People

Elaine Cruikshanks has over 22 years of international agency experience with Hill & Knowlton. She grew their Brussels office from 1994-2010 to the largest in the PA/PR arena, and in addition had the role of global public affairs director. Assignments have ranged across various sectors with a focus on public affairs and communications, healthcare, food, consumer, trade, ICT, environmental issues and energy. Her background is public affairs (having worked for the UK Foreign Office). Elaine has worked with a range of blue chip companies as well as trade associations, ad hoc coalitions, governments, NGO’s and international institutions. Over the years, she has run Brussels, EU- wide and international campaigns for a range of clients. Relevant pharmaceutical and healthcare experience includes: AstraZeneca, ABPI, NICE, Baxter, Boots, Bristol Myers Squibb, European Liver Patients Association (ELPA) European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industry Associations (EFPIA), GatesFoundation, Global Fund, the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations, Johnson & Johnson, Lundbeck, LEO Pharma and MSD. In the food industry, Elaine has led regulatory and legislative activities  for the European Natural Soya Association (ENSA), Kellogg’s, Wrigley’s, Heinz and the European Breakfast Cereal Association (CEEREAL).

Contact Elaine: , Mobile: + 32 475 554 573, Elaine Cruikshanks

Abigail Jones has over 20 years experience in corporate communications and public affairs including consulting on corporate communications, positioning and identity; government and stakeholder relations; change management and internal communications. Abigail has worked with European and international blue chip companies, trade associations, think tanks and CEO advocacy groups. She has also created and ran industry coalitions that have engaged with NGOs and institutions such as the European Commission, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the UN. Her assignments have lead her to work both with clients and the media around the world, including the majority of countries in the European Union, Switzerland, the United States, Nigeria, Ghana, Turkey and Japan. Current and former clients include - ACE (Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment), Akzo Nobel, Cefic, European Roundtable of Industrialists, Heineken, Hewlett Packard, Interbrew (now ABInbev), International Centre for Alcohol Policies, Levi Strauss, Nigerian Breweries, Private Investors for Africa, Sabanci Holdings, SABMiller, Shell, Toyota, Tusiad, and Unilever.

Contact Abigail: , Mobile: + 32 475 410 976, Abigail Jones

Giles Keane has ten years’ experience in EU public affairs consultancy. Prior to join acumen public affairs as a founding partner, in his previous position he was a Director at Hill & Knowlton in Brussels. His first role in Brussels was as a trainee in the External Relations Director General of the European Commission. Giles’ strength lies in his ability to combine traditional public affairs with other communications disciplines to provide integrated communications counsel to his clients. He has worked across numerous sectors and policy areas including food & agriculture, environment & energy, healthcare and international trade. Current and recent clients of Giles since the creation of Acumen include Cargill Europe, the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations, Heineken, LEO Pharma, PlasticsEurope, Procter & Gamble and Syngenta. Previous clients of relevance include the British Poultry Council and US national renderers association for whom he monitored and advised on EU veterinary legislation, the European Sugar Manufacturers Association, Kellogg’s, and the European Whey Producers Association. An Irish national, in addition to his native English, he speaks fluent French and Spanish, as well as conversational Italian.

Contact Giles: , Mobile: + 32 473 894 328, Giles Keane

Gosia (Malgorzata) Figwer has almost 10 years professional experience gained through her work for private, public and NGO sector organisations. In her previous position at the Brussels and Warsaw offices of the international agency Hill+Knowlton Strategies she developed integrated public affairs and communications strategies and led international and pan-European campaigns. She also specialises in estalishing communications functions and capabilities within organisations as well as in supporting them with dedicated media, communications and crisis trainings. She has experience across numerous sectors and policy areas including (global) health, energy, food, development and EU Enlargement. Some of her former and recent clients include the Coca-Cola Company; the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria; the Gates Foundation; Merck; BMS, ENTSO-E; Alstom; the Boeing Company; DHL; the European Commission and the European Parliament.

Maëlle Quintart is the acumen public affairs office manager. She has over 8 years administrative experience in the EU, Trade Association and Consultancy world. Prior to joining acumen public affairs as Office Manager in September 2011, Maëlle was New Business and Marketing coordinator at Hill & Knowlton Brussels, where she had started as personal assistant to Elaine Cruikshanks. At Acumen, Maëlle is in charge of the day-to-day running of the office (accounting, HR, travel organisation, website, suppliers, translations…) and provides client support where her skills are needed. Maëlle is a native French speaker and holds a translation degree in English and Spanish.

Sandamali Zbyszewski is a consultant at acumen public affairs. She joined Acumen in April 2011 and has already acquired regulatory and legislative experience in a number of sectors including healthcare, food & agriculture, consumer goods, energy and environmental matters. She joined Acumen after completing a stage in the Council of the European Union in the fisheries unit where she devised an innovative negotiation tool which is still being used by the Council, the Commission and the delegations of the Member States. She is an Oxford graduate, a native speaker of French, English and Greek, has an intermediate understanding of Italian as well as a basic knowledge of Spanish.

Uzo Madu is a consultant. She worked in the healthcare team at EuropaBio, where she assisted in formulating position papers, monthly and annual newsletters, topic backgrounders and responses to consultation papers. Her work at Acumen has involved supporting integrated communication programmes for clients, including EFPIA and IFPMA, where she has been involved in drafting brochures on NTDS and Biotherapeutics as well as reviewing their facts and figures publication which focused on the industry’s contribution to global health.