Fierce advocates for your cause and critical friends in developing effective strategies.

Fierce advocates for your cause and critical friends in developing effective strategies

The team

We have decades of experience in managing challenges and opportunities across multiple sectors and situations.

We provide strategic advice and support with hands-on delivery of campaign execution, working alongside our clients to achieve their commercial goals.

Partner

Serra Balls

Serra has spent her 20-year career advising complex global institutions in some of the most high-profile political, regulatory and operational issues of recent times. During her first eight years in consultancy in London, she worked on a range of financial and corporate accounts with extensive experience in all aspects of advisory work, including financial communications, corporate campaigns and transactions.

Moving in-house, Serra spent 12 years in communications roles in financial services. She was a senior member of the Lehman Brothers global communications team during the collapse of the bank in 2008. Most recently, she was Group Head of Communications at ICAP plc, renamed NEX Group plc, before co-founding Eterna Partners.

As a native of Istanbul who was brought up in London, Serra loves both cities with a passion. She holds an M.A. with Distinction in Ottoman and Turkish Studies from SOAS and is an enthusiastic Arsenal fan.

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EMAIL:      Serra.Balls@eternapartners.com
MOBILE:   +44 7775 763018

       

Partner

Nigel Fairbrass

 

Nigel has more than 20 years’ experience in advising global corporations on reputation issues and in managing high-performing communications and brand teams for FTSE 100 businesses.

From complex social and political issues, to significant financial and M&A experience, he aligns reputation strategy to measurable commercial value, combining strategic insight with powerful story telling that inspires, motivates and resonates across all stakeholder groups.

Formerly Senior Vice President of Global Communications and Reputation at FTSE 10 brewer and beverages group, SABMiller plc, Nigel was responsible for the group’s global communications strategy, digital platforms and corporate brand identity and positioning. Most recently he headed the global media team at FTSE 100 security firm G4S plc, which employs 580,000 people across 100 countries. 

A sailor and beekeeper, Nigel is a weekend regular on the train to Cumbria to escape London with his young family.

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EMAIL:      Nigel.Fairbrass@eternapartners.com
MOBILE:   +44 7799 894 265

       

Senior Associate

Ben Cope

Ben Cope

 

Ben supports a number of clients in the research, technology and outsourcing sectors on public affairs, corporate communications and media relations. He holds a degree in history from the University of Exeter and his previous experience includes working for members of the UK Parliament at Westminster.

Ben is a long-suffering Crystal Palace fan, a keen cross-country runner and enjoys reading fiction.


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EMAIL:    ben.cope@eternapartners.com
MOBILE: +44 (0) 7053 408251

       

Associate

Millie Talbot

Millie Talbot

Millie is an Associate at Eterna and supports clients across financial services, technology and consumer industries sectors. She holds a BA in History and International Relations from the University of Exeter. Her experience prior to Eterna includes working as Head of Marketing and Public Relations at a successful retail brand. Having grown up and worked on a farm in Australia, Millie is passionate about agriculture and the future of food production. In her spare time Millie enjoys playing netball and cooking Ottolenghi for her friends and family.

    
EMAIL:    millie.talbot@eternapartners.com
MOBILE: +44 (0) 7762 943498

       

 

Associate

Maryellen Stohlman-Vanderveen

Maryellen Stohlman-Vanderveen

Maryellen is an Associate at Eterna supporting clients across the financial services, digital assets, and technology industries. She holds an MSc in Philosophy and Public Policy from the London School of Economics and a BA in Philosophy and Psychology from Smith College. Her experience prior to Eterna includes working on university communications teams in Hong Kong and the United States.

Outside of work, you can find Maryellen experimenting with new sour dough recipes, at the gym, or exploring London’s art exhibits.

    
EMAIL:    maryellen.stohlman-vanderveen@eternapartners.com


       

 

Analyst

Lucas Blasco Argullós

Lucas Blasco Argullós

Lucas is an Analyst at Eterna supporting clients across the financial services, digital assets, and conservation sectors. He holds an MSc in International Political Economy from the London School of Economics and a BA in International Relations from King’s College London. His previous experience includes working in foreign affairs think tanks.

Lucas is an avid tennis player, and spends much of his free time keeping up with US politics while sipping on a Spanish cortado.

    
EMAIL:    lucas.blasco@eternapartners.com
MOBILE: +34 (0) 620736778

       

 

Strategic Partner

Christine Thompson

 

Christine Thompson has extensive expertise in government relations, corporate social responsibility and public affairs. Christine’s experience includes at the global headquarters of brewer SABMiller, where she led the company's UK government and public affairs strategy. Christine was seconded to the Independent Electoral Commission in Johannesburg during South Africa’s historic 1994 elections.

A natural networker, Christine has worked with trade associations and cross-sector initiatives on a range of issues involving international institutions such as the World Health Organisation and the World Economic Forum.

Christine is an enthusiastic golfer and thoroughly enjoys the intermittent pleasure of hitting the one good shot that always brings golfers back for more. She is an avid golf and tennis fan, with Wimbledon, the Australian Open and the Masters being annual favourites.

       

Strategic Partner

Hannah Burns

 

Hannah is our specialist partner advising on North American communications. She has more than 25 years of experience in providing communications counsel to senior leaders worldwide, having led the efforts at two of the world’s largest investment banks.

She has extensive experience in developing and executing successful global communications plans, at both the corporate and business levels, as well as managing reputational risk, advising on highly sensitive issues and crisis management. Her recognised strategic focus is allied with relevant thought leadership capabilities to significantly raise brand awareness and industry leadership positions.

EMAIL:      Hannah.Burns@eternapartners.com
MOBILE:   +1 917 365 2601

       

Specialist Partner

Gianpiero Di Lullo

Gianpiero is our specialist partner in charge of creative and content development. He is an award-winning digital designer with 15+ years of experience in graphic and web design industry. He holds a BA (Hons) in Design for Graphic Communication at University of the Arts London. Suzuki, University of the Arts London, Ray-Ban, BaxterStorey, Allen & Overy, Thomas Cook and Hello Bank! have been among his clients.

He has a passion for Italian cuisine and enjoys playing piano in his spare time.

    
EMAIL:     gianpiero.dilullo@eternapartners.com
MOBILE:  +44 7765 205 806

       

 

Оffices
in London and
New York

...and a growing network of affiliates located in The Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, Hong Kong, Singapore, China and South Africa.

We also have additional language capability and experience in operating in France, Italy, Portugal, Turkey, Russia, Bulgaria and across Latin America.