Adfactors PR has acquired a majority stake in SenateSHJ, an independent communication consultancy in Australia.The transaction brings together two independent firms with complementary strengths, beliefs, a shared commitment to outstanding work and a common ambition to help their clients navigate reputation, stakeholder issues and change in an increasingly complex environment.SenateSHJ will retain its identity, client teams under the leadership of Co-founder and Chair Angela Scaffidi AM and CEO Darren Behar. The will continue to operate from its offices in Sydney and Melbourne. Chief Executive Officer of Adfactors PR, Nijay N. Nair, who also leads all M&A and global initiatives, will join the SenateSHJ board. Madan Bahal, Co-founder & Managing Director, Adfactors PR, said: “SenateSHJ is a formidable business with an outstanding reputation, exceptional leadership and proven expertise in solving complex communication challenges. There is a strong alignment in the way our two organisations think about the world, clients, people and the role we can play in shaping the future. India and Australia are emerging as a strategic business corridor, and we trust the new partnership will help clients in both markets to create new opportunities in the wider Asia Pacific region. We hope to explore more opportunities in the region to create a strong Asia Pacific presence.”Rajesh Chaturvedi, Co-founder and Chairman, Adfactors PR, said: “We have had the privilege of serving India Inc. for the last 29 years through many cycles in the global and domestic business environment. I am happy that with this new partnership our relationship capital will expand to a significant market like Australia.”Angela Scaffidi AM, Co-founder and Chair, SenateSHJ, said: “We’re incredibly proud of the business SenateSHJ has become over the past 24 years – our people, the work we do and our relationships with clients. We have built a relationship of deep trust with Adfactors PR over the past decade. We feel a deep connection to the way they think and feel about the world, their people and the work they do with clients. There is strong alignment and great respect. The problems clients bring us increasingly cross borders. Being part of a group with real scale across India, Asia Pacific and beyond means we can help them with more of those problems – without changing what has made this firm what it is.”For Adfactors PR, the investment represents a significant expansion of its presence and capabilities in the Asia Pacific region. For SenateSHJ, it provides access to scale and an international network while creating new opportunities to grow its own expertise, intellectual property and impact.

For the first time in its history, PROI Worldwide has appointed women to its top leadership positions, naming Angela Scaffidi, (pictured), as Global Chair and Nicola Nel as Global Managing Director.PROI (Public Relations Organisation International) is a global network of independent public relations and communications agencies. Angela Scaffidi, founder and managing partner of Australian consultancy SenateSHJ, brings a wealth of experience from her work with clients across the public, private, and non-profit sectors in Australasia. A long-serving member of the PROI Board for the APAC region, Scaffidi is also a fellow of Communication and Public Relations Australia (CPRA) and a member of Chief Executive Women in Australia. With a background at McKinsey & Company and Turnbull Porter Novelli, Angela serves on the boards of Challenge: supporting kids with cancer, McAuley Community Services for Women, and chairs The Missed Foundation. A skilled facilitator and trainer, she has taught at RMIT University and held leadership roles in the Public Relations Institute of Australia and PROI Worldwide.?Ç£This appointment is an honour. I look forward to working with my partners and friends across the globe to grow the PROI?ÇÖs influence in our industry. Together we have a team of 8,800 people around the world. It?ÇÖs a powerful force to drive positive change, both in our industry and society. I?ÇÖm excited to help our partners to flex their entrepreneurial muscle, continue to grow and make an even greater impact on the world,?Ç¥ Scaffidi said.  Nicola Nel, who founded Atmosphere Communications in South Africa over twenty years ago and grew it into a leading PR consultancy before its acquisition by Accenture Song in 2021, expressed her excitement about her new role. ?Ç£I'm thrilled to take on the role of global managing director. The independent network model fosters a spirit of collaboration and innovation that excites me. I firmly believe that the work of independent communications agencies will play an integral role in the marketing mix going forward and networks such as PROI hold the key to the future of our industry. I'm eager to work alongside PROI's talented entrepreneurial agency owners to shape that future," said Nicola Nel. Nel succeeds Jeff Altheide, who is retiring after nearly 45 years in public relations. Scaffidi is the second woman to hold the global chair position in PROI's 50+ year history, while Nel becomes the third global managing director.