Chelgate

Chelgate is a PR and lobbying firm headquartered in London, with branch offices in the North of England, Brussels and Romania.

Chelgate logo

Secrecy

Chelgate describes its style as "unusually discreet and low-profile"... "More than half our client relationships are subject to formal confidentiality agreements. But even when that’s not the case, we think our clients should always have the right to expect professional confidentiality."

People

• Terence Fane-Saunders, Chairman & Chief Executive. Regarded as one of the leaders of the international public relations profession. Before founding Chelgate in 1988 he was Chairman and Chief Executive of PR and lobbying giant Burson-Marsteller. Prior to that he served on the worldwide board of Hill and Knowlton.

• Nicholas Wood-Dow, Executive Vice-President and Director of Chelgate Environment. Has special responsibility at Chelgate for local and national government relations, and has practical experience of politics at every level: he has been a councillor in a county borough, serving on planning highways and health committees, and as deputy to the Leader on policy and resources. He was Parliamentary Candidate in Bolton South-East in the 1992 General Election. He has earlier served as public relations adviser to the European Democratic Group of MEPs in Strasbourg.

• Dr Mirela Meita, General Manager, Chelgate Romania. Joined Chelgate's London office in 2004, before moving to run the Bucharest office in 2005.

• Mathew Lane, Chief Operating Officer. Lane has been with Chelgate for 14 years and has played a key role in Chelgate’s continued growth and success. Before joining Chelgate, Mathew spent 15 years working in banking where he specialised in corporate finance for media companies, particularly those involved in film and television industry. After leaving Barclays Mathew set up a successful film finance company and produced two films both of which achieved cinematic release in UK and other major international markets.

• Jim McClelland, Senior Consultant. As former editor and founder of Sustain Magazine, Jim McClelland significantly strengthens Chelgate’s environment, renewable energy and built environment teams. Jim has amassed over 20 years’ experience in magazine publishing, with the majority of that time spent editing journals for the built environment and sustainability sectors.

• Tim Arnold, head of media relations. Former Sky News anchor.

• William Macintyre CB, Executive Vice-President. "Expert in the workings of Government and Whitehall", Macintyre had a long career in the Civil Service where he was head of several major directorates at the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). For example, he was former head of the Communications and Information Industries Directorate in the DTI he was responsible for developing and implementing the Government's Information Age policies and for its relationships with the ITEC industries.

Consultants

• Daniel Kawczynski, Conservative MP - has acted as a consultant

Clients

• OpenForum Europe's PR was being carried out by Chelgate in 2007. OFE was launched in March 2002 to accelerate, broaden and strengthen the use of Open Source Software (OSS) in business and government.OFE is supported by major IT suppliers and works closely with the European Commission and National Governments, both direct and via National Associates.

• Work Wise UK, which is organised by the IT Forum Foundation. Corporate sponsors include BT.

• PR Week reported in May 2008 that insurer Hiscox in a deal with Chelgate will offer its own clients crisis management support.Chelgate will be available to Hiscox clients that purchase additional cover under the scheme. As soon as company directors or officers are aware of 'a claim or an insured event with a risk to reputation', Chelgate will be brought in to advise.

• Duke of Sutherland. Fane-Saunders is representing the Duke in 2008/09 during the period when the Duke was negotiating the sale of two paintings by Titian from his Bridgewater collection. One of the Titians - Diana and Actaeon - had been on public display in Britain for more than 200 years but could have been lost had the Duke sold to a private buyer. It was eventually sold to a group of public bodies for £50m in Feb 2009.

• It was reported in June 2008 that Fane-Saunders had set up a website - secondhomemalaysia.co.uk, a website that offers guidance on life and how to find a property in Malaysia.

• Save Zimbabwe PR Team: From July 2002, Chelgate was hired by "several unnamed individuals" to conduct an international PR campaign addressing human rights abuses carried out by supporters of the ruling Zanu-PF party in Zimbabwe. It was reported that "although the Save Zimbabwe campaign would work with, among other groups, the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party, it would not be politically affiliated." The campaign's objectives were to: restore human rights, democracy and legitimate government to Zimbabwe, and change the way the media reports on the country, moving its focus from land reform and its effects on white farmers to the need to support democratic change.

Contacts

Chelgate Limited 1 Tanner Street, LONDON, SE1 Website: http://www.chelgate.com