Karen Ballard the new MD for Citigate Johannesburg

CITIGATE SA, the local subsidiary of the global marketing and communications group Incepta plc, has appointed a new managing director for its Johannesburg operations.

Karen Ballard, a Citigate SA director and co-founder of the company’s specialist IT public relations division, Citigate Ballard King, takes up the position of MD Citigate Johannesburg with immediate effect.

Adrian Horner, Group MD of Citigate SA – with operations in Cape Town and Durban as well as Johannesburg - says Ballard has been charged with driving the integration and development of Citigate Johannesburg’s various communications disciplines.

Citigate SA’s client list includes companies as diverse as the Airports Company of SA (ACSA), Investec, BOE, Kagiso Group, SAS Institute, Sun Microsystems, Johnnic, Allan Gray, Coega Development Corporation, Netcare, Durban’s International Conference Centre, Deneys Reitz Attorneys and Cotlands Baby Sanctuary

Citigate, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange through its holding company, Incepta plc, operates out of more than 100 offices across Europe, America, Asia-Pacific and South Africa. The group has developed from its strong financial and corporate public relations, investor relations and adverting roots into a rounded, complete and integrated brand communications business.

"While offering services across specialist communication disciplines – from financial and corporate advertising and design and branding, to financial, technology and corporate public relations – the group has successfully implemented a methodology which enables us to deliver totally integrated marketing solutions to our clients.

"The rollout of this concept is now being accelerated in SA. Karen’s background in marketing communications, coupled with her extensive public relations experience, will prove invaluable in assisting Citigate Johannesburg to realise this vision," he says.