Former editor of The Scotsman and Edinburgh Evening News among new faces at Edinburgh comms agency

Frank O’Donnell is due to start his new role at Charlotte Street Partners early next month.

Frank O'Donnell (left) and Malcolm Robertson of Edinburgh-based Charlotte Street Partners. Picture: Phil Wilkinson

A former editor of The Scotsman is among the new recruits at Charlotte Street Partners, the Edinburgh-based communications and PR consultancy.

Frank O’Donnell has been a well-known figure in the Scottish media for more than 25 years, editing five of the country’s major news brands: The Scotsman, Edinburgh Evening News, Scotland on Sunday, The Press and Journal (P&J) and the Evening Express. Born in Edinburgh, O’Donnell is a former member of the Scottish Newspaper Society editors’ committee and the IPSO editors’ code of practice committee. He will take up the role of senior partner with Charlotte Street Partners in early January.

O’Donnell joins recent recruit Will Torness - another former journalist who was a news producer within the US broadcast network NBC - and Emma MacAndrews, who will join the firm next month having spent the past year working in the constituency office of Drew Hendry, member of parliament for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey.

Malcolm Robertson, founding partner at Charlotte Street Partners, said: “Frank has had a brilliant career to date and, in recent years, has become one of the most articulate and influential voices in the UK media sector as it navigates the transition into digital publishing. We are delighted that Frank is bringing all that expertise and his unique perspectives to the team and to the work we do with our clients.”

O’Donnell added: “I have long admired Charlotte Street Partners as a business and am really pleased to be joining the team as they prepare to celebrate the firm’s tenth birthday next year. Over the past decade, the company has earned an excellent reputation for providing insightful advice and practical support married with impeccable client service. I’m really enthused by the vision for the next chapter under Malcolm’s leadership and the opportunity to be part of that.

“I hope my background as a storyteller, my knowledge of digital publishing, and my experience of leading teams will be an asset as the business - and the communications sector more broadly - continues to evolve.”

The appointments follow three recent promotions within the firm’s team. Fergus McGowan has been promoted to senior client manager while Phoebe O'Carroll-Moran and John Cumming are now senior associates.