The Romans hires Burson’s Helen de Rusett to lead Social division at The Romans

he Romans has hired Helen de Rusett as Senior Director, Social & Creator. She will lead the agency’s fast-growing Social division, reporting to UK Partner Lucy McGettigan.

Helen joins from Burson, where she spent 14 years after joining from Hill & Knowlton in 2012. Her roles at Burson included Head of Content & Publishing Strategy and Senior Director, Social & Content. Most recently she led European social strategy for TJX Europe and TK Maxx, and she has partnered with global clients including adidas, Honda, Activision, Intel, the International Olympic Committee and Dolby.

At The Romans, Helen will oversee a client portfolio spanning Oakley, Papa Johns, PG Tips, Puma and Supercell. The team delivers always-on social activity for PG Tips and Papa Johns, combining planned and reactive content. The Romans has recently delivered a series of standout social-first campaigns for Papa Johns, including the pop-up restaurant Father of Jack and the brand’s collaboration with Toy Story, as well as successful reactive social campaigns for Supercell. 

Helen’s appointment reflects The Romans’ ambition to grow its Social offering even further, producing social-first owned content for brands and strategies that draw on the full spectrum of influence, from content creators and celebrity talent through to employees. 

Lucy McGettigan, UK Partner at The Romans, said:“Thanks to our standout social team and ever-growing in-house content team, Studio Romans, we’ve quietly become a truly effective one-stop shop for integrated social and content briefs. However, there is nothing quiet about our ambition for Helen and her team. She brings unrivalled expertise, strong strategic thinking and a sharp eye for content, so we’re grateful she’s trusted us with the next stage of her career.”

Helen de Rusett, Senior Director, Social & Creator at The Romans, said:

“The brands winning today are the ones that entertain, and that happens most effectively when PR, social and creators work as one. After 14 brilliant years at H&K and Burson, The Romans felt like the right place for my next chapter. The energy and momentum here is real: it’s how everyone at The Romans shows up every day. I can’t wait to grow this talented team and partner with our award-winning creatives to make social-first work that builds brands and is anything but boring.”