Tower, one of Cayman’s leading strategic communications agencies, has recently added two Caymanian graduates, Ashani Francis-Collins and Abby Hydes, to its team as marketing assistants.

Ms Hydes, 21, attended the University of Chester where she obtained a BA (Hons) in Journalism with Creative Writing with First Class Honours. During her summer breaks, she gained experience interning at Cayman 27.

“Tower is an agency that is driven to make a difference in the community, not only through its charitable and pro-bono work, but also in offering training and educational opportunities for Cayman’s young people,” Ms Hydes said. “With a client list that included both the Cayman Islands Healthcare Conference and the Department of Tourism, Tower was the perfect fit for me.”

Ms Hydes was born in the Cayman Islands to a Caymanian father and a British mother and hails proudly from the district of West Bay. She hopes to continue her education by pursuing her master’s degree within the next five years.

Ms Francis-Collins, 22, graduated this year from the University of Toronto, where she obtained a BA (Hons) in English and Media Studies with High Distinction. After interning with Government Information Services and Pinnacle Media during breaks from school, she was eager to return home and begin work in Cayman’s media and communications industry.

“The decision to join Tower was easy,” Ms Francis-Collins said. “The team is smart, fun, creative, and good at what they do. They clearly have a passion for creating great work for their clients.”

“Even though I have only been at Tower for a few months, the knowledge and experience I have gained already is incredible,” she added. “The agency’s client list is diverse and growing, providing me with exposure to a number of industries and types of businesses.”

“We are delighted to welcome Ashani and Abby,” said Lynne Byles, Managing Director of Tower. “It is exciting to see young Caymanians studying in fields related to marketing and we’re happy to support and encourage this wherever possible.”

In addition to the new graduate hires, the agency has promoted Caymanian, Ileana Ebanks, to the position of Graphic Designer.

Ileana joined Tower as a marketing assistant in August 2014 following an internship with the agency. She has a BSc in Marketing from the University of South Florida, and a BA in Graphic Design from the International Academy of Design and Technology.

“I’m pleased to be able to announce Ileana’s new role. She has been with us for two years now and has steadily progressed and is an integral part of the team. It’s great to be able to develop our staff and promote from within,” Ms Byles said.

Following its vision to nurture young Caymanians within the marketing profession, Tower will shortly launch a formal internship program which will provide opportunities for vacation work as well as those studying locally.

“We have great clients and lots of interesting and varied roles for interns,” Ms Byles said. “Developing, mentoring and training the best young Caymanian talent is a priority for us.”

“Our team has never looked better. It’s exciting times for Tower.”