Difference between revisions of "Finsbury"

Revision as of 10:54, 17 February 2009

Finsbury is a major London-based financial PR and lobbying company. It describes itself as providing "an integrated service advising on all areas of communication with the global financial community including financial media, political & regulatory affairs and investor relations." ^[1]

Finsbury's work on EU political & regulatory issues is done via Finsbury International Policy & Regulatory Advisors. Finsbury was founded in London in October 1994 and in 2001 was taken over to become part of the WPP group. Finsbury was 75 percent owned by Roland Rudd, who made £41 million by selling the company. Another two Directors, Rupert Younger and James Murgatroyd shared another £14 million between them from the sale.^[2]

People

Roland Rudd, Finsbury founder. A former policy coordinator for Liberal Democrat Lord David Owen, and financial journalist.He is well connected with both leading politicians and CEOs (see below).
Rupert Younger, nephew of Viscount George Younger (former chairman of the Bank of Scotland). Ex-Brunswick. Founder who is now a consultant to Finsbury.
James Murgatroyd a former banker with Dean Witter
Rory Chisholm, head of Finsbury's political & regulatory practice and a director of FIPRA (Finsbury International Policy & Regulatory Advisors. Formerly of lobbying firm GJW (to 2000).
Others at Finsbury include:^[3]
Faeth Birch | Rollo Head | James Leviton | | Edward Orlebar | Andrew Merrill | Andrew Mitchel | (PR contacts for Kazakhmys: Robin Walker | Andrew Mitchell | Zoe Watt)

Reform Europe "to meet business needs"

Rudd is founding Chairman of campaigning group, Business for New Europe (BNE), which wants Britain to play a leading role inside the EU - reforming it to meet business interests and needs, and expansion to include Turkey. Sir Nigel Rudd (no relation), chairman of Boots and Pilkington, and Roger Carr, who went on to chair Centrica - two of Finsbury's most productive supporters - are on BNE's advisory board. Martin Sorrell, head of owners WPP also sits on the BNE advisory group. "Rudd and Sorrell like to think they're plugged in, they exchange gossip", it is reported. On BNE Rudd says: "I enjoy it enormously because it enables me to engage with Ed, with George Osborne on the Tory side and Chris Huhne and Nick Clegg from the Lib Dems."^[4]

New Labour links

Finsbury has close ties to New Labour through its founder Roland Rudd. For example, Rudd is friends with Peter Mandelson and Ed Balls, a close confident of Gordon Brown. Rudd says: "I've a very good relationship with Ed (Balls) - he's been a friend from FT days". He also knows David Cameron, who was a client when Cameron was at Carlton: "He came to dinner with our clients recently (2007). I was pleased - it showed he's not tribal," says Rudd.^[5] It's reported that Rudd has "finely honed social and political connections":

Dinners at his grand house in Kensington are relaxed, informal occasions. Sophie [his wife], who designs women's eveningwear, will be there. The guests will include a client or two, heads of large companies, a top banker, a senior journalist and a Cabinet minister and their other halves. Even Tony Blair has supped at his table. Rudd was one of four people who met at the house of Charles Dunstone, the Carphone Warehouse magnate, to plot the ex-PM's next move in the run-up to Blair's departure."^[6]

In addition:

Finsbury paid more than £5,000 to the Labour Party for 'tickets for dinners' in 1999-2000.
The firm previously hired the Lord Chancellor Lord Falconer.
In 2001 Finsbury¹s party guests included the present Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell and Education Ministers (and peer) Andrew Adonis, as well as the then Labour party boss, also since ennobled, Lord Triesman.
Finsbury then won the 2002 contract to advise then Transport Secretary Stephen "Liar" Byers over the Railtrack collapse.
In 2006 Tony Blair's eldest son Euan did work experience at Finsbury. Private Eye commented: "So look out for the pay-off... most likely to come for such a selfless act as explaining to Blair the Younger the dark arts of being paid to lie..."^[7]

Clients

Finsbury claims to count more than 20 FTSE 100 and Eurofirst 300 companies as clients.^[8]

Shell. PR Week reports that for several years Shell had - and continued to - use the London-based Finsbury to handle financial PR for the company and was also advising on managing the crisis on the overstated reserves. ^[9]
BNFL. The company is also retained by British Nuclear Fuels Limited. (BNFL)^[10].

Lobbying clients

Lobbying clients in 2009, according to the Finsbury website include:^[11]

Bluechip & International / Euro 300 / FTSE 100 / FTSE 250

Selected Transactions

Contact

Tenter House
45 Moorfields
London EC2Y 9AE
http://www.finsbury.com

Resources

Mark Townsend and Antony Barnett PR firm hired to sell top-up fees Labour rebels outraged at 'abuse' of taxpayers' money as university vice-chancellors acquire services of Mandelson's millionaire friend, Sunday January 18, 2004, The Observer
Antony Barnett and Jamie Doward The PR tycoon, a private dinner and PM's meeting with Euro lobby group Businessmen lobbying for unlimited immigration from Romania and Bulgaria met the Prime Minister at an exclusive London home, Sunday September 17, 2006, The Observer

References

↑ Finsbury website
↑ ref needed
↑ Finsbury Contact Us
↑ Management Today, August 2007
↑ Management Today, August 2007
↑ Management Today, August 2007
↑ Blair the Younger does work experience with City spin doctors Private Eye, February 6, 2006, Issue 1150
↑ WPP webiste, Finsbury, accessed Feb 2009
↑ PR Week, May 2004
↑ Corporate Watch
↑ Finsbury website, accessed February 2009
↑ Finsbury website, accessed February 2009

[1] Finsbury website

[2] ref needed

[3] Finsbury Contact Us

[4] Management Today, August 2007

[5] Management Today, August 2007

[6] Management Today, August 2007

[7] Blair the Younger does work experience with City spin doctors Private Eye, February 6, 2006, Issue 1150

[8] WPP webiste, Finsbury, accessed Feb 2009

[9] PR Week, May 2004

[10] Corporate Watch

[11] Finsbury website, accessed February 2009

[12] Finsbury website, accessed February 2009

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

@@ Line 4: / Line 4: @@
 ==People==
-*[[Roland Rudd]], Finsbury founder | [[Rupert Younger]], nephew of Viscount [[George Younger]] (fprmer chairman of the [[Bank of Scotland]]) | [[James Murgatroyd]] a former banker with [[Dean Witter]] | Others at Finsbury include:<ref>Finsbury [http://www.finsbury.com/doc.php?DocKeyword=contactus Contact Us]</ref> [[Faeth Birch]] | [[Rory Chisholm]] | [[Rollo Head]] | [[James Leviton]] | | [[Edward Orlebar]] | [[Andrew Merrill]] | [[Andrew Mitchel]] | (PR contacts for [[Kazakhmys]]: [[Robin Walker]] | [[Andrew Mitchell]] | [[Zoe Watt]])
+*[[Roland Rudd]], Finsbury founder. A former policy coordinator for Liberal Democrat Lord [[David Owen]], and financial journalist.He is well connected with both leading politicians and CEOs (see below).
+*[[Rupert Younger]], nephew of Viscount [[George Younger]] (former chairman of the [[Bank of Scotland]]). Ex-[[Brunswick]]. Founder who is now a consultant to Finsbury.
+*[[James Murgatroyd]] a former banker with [[Dean Witter]]
+*[[Rory Chisholm]], head of Finsbury's political & regulatory practice and a director of FIPRA ([[Finsbury International Policy & Regulatory Advisors]]. Formerly of lobbying firm [[GJW]] (to 2000).
+*Others at Finsbury include:<ref>Finsbury [http://www.finsbury.com/doc.php?DocKeyword=contactus Contact Us]</ref><br> [[Faeth Birch]] | [[Rollo Head]] | [[James Leviton]] | | [[Edward Orlebar]] | [[Andrew Merrill]] | [[Andrew Mitchel]] | (PR contacts for [[Kazakhmys]]: [[Robin Walker]] | [[Andrew Mitchell]] | [[Zoe Watt]])
+==Reform Europe "to meet business needs"==
+Rudd is founding Chairman of campaigning group, [[Business for New Europe]] (BNE), which wants Britain to play a leading role inside the EU - reforming it to meet business interests and needs, and expansion to include Turkey. Sir [[Nigel Rudd]] (no relation), chairman of [[Boots]] and [[Pilkington]], and [[Roger Carr]], who went on to chair Centrica - two of Finsbury's most productive supporters - are on BNE's advisory board. [[Martin Sorrell]], head of owners [[WPP]] also sits on the BNE advisory group. "Rudd and Sorrell like to think they're plugged in, they exchange gossip", it is reported. On BNE Rudd says: "I enjoy it enormously because it enables me to engage with Ed, with [[George Osborne]] on the Tory side and [[Chris Huhne]] and [[Nick Clegg]] from the Lib Dems."<ref>[http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/search/article/674493/the-mt-interview-roland-rudd/ Management Today], August 2007</ref>
 ==New Labour links==
+Finsbury has close ties to New Labour through its founder Roland Rudd. For example, Rudd is friends with [[Peter Mandelson]] and [[Ed Balls]], a close confident of [[Gordon Brown]]. Rudd says: "I've a very good relationship with Ed (Balls) - he's been a friend from FT days". He also knows [[David Cameron]], who was a client when Cameron was at [[Carlton]]: "He came to dinner with our clients recently (2007). I was pleased - it showed he's not tribal," says Rudd.<ref>[http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/search/article/674493/the-mt-interview-roland-rudd/ Management Today], August 2007</ref> It's reported that Rudd has "finely honed social and political connections":
+:Dinners at his grand house in Kensington are relaxed, informal occasions. Sophie [his wife], who designs women's eveningwear, will be there. The guests will include a client or two, heads of large companies, a top banker, a senior journalist and a Cabinet minister and their other halves. Even Tony Blair has supped at his table. Rudd was one of four people who met at the house of Charles Dunstone, the Carphone Warehouse magnate, to plot the ex-PM's next move in the run-up to Blair's departure."<ref>[http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/search/article/674493/the-mt-interview-roland-rudd/ Management Today], August 2007</ref>
+In addition:
 *Finsbury paid more than £5,000 to the Labour Party for 'tickets for dinners' in 1999-2000.
 *The firm previously hired the Lord Chancellor [[Lord Falconer]].
@@ Line 30: / Line 40: @@
 ===Selected Transactions===
 [[Boots]]/[[Alliance Unichem]] | [[Boots/BHI]] | [[BPB/St Gobain]] | [[British Land/Pillar]] | [[Bunzl/Filtrona]] | [[C&W/Energis]] | [[Capital Radio/GWR Group]] | [[Cendant Demerger]] | [[Fortune Brands]]/[[Pernod Ricard]]/[[Allied Domecq]] | [[Inmarsat IPO]] | [[Kazakhmys IPO]] | [[LSE Defence]] | [[Manchester United/Glazier]] | [[Permira/KKR/SBS]] | [[Pilkington/NSG]] | [[Somerfield/Violet]] | [[Telenet IPO]] | [[Terna]] | [[VNU/IMS]] | [[Vodafone]]/[[Bharti Tele-Venture]] | [[Vodafone]] [[Sverige]]
+==Contact==
+Tenter House<br>
+Moorfields<br>
+London EC2Y 9AE<br>
+http://www.finsbury.com
 ==Resources==

Difference between revisions of "Finsbury"

Revision as of 10:54, 17 February 2009

Contents

People

Reform Europe "to meet business needs"

New Labour links

Clients

Lobbying clients

Bluechip & International / Euro 300 / FTSE 100 / FTSE 250

Selected Transactions

Contact

Resources

References

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