Leading PR and marketing specialists, Azalea, has announced two senior appointments to join its account management team following a busy summer of continued growth for the company.
Neil Ahern will join later this month as an account director after spending 11 years working for the European Tour group across a number of press and communication roles, while Rory Anderson – formerly of Your Golf Travel – began his position as an account manager in September. Both will focus on leading and developing campaign strategies across Azalea’s key client list in the golf, tourism, leisure and lifestyle sectors.
Ahern brings a wealth of experience in the golf media market having joined Wentworth HQ in 2011 as a junior press officer after spending five years as a golf and football journalist at the Irish Independent. He spent four years leading the in-house media and content on the European Challenge Tour, acting as the chief point of contact for all press matters relating to tournament and events, and assumed control of the Tour’s growing social media channels, among a number of other responsibilities.
In 2016 he progressed to work on the European Tour – now the DP World Tour – as senior press and communications officer. Here he assumed responsibility for day-to-day press operations, including pre-tournament PR and crisis communications, on large-scale events around the globe – including working at four consecutive Ryder Cups, the Open Championship and BMW PGA Championship – and acting as immediate support for the communications director.
His appointment is significant at a buoyant time for Azalea, who will be looking to utilise Ahern’s all-round media and strategic management skills as the company looks to build on an exceptional year of trading.
Ahern said: “I am delighted to be joining the ranks at Azalea at what looks an exciting time for the company and as the industry continues to enjoy a boom in golf participation and international travel.
“After meeting with the team at Azalea I was hugely impressed with the company’s drive and ambition. I have enjoyed 11 great years working with the European Tour group, but I am excited for a fresh challenge where I can utilise the expertise and contacts I have built up over the years. I can’t wait to get started.”
Anderson takes up his position as account manager after having spent more than 10 years working for Your Golf Travel as a content creator and a specialist destination videographer and presenter.
A hugely popular presence on social media thanks to his ‘YGT Rory’ storytelling – where he would visit many of the world’s top golf destinations offering a light-hearted glimpse into the tour operator’s supported venues – Anderson brings extensive knowledge in global golf tourism and a strong background in devising and delivering engaging content.
He said: “While my role will demand a slightly different skillset from my time at YGT, it is a huge opportunity to develop and to help the team at Azalea blossom across the content and account delivery space.
Azalea director Andy Barwell said: “We are thrilled to be welcoming Neil and Rory to Azalea. Both bring vast knowledge and experience within the golf tourism sector and will add another dimension to what we do.
“It has been an exciting year for the company and these new additions will only strengthen our dynamic resources for the future.”
To add to these two positions, it has been a summer of further recruitment with Dan Blank and Nathan Allen both joining Azalea’s content team as a product and content editor respectively. Meanwhile, Cameron Collins’ appointment as an account executive will offer support to the account management team in what promises to be a busy period with the company targeting further growth in 2023.
Azalea has established itself as one of Europe’s leading golf and tourism agencies since launching in 2006, working with world-class courses, resorts and tourist boards including Tourism Ireland, Terras da Comporta, Costa Navarino, Quinta do Lago, Turnberry, London Golf Club and Foxhills.
