partners from Argo Group where she led broker relations, communications and marketing for the international team. Prior to joining Argo, Ewelina worked for Chaucer and Antares (now QIC Global) in London and Bermuda. Ewelina has a Master’s degree in Marketing and Management and is originally from Poland.
Dr. Adrian Leonard
Adrian’s career straddles PR, journalism, and academia. Most of his 25+ years writing have been focussed on insurance. He has advised companies from Amlin to Zurich Re. He was News Editor of Insurance Day and Press Officer at the International Underwriting Association. Meanwhile he is Associate Director of the Centre for Financial History, University of Cambridge, and is probably the world’s leading historian of marine insurance.
Michael Mattinson
Michael heads the design side of our business and has over 30 years experience of managing design projects for financial institutions, understanding the unique requirements of City establishments, particular insurers and reinsurers. His work includes corporate identity and company launches, financial and corporate marketing literature, annual reports and corporate websites.
Emma McCarthy
As a highly experienced senior personal assistant with several years’ experience already under her belt, Emma’s organisational and communication skills ensures efficient first-line support to the Partners and the team. Prior to Haggie Emma spent seven years at Nordea Bank where she supported the General Manager and the Investment Management team. Previous companies also include Barclays Bank. Emma is a keen runner and has run for many charities.
Rowena Nelson
Rowena is responsible for Haggie’s internal operations including finance, administration and the human resource function. Having joined Haggie in 2005 and with over 20 years experience across various sectors including marketing, IT consultancy, property and retail, she has long since accumulated the necessary skills and expertise to ensure that Haggie’s day-to-day processes run smoothly.
Peter Rigby
As a broker with Aon for 14 years, Peter has first-hand knowledge of the insurance and reinsurance markets in London, New York and Singapore and the issues the sector faces. Since moving into the communications sector in 1999 he has advised companies on all aspects of financial PR and corporate communications with expertise in corporate activity including M&A and stock market flotations.
Jack Sandbach
Jack graduated from the University of Durham in 2021, with both an MSC in Defence, Development and Diplomacy and a BA in Politics. His degree’s focus on current affairs, and requirement to always be up to date with the news helps in his day-to-day duties as a PR assistant. Previously Jack taught GCSE and A Level English for students from primary school to A Level.
Mazin Shammas
After forging a successful music career using social media to gain a huge following online, Mazin now uses his talents to help a broad range of insurance businesses to build their reputations and manage their profiles online. Mazin is skilled, creative and attuned to social media innovations meaning his work is highly effective. This is borne out by impressive increases in follower numbers and engagement across the client accounts that he manages.
Hannah Stewart
Hannah joined Haggie Partners as a PR assistant in 2018 and quickly rose to account manager in 2020 and then senior account manager. She is an enthusiastic and gifted communicator able to guide clients through a range of communications challenges, which allows them to build valuable relationships with the media. Hannah gained communications experience in the heritage sector and publishing after obtaining her Masters’ Degree in Cultural Heritage Studies from UCL.
Olivia Thomson
Olivia (‘Liv’) joined Haggie Partners in September 2018. She has since worked with a range of clients within the global (re)insurance marketplace, handling writing and editing projects, maintaining relationships with media and managing social media accounts. She specialises in media and public relations and graduated from University of New Hampshire with a Bachelor’s degree in communications with a minor in equine studies. Previously she held multiple marketing and communications roles for technology and publishing companies owned by the publishing company, DC Thomson, and spent some time as a recruiter, working mainly with technology and financial services companies in San Francisco, California.
Gavin Warren
Gavin graduated from Kent Art College in 2002 and specialises in the design and implementation of both digital and graphic products. Whilst at Haggie, he has led the creation of client websites, apps and social media strategies, including content creation and monitoring. His graphic expertise include the creation of development of brands and all corporate literature ranging from annual reports to company brochures and promotional event materials. Gavin is also responsible for all digital design projects.
Jane Hermiston
Jane is a Certified Practising Accountant with over 15 years’ experience in finance and accounting. They have worked with businesses across the finance, energy and government sectors in the UK and Australia. They hold a Bachelors’ degree in accounting from LaTrobe University and a Masters’ degree in Economics from Melbourne University.
Bec Seaton
Bec graduated with a BA in Politics before pursuing an MA in Global Political Economy at City, University of London. She took particular interest in EU politics and economic diplomacy. A keen traveller, Bec went on to spend three years travelling the world as Cabin Crew. Whilst global travel shut down, she went to work for the NHS to ease the pressure caused by the pandemic. Having joined Haggie in 2022, she is now excited to pursue a career in financial PR.