Richard has grown and protected the reputations of globally renowned brands, prominent business leaders and high-net-worth individuals. He has worked across a range of sectors and counselled clients including Netflix, Snapchat, KPMG, Heathrow, Universal Music and many more.
A former journalist and broadcaster, Richard began his career at the Daily Telegraph before joining the production team at Sky News, where he eventually became an on-screen correspondent covering some of the biggest U.K. and international stories at the time, including the horse-meat scandal and Europe’s migrant crisis. After more than a decade at Sky, he moved to LBC as Chief Correspondent. Before joining Hawthorn, Richard was a Partner at Portland Communications.
He is the proud dad of three daughters and in his spare time he enjoys playing squash, watching Arsenal, playing geeky board games, and gorging himself on all things Beatles-related.
With over 20 years’ experience, Victoria has helped a host of private and public sector organisations achieve their business goals through communications, from disruptive startups, membership bodies and campaign groups to major global brands.
Before joining Hawthorn, Victoria was a Senior Partner at Portland where she advised businesses across a range of sectors, including those in highly regulated industries such as energy, aviation, finance and pharmaceuticals.
From Pfizer, Heathrow and Barclays to Index Ventures, the All-England Lawn Tennis Association (Wimbledon) and the NSPCC, she has helped many organisations simplify complex issues, manage high-profile crises, and deliver targeted and effective campaigns.
Complementing her broad experience, Victoria has significant expertise in the built environment. For over 10 years, she worked as a specialist in the commercial property team at FTI Consulting working with landlords, developers and architects, including British Land, SEGRO and the Crown Estate.
A keen runner and fitness enthusiast, Victoria can be found in the gym whenever life with her two young children allows.
Steve Atkinson, a partner at Hawthorn, leads the financial services practice, specialising in advising clients on financial and corporate communications.
He focuses on guiding individuals, in house teams, Boards/CEOs and leaders on reputation, deal flow, fund raisings, narrative building, corporate relations, stakeholder management and crisis management activities. He works with a broad range of clients including retail banks, fintech companies, private equity, private debt, asset management and corporate advisory companies. As is the norm at Hawthorn, Steve also consciously works with a variety of non-financial companies and not-for-profit organisations to ensure our clients benefit from the broadest possible range of experience.
Prior to joining Hawthorn, Steve worked at Standard Chartered Bank where he held a variety of leadership and communications roles including Group Head, Investor Relations and Communications and then served as the Group’s Corporate Affairs Director for five years with responsibilities for all communications activities of the Bank including media, investor relations, internal communications, public affairs, sustainability, reputational risk management and brand management. Steve also served as the Regional Head of Private Banking for the AMEA region and as the Group’s Chief of Staff.
Ross Hawkins joined Hawthorn from the BBC, where he was a political correspondent, working for its flagship programmes on television and radio. After beginning his career as a newspaper reporter, he spent almost twenty years in broadcasting, covering general election campaigns, Parliament and the impact of political decisions on industry.
He advises on public affairs and corporate communications. Ross graduated from Oxford University.
Mark Burr leads the Public Affairs team at Hawthorn, covering government relations, political engagement and campaigns, policy development and messaging, and regulation. He advises individuals and corporates on how to achieve positive policy outcomes and navigate and understand the political climate, putting this insight to effective use on behalf of clients.
Mark uses political intelligence, insights, and his extensive networks to develop and drive political strategies. He builds effective and creative campaigns and enjoys using a variety of political and media techniques.
Prior to joining Hawthorn, Mark worked at another consultancy, and before that, he ran News Corp and News UK’s EU and UK public affairs and government engagement.
Mark has a keen interest in understanding what motivates people to change their minds and how the media and technology are transforming the world.
Outside of work, Mark loves cycling, running, and tennis, and he is an avid reader of crime and spy novels.
Jon Wynne-Jones leads work on Hawthorn’s corporate clients, with a particular focus on the media industry. He is responsible for providing reputation management, including promoting campaigns and thought leadership, as well as helping clients navigate challenges to their image.
Jon believes in the importance of personal connections, acting as a trusted advisor to senior business leaders and using his extensive network to build partnerships.
Jon has a rare mix of experience, having worked in-house, at global agencies, and as a national newspaper journalist. Prior to Hawthorn, he was the head of external communications for dmg media, with particular responsibility for the Daily Mail. He also worked for the WPP agencies, Burson-Marsteller, and Hill and Knowlton after 15 years as a national newspaper journalist for titles including The Telegraph, The Mail, and The Independent.
Jon enjoys playing sports, even if to a very average level, and watching them, particularly Arsenal and the Chicago Bears, as well as traveling, reading, and country pubs.
Anna Maria Clarke is Partner and Chief Operating Officer.
She runs Hawthorn’s operations in London and New York.
Before joining Hawthorn, Anna Maria was Chief Operating Officer of King’s College Wimbledon, where she ran the finances and operations of the London schools. She sat on the board of King’s College International School Bangkok, the International School of Monaco, KCSW International and KCS Enterprises. She was also secretary to the Eton Group of Bursars in the UK.
Anna Maria started her career in advertising. She sat on the board of the advertising agency AMV BBDO before moving into operations and marketing, working for organisations including the Shadow Chancellor’s office and Emap.
Anna Maria holds an MA in English Language and Literature from Oxford University.
Anna Maria sits on the Development Board of Christ Church, Oxford University and is a Governor of the Stephen Perse Foundation in Cambridge. She is a member of Women on Boards. She has a son, a daughter and a Cavapoo. She loves travelling, ideally to Malta, reading and swimming.
Sarah Sands joined Hawthorn from the BBC, where she was editor of the Today programme, Radio 4’s flagship news and current affairs programme. She was previously editor of the London Evening Standard, the first woman to edit The Sunday Telegraph and deputy editor of The Daily Telegraph.
Sands was the Chair of the G7 gender equality advisory council in 2021 and was invited back to sit on the council in 2022, 2023 and 2024. She was the former Deputy Chair of the British Council and acting Chair in 2023. She is a trustee of the Science Museum, Bletchley Park, and John Innes Centre research institute in Norwich. She sits on the board of the Berkeley Group, Walpole and Channel 4. She is an ambassador for Global Partnership for Education, an Associate at the IWM, a former Trustee of Index on Censorship and co-founded the Braemar Summit in 2021.
Sarah is an honorary fellow of Goldsmiths College, University of London, Lucy Cavendish College Cambridge and a visiting fellow to the Reuters Institute.
