The best-in-class approach of H/Advisors network brings together local-market leaders with unrivalled knowledge of stakeholder perceptions, financial markets, and cross-border transactions in the key financial centers of Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
Who we are
Providing sophisticated communications counsel for reputation management, M&A and capital market transactions, media relations, investor relations, transformation and corporate crises, our partner firms have established relationships with many S&P 500, FTSE 100, SMI, CAC 40, IBEX 35 and DAX 40 companies. With more than 15 years at the top of the global M&A advisory rankings, in 2021 we managed communications issues related to some 368 M&A deals worth approximately €200 billion.
Organization
H/Advisors is a global organization of strategic communications advisors dedicated to building, enhancing and protecting our clients’ reputations, always with an eye on helping them achieve their business objectives.
As senior executives and corporate boards confront unprecedented new demands and pressures, we deliver an exceptional global service, founded on the deep local knowledge of our strategic advisors in the world’s major business centers, who provide every client with sophisticated and seamless counsel during the most critical moments.
H/Advisors is the leading international network of strategic communications consultancies, providing best-in-class financial communications advice and counsel for corporations and institutions in the most important markets around the globe. We are unique among international networks because we are founded on the strength of a partnership between national local agencies, that has produced meaningful results for its clients for 21 years.
History
H/Advisors was founded in 2001 as /amo by three like-minded corporate and financial PR agencies in London, New York and Paris, all owned by the Havas Group. Over the next two decades, the network added leading partners in key financial centers around the globe with the goal of providing clients with unparalleled global communications advice and counsel from the most knowledgeable experts in each market. H/Advisors is backed by Havas, one of the world’s largest global communications groups, founded in 1835 in Paris and today part of the Vivendi group.
Structure
Our international expansion has been driven by the global ambitions of the blue-chip corporations and institutions that we advise. Today the network operates directly through its partner agencies in 20 countries, in addition to a number of long-established affiliate agencies in additional countries around the globe. We provide thoughtful counsel to boards and executives worldwide, combining powerful influence in local markets, national expertise, global perspective and seamless project management.
Leadership

Stéphane Fouks
Executive Chairman
Stéphane Fouks, one of the founders of H/Advisors and an Executive Vice President within the Havas Group, is a prominent strategic advisor to many French and international companies and institutions.
Stéphane Fouks
Executive Chairman
Stéphane Fouks, one of the founders of H/Advisors and an Executive Vice President within the Havas Group, is a prominent strategic advisor to many French and international companies and institutions.
Stéphane began his career in 1979 as a music producer before entering politics in 1983, first as deputy chief of staff at the Ministry of Agriculture then later at the French Prime Minister’s office.
In 1988, he founded his own communications agency which today has developed into Havas Paris, the French flagship agency of the Havas Group.
Stéphane has advised on numerous transactions, reputational issues and crises affecting many of the world’s largest corporations and institutions. He is also frequently invited as a speaker at international events. He works closely with the IMAGINE Foundation, focused on research, care and teaching related to genetic diseases in children and adults, and he is a director of YES (Yalta European Strategy), a think tank.
He is the author of three books: “La société de défiance généralisée” (A World of Mistrust) in 2005; “Les Nouvelles Elites” (The New Elites) in 2007; and “Pandémie médiatique” (Pandemic and the news) in 2020.

Neil Bennett
Co Chief Executive Officer
A former award-winning journalist and editor with two decades experience of advising governments, multinational organisations, and Europe’s largest companies on their critical communications needs. Neil Bennett is Global Co-CEO of H/Advisors and has been H/Advisors Maitland’s Chief Executive since 2010.
Neil Bennett
Co Chief Executive Officer
A former award-winning journalist and editor with two decades experience of advising governments, multinational organisations, and Europe’s largest companies on their critical communications needs. Neil Bennett is Global Co-CEO of H/Advisors and has been H/Advisors Maitland’s Chief Executive since 2010.
He originally joined the firm in 2004 from Gavin Anderson & Company UK, the financial and corporate communications group, where as CEO he oversaw the turnaround of the organisation and its return to profitability.
Neil advises H/Advisors Maitland’s most prestigious clients on their strategic communications and has overseen many of Europe’s largest M&A transactions, IPOs and reputation management briefs over the past two decades.
Before starting his career as a consultant, Neil spent 16 years as a financial editor, columnist, presenter and journalist. He was City and Business Editor of the Sunday Telegraph between 1995 and 2002 and was twice named Business Journalist of the Year in the UK Press Awards. Between 1989 and 1995 he was Banking Correspondent and later Deputy Business Editor of The Times. He is a trustee of the Charles Dickens Museum and the Chailey Heritage Foundation, a school for children with complex neurodisabilities.

Tom Johnson
Co Chief Executive Officer
Tom Johnson is Chief Executive Officer of H/Advisors Abernathy, where he is shaping a growth strategy that builds upon Abernathy’s powerful heritage as a trusted partner to leading organizations in times of change.
Tom Johnson
Co Chief Executive Officer
Tom Johnson is Chief Executive Officer of H/Advisors Abernathy, where he is shaping a growth strategy that builds upon Abernathy’s powerful heritage as a trusted partner to leading organizations in times of change.
Tom counsels CEOs, executive teams and Boards of Directors on all strategic communications matters, with a particular focus on special situations such as transactions, activist investors, crises, management changes and governance situations.
In line with the firm’s tradition of long-lasting client relationships, Tom has advised leading global public and private companies through a number of critical situations including; CBS Corp., Comcast, GCM Grosvenor, Hershey’s, JAB Holdings, Keurig Dr Pepper, T-Mobile, TPG, Sanofi, Starwood Capital Group and Truist. Under his leadership, the firm has grown to six offices across the United States and added several new practice areas to deliver clients unparalleled insight and execution on crucial matters, including public affairs, digital, corporate governance and enhanced research capabilities.
As a recognized leader in communications, he is frequently asked to speak at events and has been a guest speaker at the Tulane Corporate Law Institute, the Garrett Corporate and Securities Law Institute, the Equilar Board Leadership Forum and 13D Monitor’s Activism conference, among others.
He serves on the Board for the Volunteers of America’s Greater New York Chapter. Prior to Abernathy, Tom was editor-in-charge of Investment Banking and Finance for Reuters, where he also ran the M&A and IPO desks. Earlier, he worked at CNN Financial News and at The Daily Record newspaper in Baltimore. Tom graduated from Towson University.

Jeremy Dorling
Chief Financial Officer
Jeremy qualified in the UK as a Chartered Accountant and after a period in practice joined Maitland in 1995 as Finance Director. In 2001 he ran the sale of the business to Havas and subsequently developed his career at Maitland and within the Havas Group. In 2010 he expanded his duties to become both Maitland CFO and COO.
Jeremy Dorling
Chief Financial Officer
Jeremy qualified in the UK as a Chartered Accountant and after a period in practice joined Maitland in 1995 as Finance Director. In 2001 he ran the sale of the business to Havas and subsequently developed his career at Maitland and within the Havas Group. In 2010 he expanded his duties to become both Maitland CFO and COO.
In 2014 he took on the additional responsibility of running the finance and administration of H/Advisors as it became a Havas division. At H/Advisors he oversees both network finances and agency finances, M&A activities and Operations.
Jeremy’s 25+ years of network experience in Public Relations and Marketing Communications qualify him uniquely for his role. He lives in The Netherlands and is a dual British/Dutch citizen.
Operational Team

Charles Fleming
Chief Content Officer
Charles Fleming has worked as a senior international communications consultant within the Havas Group since 2006, following a 20-year career as a business journalist with The Wall Street Journal and Reuters.
Charles Fleming
Chief Content Officer
Charles Fleming has worked as a senior international communications consultant within the Havas Group since 2006, following a 20-year career as a business journalist with The Wall Street Journal and Reuters.
Charles has long experience of working on cross-border accounts for H/Advisors’ clients, and has been responsible since 2018 for setting up and steering the network’s numerous operational taskforces. In this capacity, he has helped develop H/Advisors’ key practices and publications related to M&A, shareholder activism, ESG, public affairs, restructuring, transformation, and cybersecurity. He is also the author of the “Values We Value” report produced by the network each year, tracking the evolution of corporate values as espoused by some 500 of the world’s largest listed companies.

Agathe Gauthier
Consultant and coordinator
Agathe Gauthier is a graduate of Sciences Po Paris (Master in Communications) and Bristol University (BA in English Literature), She joined the Havas Paris Influence division in 2020, combining media relations, crisis management and public affairs work. As a consultant, Agathe's clients include the tech, agri-food, health, media and consumer goods sectors.
Agathe Gauthier
Consultant and coordinator
Agathe Gauthier is a graduate of Sciences Po Paris (Master in Communications) and Bristol University (BA in English Literature), She joined the Havas Paris Influence division in 2020, combining media relations, crisis management and public affairs work. As a consultant, Agathe's clients include the tech, agri-food, health, media and consumer goods sectors.
Before joining Havas Paris, she had worked for leading European banking group BNP Paribas, in the corporate communications department, and in a Parisian communications agency where she focused on business development and competitive tenders.

Marion Hivert
Chief of Staff to the Chairman and Leadership Team
Marion joined Havas Group as Chief of Staff for Stéphane Fouks in 2019. Before embarking on her studies, Marion lived abroad extensively for many years (Mexico, Ireland, Cyprus and Portugal) developing her linguistic skills. She started her professional career by working on European projects such as Erasmus+ to promote social inclusion in Portugal. In 2016 she graduated with a Masters in engineering of intra-/extra-European projects. Marion then worked at Club Med for three years for the European and African Markets business unit leading international commercial, training and marketing projects, before joining Havas Group. Marion does voluntary teaching and is fluent in four languages.
Marion Hivert
Chief of Staff to the Chairman and Leadership Team
Marion joined Havas Group as Chief of Staff for Stéphane Fouks in 2019. Before embarking on her studies, Marion lived abroad extensively for many years (Mexico, Ireland, Cyprus and Portugal) developing her linguistic skills. She started her professional career by working on European projects such as Erasmus+ to promote social inclusion in Portugal. In 2016 she graduated with a Masters in engineering of intra-/extra-European projects. Marion then worked at Club Med for three years for the European and African Markets business unit leading international commercial, training and marketing projects, before joining Havas Group. Marion does voluntary teaching and is fluent in four languages.

Jessica Sandwell
Global Marketing and Events Coordinator
Jessica joined Maitland in 2018 and has led both internal and external events for the firm and its clients, as well as organically growing Maitland’s digital presence. Jessica has a history of marketing and events management across a range of sectors, joining Maitland from a marketing and events team at Amazon and, before that, Sotheby’s. Jessica has hosted events for clients including: Vodafone, NCC Group, National Express, Serco, Empiric Student Property, Amundi Asset Management, India Capital Growth Fund. Since taking on the new position of Senior Marketing and Events coordinator with Maitland in May 2022, Jessica has worked closely with the leadership and wider operations team on the execution of the H/Advisors new brand launch. Jessica graduated from the University of Portsmouth with a BA (Hons) degree in Contemporary Fine Art.
Jessica Sandwell
Global Marketing and Events Coordinator
Jessica joined Maitland in 2018 and has led both internal and external events for the firm and its clients, as well as organically growing Maitland’s digital presence. Jessica has a history of marketing and events management across a range of sectors, joining Maitland from a marketing and events team at Amazon and, before that, Sotheby’s. Jessica has hosted events for clients including: Vodafone, NCC Group, National Express, Serco, Empiric Student Property, Amundi Asset Management, India Capital Growth Fund. Since taking on the new position of Senior Marketing and Events coordinator with Maitland in May 2022, Jessica has worked closely with the leadership and wider operations team on the execution of the H/Advisors new brand launch. Jessica graduated from the University of Portsmouth with a BA (Hons) degree in Contemporary Fine Art.