Issued on behalf of:             FOUR Agency                        

Date:                                       13th June 2025                        

 Sovereign Strategy Appoints Paul Hutton as Chief Marketing Officer in Strategic Move to Unite Public Affairs and PR

Sovereign Strategy has appointed Paul Hutton as Chief Marketing Officer in a bold move that signals the company’s intent to unify public affairs, strategic communications, and marketing under one integrated offer. This appointment marks a pivotal moment in Sovereign’s evolution — blending policy influence with public sentiment, data insight, and brand storytelling.

With a career spanning over 25 years, Paul Hutton has long operated at the intersection of communications, consumer psychology, and government relations — leading transformative campaigns for global brands, major institutions, and national governments. Often flying under the radar, he has been behind some of the most effective brand activations and strategic interventions of the past decade.

Paul’s appointment follows his move in October 2023 to become Managing Director at FOUR Agency — one of Europe’s oldest and most respected PR and marketing agencies, founded in 1963. His leadership at FOUR has catalysed a wave of innovation and delivery success, blending creative excellence with deep regional insight across Suffolk and Norfolk.

It was this success — and Paul’s unique cross-sectoral perspective — that prompted discussions between FOUR and Sovereign Strategy in early 2024. The result: a powerful partnership that brings together global public affairs capabilities with world-class marketing, PR, and creative execution.

“We’ve reached a moment where public affairs, communications, and marketing can no longer operate in silos,” said Paul. “Audiences are more fragmented, more informed, and more emotionally driven than ever before. Whether you're influencing a policymaker or a consumer, the strategies are converging — and we must evolve with them.”

Paul’s dual role — leading FOUR Agency while serving as CMO for Sovereign — represents a strategic bridge between local delivery and global influence. It enables Sovereign clients to access a fully integrated, intelligence-led communications platform, powered by both public affairs expertise and marketing precision.

Sovereign’s new Chairman, Ian Liddell-Grainger, welcomed Paul’s appointment as part of the firm’s ambitious new chapter:

“Paul brings a rare combination of deep strategic insight, creative flair, and behavioural intelligence. His appointment is a statement of intent — that Sovereign will lead the charge in delivering joined-up solutions that influence not only policy, but public narrative and commercial outcomes.”

Jonothon Donnelly, newly appointed CEO of Sovereign, added:

“Our clients operate in complex, high-stakes environments. They need integrated thinking, not fragmented services. Paul’s leadership across both FOUR and Sovereign ensures we can deliver exactly that — with consistency, creativity, and clarity.”

As organisations face increasing pressure to navigate global uncertainty while maintaining public trust, Sovereign Strategy’s integrated model — underpinned by Paul Hutton’s appointment — offers a blueprint for how public affairs and communications can work in harmony to lead change, not just react to it.

ENDS

For media enquiries, contact:

sophie@fouragency.co.uk