OUR AWARD-WINNING TEAM IS
Connected, STRATEGIC, Committed, SOPHISTICATED, Creative, INNOVATIVE, Dedicated & RESULTS-DRIVEN
Boutique in mindset with global scale and corporate chops, BPR acts as a true partner to their clients, providing strategic guidance, an inventive approach, and impactful results.
Over 20 years ago, Ballantines PR was born from an adventure with bespoke hospitality and meticulous design in its DNA and became an award-winning global agency with influence across travel, art, design, entertainment, sports, and philanthropy.
From London to Los Angeles by way of Palm Springs, Ballantines was the name and neon sign above a retro, mid-century modern hotel in Palm Springs, before it became known as an award-winning, global public relations agency. Owned and operated by Sarah Robarts as a gathering place for creatives, connectors and the glamorous jet set, Ballantines grew organically into a business with influence across industries.
Connecting thought leaders, tastemakers and buzzy brands brought Ballantines further West. The company Ballantines Public Relations was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in West Hollywood, CA with outposts in New York, San Francisco, Miami and London with about 25 employees.
OUR APPROACH
sets us apart
PR EXPERTISE
We have deep expertise connecting the dots for premium consumer brands to reach and engage with the right people, places, and partners. Our strong media relationships with high-caliber press complement our creative ability to produce high-impact PR results, and our approach is 360* and strategic: targeting print, broadcast, and online media coverage, as well as visual and audio storytelling (i.e. podcasts and social media content).
INDUSTRY INFLUENCE
We have long-lasting relationships with people of influence that create a network effect to drive buzz and business. This includes digital creators and social influencers, as well as the thought leaders, entrepreneurs, production companies, designers, philanthropists, retailers, hoteliers, celebrities, architects, chefs, and other industry leaders.
MEASURED RESULTS
We work collaboratively with all clients to create, track and measure how we are achieving the brand’s business goals, looking at the cumulative impact of media impressions, message pull-through, quality index, and quantifying the power of nurturing positive relationships with writers, producers, and social influencers over time.
Giving Back is Part of Who We Are
We have made it a priority to work with nonprofits locally and around the world, supporting their goals to raise awareness and funds for their important work. Some of these organizations include People Assisting the Homeless (PATH), Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Kenya’s CURA Orphanage, the Everychild Foundation, The Forgotten Dog Foundation, F*ck Cancer, Inner-City Arts, Save The Elephants, UCLA Taste for a Cure, the Sherry Lansing Foundation and more.
LEADERSHIP
Sarah Robarts
For over 20 years, Sarah has led a team of passionate, creative storytellers at BPR. She has worked with highly distinguished companies from Los Angeles to London, and her professional network spans across numerous industries. Sarah is the former President of the British American Business Council, Los Angeles. She also serves on the BAFTA PR Committee, the board of Everychild Foundation, the board of Save the Elephants, the UCLA PR and Marketing Advisory Board, the American Airlines Council on Entertainment, is a VP at Britweek, and has served as a mentor to young women in business with the office of Los Angeles Mayor. In 2022, she was awarded The Los Angeles Times Inspirational Women award.
FOUNDER & PRESIDENT
Dara Toulch
Dara is an accomplished senior communications expert with an imaginative edge and a knack for championing awe-inspiring campaigns for some of the world’s most ambitious startups to prestigious Fortune 500 brands in travel, tech, design, art, health & wellness, beauty, and entertainment. Her 13+ years of experience have established her as an empowering leader with a competitive nature and a collaborative style, along with a superhuman PR touch. A Montreal native and LA resident, Dara brings an artful, intuitive, and fresh approach to brand initiatives and partnerships, with a results-driven mindset and relentless attention to detail in pursuit of the story.
partner
Kendal Hurley Redd
As a partner at Ballantines PR for over a decade, Kendal is a seasoned PR pro that has successfully executed campaigns for local, national, and international brands including Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills, St. Regis Bora Bora, Pacifica Hotels, Casa del Mar, San Ysidro Ranch, Fairmont Grand Del Mar, Sunset Marquis Hotel + Spa, Malibu Beach Inn, Conrad Bora Bora Nui, Caesarstone, Albuquerque Studios, South Carolina Film Commission, and many more. Kendal began her career in celebrity and event PR, handling the red carpet and promotion for events around the country. She grew up in Southern California and brings an open-minded approach to the table paired with a strong leadership style and savvy PR know-how.
partner
full bpr team
Ashley Fierman
junior partner
AUSTIN RUTH
junior partner
LEXIE HOUGHTALING
SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
KASSY RODRIGUEZ
Account Director
THOMAS WRIGHT
SENIOR ADVISOR
Kate Lane
Junior Account Executive
TRISHA DAVIS
SENIOR ADVISOR
LAUREN MAslauski
Consultant
KARLI WEBSTER
SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER
JASMINE PRODONOVICH
accounting MANAGER
JESSICA LOPRESTI
Senior Account Executive
Samantha Preece
SENIOR ADVISOR
TRINITY EUGENIO
Influencer & Community Engagement Manager
ALLIE CLOUSPY
Senior DESIGNER
Megan Hill
SENIOR ACCOUNT DIRECTOR
Hanna Stanbridge
Office Manager
ADVISORY BOARD
Lucian Grainge
Sir Lucian Grainge is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Universal Music Group (UMG), the world leader in music-based entertainment.
Grainge has spent his entire career in the music industry and has signed and worked with many worldwide stars, including ABBA, Jay Z, Elton John, Katy Perry, Queen, Rihanna, The Rolling Stones, Sam Smith, U2, and Amy Winehouse, among many others. Over the span of three decades, he has not only pioneered new approaches to the signing and development of the world’s most successful recording artists and songwriters, but he has consistently championed the development of innovative business models and partnerships with a wide range of technology and media partners around the world.
Andy has a long and distinguished career spanning over 35 years in the media industry, and he is an accomplished, strategic leader of global consumer content businesses. He is currently the CEO of Pearson Education. He was chairman of Walt Disney International until 2018.
During his 14 years with Walt Disney, he transformed the organization into a digital-first, direct-to-consumer business, focused on serving the diverse needs of customers around the world. Prior to Disney, Andy worked in a number of senior positions at AOL Time Warner and spent the earlier part of his career at Piccadilly Radio, Virgin Broadcasting Company, BSB Music Channel, Big & Good Productions, and Unique Broadcasting.
Andy Bird
Sophie Watts
Sophie Watts has served as President of STX Entertainment since the Company’s inception, playing an instrumental role in its formation alongside co-founder Robert Simonds. Watts is responsible for conceiving and driving forward the Company’s growth initiatives and new business development. She also oversees the Company’s recently established Digital, Alternative, and Virtual Reality Divisions.
Watts serves as a judge for the Business Innovation Awards sponsored by the UK Department of Trade and Investment and is on the Board of BAFTA LA. She has been named by Variety, Fortune, Hollywood Reporter, ELLE, and others as one of the most powerful women in entertainment.