Engine Group, the advertising agency network acquired last year by Lake Capital, has appointed a new global director of business development.

Zoe Church joins the company from Y&R, where she spent 12 years in a mixture of regional and global business development positions based in the US, UK and Australia.

Church will be tasked with growing Engine’s global offering and expanding its client roster from her base in New York.

It follows last year’s announcement that London-based Engine was to be acquired by Lake Capital in a £100m ($152m), and brought together with Lake’s two existing marketing services businesses, global market research and intelligence firm ORC and entertainment and content marketing agency Trailer Park.

The group now has offices in 30 cities worldwide, including in the US, China, Singapore, Belgium and Australia.

“Engine Group is primed to become a major, independent global force in marketing and communications,” said Terry Graunke, executive chairman of Engine Group and the co-founder of Lake Capital.

“As an expert in integrating brand communications, growing organic business and facilitating new business collaboration, Zoe will be instrumental in expanding our global reach.”

Church added: “Engine Group is at the forefront of a new breed of marketing services networks centered on a culture of collaboration. I am excited to help grow our business by giving clients a greater understanding of the Engine Group’s integrated offering.”