Element Pictures has appointed Chris Duggan, formerly a senior publicist at Sky and HBO Max, as its first head of communications and marketing. The new role formalises the Irish film and television producer’s in-house approach to promoting projects and corporate communications as it expands its slate during its 25th year.

Duggan will report to co-chief executives and founders Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe, overseeing external relations, festival activity, awards campaigns and social media across Element’s producers. He previously worked on Sky programmes including “The Day of the Jackal” and held European originals communications roles at HBO Max, after beginning at the BBC; he starts in August and will split his time between London and Dublin. Element, acquired by Fremantle in 2022, recently received four Oscar nominations for “Bugonia” and has announced a BBC adaptation of David Nicholls’ “We Are Here”.