Communications network Fluid Collective expands to Australia

Communications network Fluid Collective has expanded into Australia, adding former Edelman consultant Brian Shrowder to its team down under.

Fluid is the brainchild of former Germany-based Edelman senior consultants Cornelia Kunze and Moritz Kaffsack, and was launched in 2019 as a global collective of independent, senior experts in communications, reputation management and brand engagement, among others.

In more than a year, Fluid has amassed a team of 25 established experts serving markets on five continents. Australia now joins this list of markets, following the on-boarding of Melbourne-based communications expert Brian Shrowder.

Currently the Director of Mediacraft Communications, Shrowder’s professional experience spans four decades – including more than 16 years in broadcast news. He made the switch to communications advisory in 2001, and has since worked at top industry names – including over a decade at Hill+ Knowlton Strategies and over six years at Edelman.

At Mediacraft, he supports clients with media training, crisis management, strategic communications and video production services to clients across the private, government and non-profit sphere.

He now brings this expertise to the Fluid Collective, at a time when communications and branding form the bedrock of competitiveness in the new normal. For Shrowder, the Fluid business model is a good fit for businesses making their way through the crisis.

“Fluid’s distinctive approach is what Australian businesses are looking for right now. The access to senior counsel, an external viewpoint and scalable resourcing meets an important need. The future is indeed fluid, and I am excited to be a part of it.”

Global expansion

And the demand for Fluid’s proposition is apparent from the network’s rampant expansion. Linking with Shrowder in Australia is one of seven simultaneous additions, which include former Edelman Singapore CEO Amanda Goh who joins in Singapore, and a new member each in Portugal, the UK, and Hong Kong/China.

“We welcome Brian (Shrowder) and all the new members, strong independent consultants in their own right, with tremendous experience and track records,” said Kunze. Co-founder Kaffsack also lauded the growing network. “With the expansion to more geographies and specialty areas, the clients of fluid members have access to a broader offering without having to retain and manage consultants in multiple markets.”