Hotwire PR confirms departure of UK chief and deputy MD

Hotwire PR has announced the departure of UK chief executive Drew Benvie and deputy managing director (MD) Giles Peddy in separate moves.

Mr Benvie, who has served as the agency's chief executive since 2011 and played a key role in setting up its digital offshoot 33 Digital, left the company last week to establish a new agency called Battenhall.

Meanwhile, Mr Peddy will leave Hotwire at the end of the month to take up the position of UK MD at Lewis PR, overseeing a client portfolio including companies such as Good Technology, HCL, iRobot and Pret A Manger.

Hotwire group chief executive officer Brendon Craigie told PRWeek that the strength of the company's existing management team means there will be no need to appoint direct replacements for the pair.

This comes after the agency announced earlier this month that it will soon be moving its London headquarters to Tech City and its New York office to Silicon Alley, while also opening a base in San Francisco this April.