London Communications Agency (LCA) has announced the appointment of Paddy Hennessy in the full-time role of Senior Advisor, joining the agency’s 55-strong team as it plans for further growth and expansion.
Sadiq Khan’s former Director of Communications starts at LCA on 31 August, and Hennessy will be working with clients across media and public affairs. Hennessy is a strategic hire following a strong performance over the last 18 months with no staff cuts or furlough and growth in key sectors to position the agency for the next stage of expansion.
Speaking about the move, Paddy Hennessy said:
“This is a time of great opportunity for London as it recovers from the pandemic, which is why I am thrilled to join LCA, an agency whose culture, team and clients I have always hugely respected.
“After five intense but rewarding years working alongside Sadiq Khan as his director of communications, this will be a new but very exciting challenge.”
Paddy has spent more than three decades in journalism, communications and politics. After leaving Oxford University his career began on the Express and Echo newspaper in Exeter and he has worked on a number of national newspapers including The Sun, The Daily Express, The Evening Standard and The Sunday Telegraph, where he was political editor for a decade. He broke several major stories, interviewed four serving and two future prime ministers, toured the world in times of war and political crisis and became a regular pundit on TV and radio.
In 2013, he became deputy director of communications for the Labour Party, including working on the 2015 general election campaign and advising the Leader of the Opposition and the shadow cabinet. In 2016 he was director of communications on Sadiq Khan's victorious mayoral election campaign and went on to do the same job at City Hall, where he was one of four main directors until choosing the step down after the recent election in May 2021. In the role he worked closely alongside the Mayor, Deputy Mayors, senior officials and a range of stakeholders, leading on communications and media relations and also advising on political strategy, stakeholder relations and key mayoral decisions across the board, including, over the last 16 months, pandemic planning.
In welcoming Paddy to the team, Jonny Popper, Managing Director, said:
“LCA has long been at the forefront of supporting major change projects across the Capital, working in development, sport, culture, transport and the health service. Over the last three years we have also significantly expanded our offering and expertise, especially in the fields of digital engagement, social media, retained corporate work and graphic design.
“Paddy is the perfect fit for LCA and we are delighted to be working together. He brings with him a consummate knowledge of the political environment and the media and also has a real passion for mentoring and developing those with whom he works. We have no doubt he will add enormous value to our current and future clients as well as to our team.”