Hill+Knowlton Strategies announced the appointment of Philippe Maze-Sencier as Global Chair, Public Affairs, effective June 8, 2020. In this new role, Maze-Sencier will lead the further development of H+K’s global public affairs capability to benefit clients, working closely with the firm’s leadership and teams around the world.
Maze-Sencier joins H+K from McLarty Associates, a leading global strategic business advisory firm where he served in leadership positions in the firm’s Brussels and DC offices. He has worked for more than 25 years on policy issues and with governments in Africa, Europe, India, the Middle East and North America, helping business leaders anticipate and navigate public policy challenges to protect and enhance their license to operate. At McLarty he advised clients on major transatlantic trade matters; international market entry; government approvals of global mergers; government affairs challenges posed by sanctions regimes; and he implemented strategies in each area. His experience at the intersection of public policy, government relations and strategic communications spans the aerospace, agriculture and food, energy, defense, mining, public health, pharmaceutical and tech sectors.
Previously Maze-Sencier served as Executive Director in the Washington office of APCO Worldwide, where he led APCO’s global government relations practice. Earlier in his tenure at APCO, Maze-Sencier served as managing director of the Brussels office; oversaw operations in India, the Middle East and Africa; and ran the Paris office. Prior to joining APCO, Maze-Sencier worked for the spirits division of the French luxury group LVMH in France and Germany; for the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva; and at the delegation of the European Commission in Washington, DC. A dual French and American citizen, Maze-Sencier was educated in the UK, Germany and the US.
“Philippe joins us to build our global public affairs capability at a time when technology, data, and the role of governments are transforming the world,” said AnnaMaria DeSalva, global chairman and chief executive officer, Hill+Knowlton Strategies. “Now more than ever, our mission to improve our clients’ business outcomes requires an integrated communications and public affairs approach. With Philippe’s leadership, H+K will expand and improve global public affairs to help our clients mitigate risk, build reputation, and accelerate growth. His extensive experience and global relationships directly complement our own growth strategy, and I’m delighted to welcome him to H+K.”
“I am excited to join H+K at a time when the company is aggressively growing its global capabilities. In this new role, I look forward to bringing my experience working across the US, the EU, Africa, India and the Middle-East to build on H+K’s impressive expertise, innovate the public affairs offer, and help our clients and the teams who support them succeed with public affairs campaigns locally, regionally and globally,” commented Maze-Sencier.
