Petrie PR bags luxury hospitality account

 Independent strategic communications consultancy, Orbit Strategic Communications, has officially opened its doors. The consultancy is led by four partners - Jan Chessell, Caroline Gurney, Ingrid Pyne, and Jemima Whyte - who collectively bring decades of experience across media and communications.

Orbit offers a range of services, including strategic advisory, leadership positioning, stakeholder engagement, and transactions and transformation.

Jan joined from not-for-profit organisation, Energy Leadership Australia, where she built and led its comms functions. A former journalist with roles at The Daily Telegraph (London) and the Sydney Morning Herald, she later moved into senior communications roles across PR agencies and in-house teams in the banking and finance sectors.

Caroline most recently served as CEO of investment group, Future Generation. With over 20 years' experience in corporate communications, she was previously Head of Asia-Pacific Corporate Affairs at Citigroup and UBS.

Ingrid spent the past four years at Wilson Asset Management, where she worked alongside Caroline and developed content and leadership platforms to grow the Future Generation brand. She's backed by a 20-year journalism career, spanning global outlets including The Times (London), The Australian Financial Review, Seven Network, and The Australian Women's Weekly.

Jemima transitioned into comms after finishing up 20 years at The Australian Financial Review. Her experience spans print media, podcasts, and free-to-air television production.

"Orbit is the result of many conversations over the years and finally finding the right time to join forces," Jan said.

"We all bring our own unique skill set, experiences and insights to corporate communications, and we are all committed to providing the best possible strategic advice and support for our clients." 
t possible strategic advice and support for our clients."

Castlery has appointed bSIDE as its strategic communications agency, following a competitive pitch. The appointment began in January for an initial one-year term.

The agency will support Castlery’s corporate communications strategy and reputation management as the company expands internationally. Its remit includes developing corporate messaging led from Singapore and aligned across key markets.

Jay Wong, Head of Corporate Affairs at Castlery, said, “As Castlery continues to expand internationally, it is important that we communicate our growth journey and brand in a clear and purposeful way. bSIDE demonstrated a strong understanding of who we are and what we stand for, and we look forward to working with them to shape our core corporate messaging”.

Aniket Gupta has launched Mahou Consulting, a Singapore-based brand communications consultancy. The firm provides strategic public relations, influencer engagement, and LinkedIn management services for early- to mid-stage startups and impact technology companies.

Named after the Japanese word for “magic,” Mahou Consulting serves clients across Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines.

Throughout his career, Aniket has worked with organisations across the sustainability, technology, and startup sectors, where he led strategic communications initiatives and supported regional growth efforts.