Craig Atherfold joins Text 100

Atherfold joins as a senior consultant and a new member of the local management team and is the first senior hire of this nature since June 2006.

"This is a significant hire for us and is in line with our strategy of first consolidating the business over the course of the last three years and now focusing on growing not only the team, but our focus on consumer and social media in the local market," says Dominique Pienaar, joint managing consultant, Text 100 Johannesburg.

"I am delighted," says Simona Menghini, senior vice president and MD for the Southern Region (Italy, Spain and South Africa) at Text 100, "as I see Craig bringing his skills in consultancy as well as his enthusiasm not only to our Johannesburg local team, but also to our EMEA (Europe Middle East and Africa) senior team."

"In view of some changes which will happen during the current month," adds Menghini, "Craig's entry is particularly well-timed, to boost the office performance while we are all stepping it up to a new way of servicing our clients, taking advantage of the new possibilities offered by social media and Web 2.0".

This global public relations consultancy has a staff of 500 people and a direct presence in 30 cities worldwide and works with many of the world's leading technology, internet and digital lifestyle brands that include IBM, Cisco, Fujifilm, Lenovo, SanDisk, Skype and PayPal.