Atalanta is delighted to announce the appointment of Elizabeth Ames as its inaugural Chief Operating Officer (COO) as it focusses on its next stage of growth. Elizabeth brings a wealth of international and management experience to the role having begun her career in the Australian foreign service, before moving to the UK to serve as Chief of Staff to the Founder and Chairman of Brunswick Group, Sir Alan Parker. She has worked in senior advisory for clients including the Gates Foundation and Save the Children and was responsible for the Destination for Education campaign against restrictions on international student visas.
Most recently, Elizabeth has worked in international trade advisory, serving as the Executive Director of the Australia-United Kingdom Chamber of Commerce as well as the Senior Advisor, Government Relations, to Newfound, a global market entry specialist working with high-growth technology companies looking to expand into the UK. She is also the Chair of the Menzies Australia Institute at Kings College London and a Director of the Britain-Australia Society.
At Atalanta, Elizabeth will oversee day-to-day operations including driving the development of the company’s talent strategy and creating a diverse and inclusive culture across its international project teams. She will also serve as a senior advisor to key clients including government ministries, global philanthropies, multinational corporations, and political campaigns and will provide oversight of the firm’s current portfolio, which spans more than 20 countries.
Atalanta’s CEO, Eva Barboni said: “I am excited to welcome Elizabeth to the senior leadership team. Her global, cross-sector experience will significantly amplify the impact we are able to deliver on behalf of our clients and will be an invaluable asset to our growing team.”
Elizabeth Ames, COO, said: “I am thrilled to be joining Eva and the team at Atalanta at this critical time for gender equality. Promoting and accelerating diverse and inclusive leadership in government and corporations will be central to building a sustainable global recovery.”
Elizabeth is joining Atalanta alongside Olivia Ryan, whose career has spanned organisations including the British Council, Caixin Global, and the New York Times. They follow the recent hiring of Kristen Ahmad-Gawel, whose previous work has included supporting the High Commission of Canada in the UK on public diplomacy and policy campaigns.
About Elizabeth Ames
Elizabeth Ames is an experienced leader in public affairs and policy with a deep knowledge of corporate communications, strategy and stakeholder engagement. She has a particular focus on building sustainable relationships between business, civil society and government. Elizabeth specialises in working with companies and organisations with operations across multiple countries and is passionate about finding creative solutions to complex issues.
Elizabeth started her career in the Australian foreign service and has extensive global networks and experience, from training Vietnamese trade policy officials to creating a programme to support women’s access to justice in rural Albania. She has worked as a strategic advisor to the senior management of organisations including Save the Children, the Gates Foundation and Brunswick Group and speaks Italian and French.
About Atalanta
Atalanta is a mission-driven firm with extensive advocacy, campaigning and strategic communications expertise.
We work with inspirational leaders and global organisations - whether in the philanthropic, corporate or political fields - to amplify the impact of their work. We help them shape public opinion, run for political office, raise awareness of global issues, and mobilise communities and funding for their initiatives. Using traditional and digital communications skills, we give our partners and clients a platform to change the world.
We have a particular focus on advancing women's leadership worldwide and accelerating programmes that tackle the root causes of gender inequality.
