Two of PLMR Group Ltd’s senior team members, Sara Ghaffari and Nathan Hollow, have been shortlisted for the prestigious ‘PR Leaders of the Year’ award by the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA).
The nominations recognise the outstanding contribution that both have made to their clients, to the PLMR team and to the public relations industry as a whole over more than a decade with PLMR.
Sara Ghaffari, Board Director, joined PLMR in 2015, and leads the agency’s PR and corporate communications practice. She has been recognised for her expertise in integrated communications campaigns, in PR and in reputation management. In the past year Sara has led several high-profile projects in the corporate and non-profit sectors, leveraging her deep understanding of creative storytelling to achieve meaningful results. This includes the global D-Day 80 campaign for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Her leadership within PLMR has been instrumental in enhancing the agency’s reputation for excellence, including driving forward the agency’s international work as Chair of the Global Communications Alliance, and leading PLMR’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programme.
Sara said:
“It is my privilege to be in a position of leadership at PLMR, where every day I get to work with our talented team and inspiring clients to make an impact. Over the last nine years, PLMR has given me the resources and the freedom to build my career, explore my passions and work on changemaking projects.
“This has included working for dream clients, but also leading internally to build our DEI programme and develop and mentor our hugely talented colleagues.
“I am forever thankful to my mentors both at PLMR and within client teams who have recognised my potential, challenged me to take up new opportunities, and trusted me to deliver.
“I am very grateful to have been recognised by the PRCA – and want to thank my lovely and supportive colleagues for nominating me.”
Nathan Hollow, Board Director and Head of Health and Social Care at PLMR, joined the agency in 2011. He has been recognised for his expertise in corporate communications and reputation management, including building, protecting, and enhancing the reputations of several healthcare providers. Within PLMR, Nathan leads working groups on AI, Group marketing, and recruitment marketing, spearheading a dedicated ‘Careers Hub’ and working with PLMR’s international partners to ensure the Alliance can leverage the opportunities presented by this burgeoning technology.
Nathan is well known within the social care sector, and in the past year has joined the Board of the Care Workers’ Charity, spoken at healthcare investor events, and partnered with the Social Care Institute of Excellence to place social care at the heart of the Labour Party conference.
Nathan said:
“Thirteen years ago, I stumbled upon PLMR and the world of PR, and joined for a three-week internship. Little did I know how that opportunity would change my life. I am incredibly honoured to be shortlisted for PR Leader of the Year, but this has only been made possible because of the support I’ve received from a wonderful Healthcare team and from our founder, Kevin, over the many years we’ve worked together.
“I’m proud of the difference my team and I get to make every day, of the trust clients place in us, and of their exceptionally kind words when sending in a testimonial. I’m excited to continue pushing the boundaries of what we can achieve in this ever-evolving industry.”
PLMR Group Managing Director, Ollie Lane, added:
“We are immensely proud of both Sara and Nathan. They are brilliant colleagues and friends – and brilliant at what they do. They have made huge contributions to PLMR’s success and their nominations for this award are extremely well-deserved. Both bring exceptional leadership, strategic insight, and passion to their work – and deliver the highest quality communications, adding value every day to our clients, our team and the broader PR industry. I can’t think of anyone across our industry who would be more deserving of this award than Sara and Nathan.”
PLMR Group, a PR Week Top 50 full-service communications agency, is a purpose-driven consultancy focused on making a positive and sustainable impact for its clients, people and society. Founded by Kevin Craig in 2006, PLMR is known for its expertise across multiple sectors and services, including media relations, public affairs, crisis and reputation management, and digital communications.
With over 90 consultants and four offices in the UK, it has sector leading practices focused on the health, social care, education, renewable energy, sustainability, and the built environment. PLMR is proud to work with clients including Gumtree, the Royal Veterinary College, Exemplar Health Care, Ormiston Academies Trust, Jet2, Ella’s Kitchen, Thunderful Games, and Essex County Council, amongst many others.
The PRCA is the world’s largest professional PR body, representing over 35,000 practitioners. Its annual awards celebrate excellence across the public relations and communications industry, recognising individuals and agencies that drive the sector forward with creativity, innovation, and outstanding results.
The winners of the PRCA Awards will be announced at a gala ceremony on 19th November.
Sara and Nathan’s nominations reaffirms PLMR’s commitment to delivering exceptional results for its clients while cultivating top-tier industry talent. The agency has an unparalleled track record of developing exceptional consultants, with its current colleague roster boasting home-grown talent including:
- Eve Preston, 2024 PR Week 30 Under 30
- Lucy Somers, 2024 PR Week 30 Under 30
- Niamh Mercer, 2023 CorpComms Awards Young Achiever Award
- Lucy Somers, 2023 PRCA Digital Professional of the Year
- Simon Darby, 2022 PRCA Public Affairs Consultant of the Year
- Jade Pallister, 2022 PR Week 30 Under 30
- Will Savage, 2021 PR Week 30 Under 30; Business Desk, Young Leader
- Ollie Lane, 2020 PRCA PR Leader of the Year
- Emma Divers, 2020 PR Week 30 Under 30
- Alex Hackett, 2019 PRCA Digital Professional of the Year
