PRs: This is how to handle conflict Opinion As a humanities student, one of the academics I cited regularly was the 20th century philosopher AJ Ayer. Ayer is credited, among other things, with popularising, in the English speaking world, the movement of logical positivism – which, to oversimplify, is a theory of the meaning of statements about the world. Few academics were more [...]
Pagefield owner PPHC ramps up political consultancy with WPI acquisition Merger/Acquisition AIM-listed consultancy firm PPHC has ramped up its politics offering after acquiring government relations business WPI Strategy. Founded in 2014, WPI turns over around £2.5m per year and counts the likes of London City Airport, Microsoft, Pension Insurance Corporation, and Vodafone Three among its clients. The company, which counts a number of former Labour advisers [...]
Havas keeps quiet on whether Ian Osborne will stay on board after Epstein files Business Havas is keeping quiet on whether Ian Osborne will stay on its board as the French PR giant weighs the impact of fresh details concerning the relationship between the British exec and Jeffrey Epstein. Osborne, who is a non-executive director of Havas, launched his own consultancy business, Osborne and Partners, in 2009 and offered advice [...]
‘Look out for rich individuals’: The deep ties between Mandelson lobbying firm and Epstein February 5, 2026 As one of London’s many eminent lobbying and advisory outfits, Peter Mandelson’s Global Counsel is well versed in what it takes to manage a reputation. Set up by the former deputy Prime Minister and Labour spin doctor Benjamin Wegg-Prosser from the embers of Labour’s 2010 general election loss, it has worked on some of the [...]
Advisory giant Teneo valued at £1.7bn in fresh deal August 4, 2025 Advisory firm Teneo has received fresh backing from a top Liechtensteiner buyout firm valuing it at $2.3bn (£1.73bn), in a deal that suggests the malaise afflicting the world’s largest holding companies and consultancies is not extending to more specialist or diversified firms. LGT Capital Partners is backed by Liechtenstein’s royal family and has over $100bn [...]
Steven Bartlett: Dragons’ Den star quits PR agency he owns July 23, 2025 Dragons’ Den star Steven Bartlett has stepped down as a director of a PR agency he bought three years ago. The Diary of a CEO podcast host’s company, Flight Story, acquired London-based R Agency in 2022 for an undisclosed sum. The firm was set up by Rebecca Ridge in 2013 and has worked with the [...]
Are we witnessing the slow death of advertising holding companies? May 5, 2025 The feted founder of AKQA, Ajaz Ahmed, has launched a new agency that promises to take on the “slow, bureaucratic” ad groups that since the pandemic have have been labouring under stagnant revenues and falling share prices. Ali Lyon asks: “Are those holding companies on borrowed time?” Ajaz Ahmed is not a man to shy [...]
Former Wales First Minister Carwyn Jones joins City of London PR firm January 10, 2025 Former First Minister of Wales Carwyn Jones has been hired by a City of London PR firm. Lord Jones, who was made a life peer at the end of 2024, has been hired by NorthPoint Strategy as a senior counsel. NorthPoint Strategy’s clients include Polygon, UK Cryptoasset Business Council, Andreessen Horowitz and CEO Club Ukraine. [...]
Omnicom and IPG staff fret for their future after $13bn mega merger December 12, 2024 Omnicom and IPG sent shockwaves through the advertising sector when they announced a $13bn merger on Monday. Ali Lyon looks at what the deal means for the firms’ agencies, staff and the ad industry as a whole. Advertising, according to Mad Men’s Don Draper, is based on one thing: happiness. Happiness, the protagonist of the [...]
Teneo secures £77m loan for first dividend payout October 13, 2024 Public relations firm Teneo is borrowing up to $100m (£76.5m) to pay its private equity owner and staff their first dividend. The company, which has City-based UK offices, approached lenders for the financing last week that is earmarked to fund dividend payouts, according to analysts at research firm Creditsights. However, sources close to Teneo said [...]