Public relations and platform consultancy the lang cat has gone on a hiring spree to boost its communications arm.

The Edinburgh-based consultancy has secured five new hires recently to take its headcount to 24.

The new hires include three financial journalists and a former member of the Financial Conduct Authority.

The new hires are:

• Scott Sinclair, who joins the lang cat as PR director from Embark Group where he was a content strategy manager. He was formerly editor of trade website Professional Adviser
• Jeff Salway, a personal finance journalist who was formerly personal finance editor of the Scotsman and has joined the consultancy as a senior content specialist
• Jennifer Johnston-Wyatt, who joins as a PR manager. She was formerly a PR consultant working in the banking, aviation, food and drink, and tourism sectors
• Tom Ellis, currently editor of Professional Adviser, who will join the lang cat in August as an account director.
• Alison Gay joins the lang cat from the FCA where she was a senior associate advising the practitioner and smaller business practitioner panels on regulatory policy

Mark Locke, communications director of the lang cat, said: “These new recruits take our total head count to 24. I’m thrilled we have been able to attract such enormously talented people, all of whom will add a huge depth of experience and knowledge to the lang cat as we continue to expand to meet the needs of our growing client roster.”

The lang cat works with financial advisers and providers to help them develop new propositions and marketing strategies.

The consultancy has expanded several times in recent years, including recently recruiting Tom McPhail, the high profile former Hargreaves Lansdown pension spokesman as its director of public affairs.