INTERNATIONAL: Pinkstone lands Chelgate post

HONG KONG: The former head of the Hong Kong government's overseas PR division, Mark Pinkstone, has joined independent agency Chelgate Asia as executive vice-president, overseeing three offices.

He replaces Frank Wingate, who moves to Chelgate's head office in London as a director (PRWeek, 24 November).

Pinkstone advised government on crisis management and was spokesman to the international media during Chris Patten's term as Hong Kong governor from 1992 to 1997.

After that he ran his own PR agency, Contact Hong Kong, providing corporate affairs counsel to multinational clients and the Hong Kong SAR government.

In his new role, he takes over business development in all Chelgate's Asian offices, as well as taking a client servicing role.

Terence Fane-Saunders, chairman of Chelgate, said further Asian expansion would fall under Pinkstone's remit.

Frank Wingate established Wingate PR in 1991 before Chelgate acquired the company as its first Asian office in 1996.