Victoria is a corporate and financial communications specialist advising companies at all stages of growth. With a focus on the financial services space, Victoria works across private equity, venture capital, wealth / fund management and banking, to deliver multi-faceted communicated strategies that help companies manage stakeholders and meet their reputational objectives.
Victoria is also an experienced financial communications specialist, supporting clients at every stage of their public journey, from pre-IPO narrative building and profile raising, to ongoing financial calendar support, stakeholder engagement, media handling, deal support and crisis management.
Victoria joined Hawthorn in 2016, from Man Group Plc, one of the world’s largest alternative asset managers, where she worked across the firm’s communications and investor relations functions. Prior to joining Man Group, Victoria worked at Rathbone Investment Management in the communications and marketing team.
She graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a Masters degree (Hons) in History. Outside of work, Victoria is a mum of two, and enjoys travelling with her sons, cooking for the family, as well as reading and interiors.
Salonee Gadgil is Director of Digital at Hawthorn. She leads Hawthorn’s content and social media services, collaborating with clients to determine how their digital channels can best support their broader business objectives.
Salonee’s approach is equally rooted in creativity and analytics, with a strong emphasis on measuring the impact of creative content. Her academic background includes media studies, branding, and sociology. She began her career in copywriting and B2B publishing before transitioning to consultancy. Salonee has experience working across various sectors, including med-tech, financial services, energy, luxury services and media.
Outside of work she plays piano (badly), dance, enjoy cooking and am parent to a big fluffy dog called Chewbacca.
James Davey is a Director at Hawthorn, focused on strategic communications for companies in the financial services sector. He advises alternative investment firms and high-growth businesses on fundraisings, M&A transactions, debt financings and a range of other issues.
With extensive experience working across private equity, growth & venture capital, private debt, high-yield credit, real estate and real estate debt, James combines an in-depth understanding of the market dynamics and communications landscape specific to each asset class with a wider perspective on the common threads affecting investors, managers and companies across the ecosystem.
James joined Hawthorn in 2015, having studied History at the University of Cambridge and spent a summer at the Humboldt University of Berlin. Since then he has worked with global, pan-European and UK-focused alternative investment managers, with fast-growing companies in the fintech and wider TMT sectors and with service providers such as corporate finance advisors, boutique investment banks and financial technology consultants. He also has experience of political advisory mandates with clients across sectors including healthcare, construction and geopolitics.
Outside of work, he enjoys playing football, watching most sports, reading history, film and chess.
Francesca Eaton is a corporate and technology communications specialist at Hawthorn. She works with businesses at all stages of growth, devising integrated campaigns that build and protect reputations and create excitement around technology and its impact.
Francesca takes an insight-driven approach, designing communications strategies alongside leadership and marketing teams that drive changes in behaviour, build advocacy, and engage key audiences. Working across Hawthorn’s portfolio of technology clients, spanning sectors including financial services, space, healthcare, and retail, Francesca focuses on campaign planning, executive profiling, thought-leadership positioning, and stakeholder engagement.
Prior to joining Hawthorn, Francesca worked at Edelman and Team Lewis. She has advised major multinationals, B2B technology specialists, and both start-ups and scale-ups. Before embarking on her career in technology communications, she studied Politics at Durham University and completed an MA in Fashion Journalism at London College of Fashion.
Outside of Hawthorn, she enjoys exploring new cities, being by the seaside, skiing, and all things fashion and interior design.
Felix Meston is a Director in the Strategic Communications practice at Hawthorn. He advises senior leaders and brands on how to protect and promote their most valuable asset, their reputation.
Felix provides counsel on corporate communications, narrative development, global media relations and crisis management. He has a particular interest in supporting fast-growth businesses with maximising reputational value during fundraising and M&A. Felix specialises in the technology, media and financial services sectors.
Prior to joining Hawthorn, Felix worked at Freud Communications where he advised several global corporations, high-growth businesses, VC and PE investors.
Felix has experience helping startup businesses navigate growth, having previously held senior communications roles at Free Now (formerly Hailo), Europe’s largest taxi app.
Felix started his career in the press office of Global Radio, the UK’s largest commercial radio group.
Felix has a first-class degree in music from King’s College London. He is a trustee of The Voices Foundation, a charity dedicated to transforming children’s lives through singing.
Charlotte Juckes is a Director, Strategic Communications. She has over eight years’ experience advising on crisis and corporate communications and campaigns, with a specialism in working with consumer-facing global businesses, including in the finance, media, luxury and retail sectors.
Charlotte takes a creative and multidisciplinary approach to deliver high-impact communications and engagement strategies that generate positive outcomes. She has consulted on communications programmes for individuals, national and multinational companies, governments and executive teams spanning a range of industries and issues, with extensive experience advising on narrative development, executive positioning and profiling, building reputational resilience, issues management and industry engagement. Selected client experience includes Forbes, NatWest, Yoox Net-A-Porter, and Kering.
Charlotte has been with Hawthorn since the firm’s early years. She has strong experience advising on issues and strategies related to DEI and gender equality in the UK and internationally, having joined Hawthorn following a Master’s degree in Women’s Studies at Oriel College, University of Oxford, where she received a Distinction for her work on women’s media sources.
Outside of work, Charlotte loves to travel, read, and venture into the great outdoors as much as possible.
