PR News
Justine Banfield

Vector appoints new comms manager

Vector has bolstered its comms team with the appointment of Justine Banfield as Communications Manager on a 12-month contract. She joins the utilities company in Auckland after more than five years as Head of Communications & Engagement at NZ Health Partnerships.

With over two decades’ comms experience, Justine has worked across a range of sectors, including government, F&B, and education. She also ran her own agency, Jigsaw Communications, from 2009 to 2016.

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Anchorpoint
Moves

Anchorpoint welcomes Branding and Communications Lead

Vivien Choi has joined Anchorpoint in Hong Kong as Branding and Comms Lead. In this role, she oversees branding, corporate communications, events and market positioning for the Hong Kong-licensed stablecoin issuers.

Vivien joins from Hex Trust and has previously held communications and marketing roles at OSL and OKX. She also has agency experience with WE Communications.

"Great brands aren't built by talking about technology. They're built by helping people see possibility, understand value, and develop trust. When innovation is communicated with clarity and purpose, adoption becomes a natural outcome,” said Vivien on her joining.

Powerhouse
Industry update

Powerhouse Communications expands team and welcomes new clients

Powerhouse Communications has made a series of new appointments, including Anthony Dennis as Senior Counsel.

Anthony is a former journalist with over 25 years’ experience in travel and tourism journalism and publishing. He’d spent nearly 15 years as a former travel editor of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, and was founding editor of the Australian edition of Travel + Leisure.

As Senior Counsel, he will advise Powerhouse and its clients on engaging with the media, drawing on his editorial experience and understanding of the travel and tourism sector. His role includes contributing to a new media-insider strand within the agency’s crisis and media training practice, editorial input into Powerhouse Intelligence, the agency’s sector insights product in development, and advising on live client media strategy.

“Anthony brings an exceptional understanding of travel and tourism journalism and the stories that earn an audience’s attention as well as an awareness of the issues confronting the travel and tourism industries,” said Gaynor Reid, Director & Chief Relationship Officer at Powerhouse Communications.

“His counsel will be invaluable as we help clients find their footing in a media world which is undergoing a series of unprecedented change and challenges.”

Powerhouse has also welcomed a bench of new consultants, with Cynthia Dammerer, Natalie Brown, Nicole Ford, and Ginni Post joining the agency’s 'Powerhouse Amplifiers' network.

Cynthia brings experience across travel, aviation, tourism, and lifestyle communications in Asia Pacific. She has worked with brands including Accor, Scoot, W Hotels, Airalo, and AirAsia.

Natalie has more than two decades’ experience in tourism PR, destination marketing, and communications across Australia, New Zealand, and international markets. Her career includes senior roles at the Hong Kong Tourism Board, GTI Tourism, and Hills Balfour, spanning PR strategy, media relations, influencer engagement, and broadcast.

Nicole is backed by over 20 years’ experience in strategic PR, communications, and marketing for hospitality and lifestyle brands. Her career spans Australia and APAC, including senior roles at Salter Brothers Hospitality, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Four Seasons, and Accor. Her experience includes luxury hotel openings and consumer media-led storytelling across experiential travel, culinary, and wellness.

Ginni has over 20 years’ experience in agency and in-house communications across the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific. Based in New Zealand, she has represented brands including Accor, EVT, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Millennium & Copthorne Hotels, and Pro-invest Group.

The appointments come as Powerhouse adds new clients to its portfolio, including Mulpha Group, covering Development & Real Estate, Sanctuary Cove Marina & Retail, and the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show; Hunter Valley Operations, including Bimbadgen Estate, Palmers Lane, and The Lane Retreat; Brady Hotels; Plaza Premium Group; The Ascott Limited / Quest Apartment Hotels; and Scenic Group.

Powerhouse has also signed a memorandum of understanding with Saigontourist in Vietnam, in partnership with Australia Vietnam Tourism Promotion (AVTIP).

(Pictured, from left: LJ Loch, Chris Waite, and Gaynor Reid. Individual portraits, from top: Anthony Dennis; Cynthia Dammerer and Ginni Post; Natalie Brown and Nicole Ford)

Rebecca
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Rebecca Dawson moves in-house

Rebecca Dawson has started as Communications Manager at Monash Health on a maternity cover contract through to May 2027. She moved to the healthcare sector from London Agency, where she was most recently Senior Account Director.

Prior to that, Rebecca spent time at various agencies in Australia, New Zealand, and the UK, including Edelman, Mango Communications Aotearoa (now FleishmanHillard), and the former Pagoda Porter Novelli.