Supermarket chain Safeway is to appoint its first director of public
affairs.
The post, which is believed to carry a salary of pounds 70,000, is one
of several created as part of a major re-think of Safeway’s PR and
public affairs strategy.
Part of the new communications division now headed by director of
communications Dr Kevin Hawkins (PR Week 30 June 1995), the new director
of public affairs will be responsible for a team of three public affairs
managers.
These include Tony Combes - previously Safeway’s sole public affairs
executive - who is responsible for food issues, Nicola Ellen, handling
environmental matters and a new public affairs manager for Scotland, yet
to be appointed. Peter Sitch, PR manager for Safeway’s property and
development division will continue to work alongside the new public
affairs division on planning issues.
Teresa Wickham, director of corporate affairs (and prior to Hawkins’
arrival the most senior in-house PR person), retains her title and
responsibility for some 25 staff working in the PR department, press
office, community relations and a new three-strong employee
communications department. This will be headed by press office manager
Wendy Gerbert, whose role will be filled by a senior press officer also
being recruited.
Commenting on the changes and the boost to the number of people working
in communications Wickham said it was ‘clear recognition of the
importance of communications, both internal and external’. She described
the new structure as much ‘flatter’,with people being given much more
detailed jobs descriptions.
Wickham said she knew of no plans to review Safeway’s roster of PR
agencies which include Brunswick on financial PR, consumer PR agency
Countrywide, TMA in Scotland, Brook PR and lobbying firm Westminster
Strategy.
