Sassy+ appoints Richard Leonard to lead automotive PR

Richard Leonard began his career by founding a PR agency at the age of 26.

Sassy+ has appointed Richard Leonard as Executive Director of Automotive, adding nearly three decades of communications and public relations experience to support the agency’s expansion across automotive, motorsport and PR services in the UK and Europe.

Based in London, Richard Leonard will oversee the agency’s growing portfolio of automotive manufacturers, aftermarket brands and motorsport teams. He will report to Commercial Director Aaron Calvert and support the continued development of Sassy+’s automotive and communications offering.

Extensive automotive communications experience

Richard Leonard began his career by founding a PR agency at the age of 26. During that period, he secured and retained accounts including Honda Motor Europe, O2, 118 118, AXA and Dixons Group. After selling the agency seven years later, he became Head of PR at Three Mobile before moving into freelance consultancy.

Over the following 15 years, Richard Leonard worked extensively with Honda across Europe. More recently, he advised automotive and mobility brands including Fisker, NIO and Wiesmann, leading pan-European launches and supporting international growth initiatives.

Focus on automotive and PR growth

At Sassy+, Richard Leonard will lead the development of the agency’s automotive and motorsport client portfolio across creative, digital and production services. He will also contribute to the expansion of the agency’s PR team, which supports automotive clients including electric vehicle manufacturer Zeekr.

The appointment also supports Sassy+’s ambitions to grow its presence across European markets, drawing on Richard Leonard’s experience managing communications programmes across the region.

Richard Leonard: "The Sassy+ team is the best in the business. I’ve worked with them as a client on many projects over several years, and their quality of work, service and people is exceptional. I’m really pleased to now be part of it, and look forward to growing our already successful automotive business both here in the UK and beyond these shores."

Supporting European expansion

Michael Semp, CEO, Sassy+: "Bringing Richard into the team is a real moment for us. We've watched him operate across automotive communications for two decades, and there are very few people with his combination of brand-side credibility, agency instinct and on-the-ground European experience. Auto is one of our fastest-growing areas, and with our PR practice gathering serious pace alongside it, Richard is exactly the leader we need to take it to the next stage at home and across Europe."

Aaron Calvert, Commercial Director, Sassy+: "PR is a real specialist strength for Sassy+, and it is becoming more important than ever for clients who need their campaigns to land with credibility, consistency and impact. Richard’s experience across automotive, mobility and European communications is exceptional, and his appointment strengthens not only our PR capability, but our wider end-to-end agency offer for brands, bringing PR, strategy, creative, live and content expertise together under one roof to help campaigns move further, work harder and deliver greater ROI."

www.sassyplus.com

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