MHP Communications

This article is part of the Lobbying Portal, a sunlight project from Spinwatch.

MHP London, 60 Portland Street

MHP Brussels, Sweden House, 3 Rue Luxembourg

MHP Communications is one of the UK's largest PR and lobbying companies.

It was formed by its parent company Engine in September 2010 by bringing together its Mandate Communications, Hogarth and Penrose Financial brands.

History

Mandate, now part of MHP is a public relations and public affairs consultancy with offices in London and Washington. Mandate was created by bringing together AS Biss and Republic PR. It is part of The Engine Group.

In January 2015 MHP merged with Brussels based public affairs agency Cabinet DN. The merger will see MHP's current Brussels operation amalgamated with the Cabinet DN business over the coming months, Cabinet DN will take control of MHPs clients with a Brussels interests and will use MHP for its UK and London-based activities.^[1]

Key people

Gavin Devine, managing director. Former senior civil servant in the House of Commons before joining AS Biss in 2004. He provides senior strategic advice to a wide range of clients, principally in the planning, transport, energy, major infrastructure and environmental sectors.
Jane Wilson, managing director, corporate affairs team. Former chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and reviewer for the Department for Education.^[2]^[3]
Charles Clarke. Former Labour Party MP for thirteen years. Hired by MHP to 'provide advice to its team'.^[4]

Advisory board appointed July 2013

Sir Brian Bender, chair, advisory doard. Was Permanent Secretary at the Department of Business, DTI and DEFRA, has served twice in the UK Representation in Brussels, the current Chairman of the London Metal Exchange, Chair of Honda’s European Communications and Consultation Group, a trustee of Lloyds Register Foundation and a member of the Offshore Advisory Committee of Mainstream Renewable Power. ^[5]
Sally Costerton, currently a director of Sally Costerton Advisory. She was previously the CEO of Hill & Knowlton EMEA and is the current PRCA vice chair
Sir John Grant, advisory board member appointed July 2013. Former British diplomat.
Richard Grainger, currently chairman of Safestore plc, and formerly chairman and chief executive of Close Brothers Corporate Finance

June 2015-August 2015

March 2015-May 2015

December 2014-February 2015

September 2014-November 2014

June 2014-August 2014

March 2014-May 2014

December 2013-February 2014

September 2013-November 2013

June 2013-August 2013

March 2013-May 2013

December 2012-February 2013

Mandate management and lobbyists in 2009:^[17]

Sacha Deshmukh, Chief Executive
Jane Howard, Chairman
Gavin Devine, Managing Director

2010

Sir Brian Bender- Senior Adviser to Mandate Communications from July 2010, then non-executive Director from 1 October 2010. Bender was a former top Whitehall mandarin, his last position before leaving the civil service in April 2009 was Permanent Secretary Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform. The Advisory Committee on Business Appointments granted him 'unconditional approval to take up this role. ^[18]

Clients

This article is part of the Spinwatch Fracking Portal and project

September 2015-November 2015

June 2015-August 2015

March 2015-May 2015

December 2014-February 2015

September 2014-November 2014

June 2014-August 2014

March 2014-May 2014

December 2013-February 2014

September 2013-November 2013

June 2013-August 2013

March 2013-May 2013

December 2012-February 2013

MHP Health

MHP has a growing health sector practice.

Healthcare people

Mike Birtwistle, Director. Birtwistle leads Mandate's health practice. He is an active member of the Labour party and worked for the Government during the 2001 general election on health policy communication.^[22]
Guy Lavis. It was reported in September 2010 that Guy Lavis will take a senior role in the agency’s health practice "as it looks to step up its focus on NHS commissioning processes and engage more closely with GPs. Lavis joins from Capita, which partnered the Department of Health to produce NHS Choices, the department’s flagship public website for patient choice. PR Week reported: "The new focus has been prompted by the Government’s plans to overhaul the NHS, putting GPs in charge of local budgets and commissioning. The plans mean GPs working in groups will be in charge of a vast collection of hospital, mental health and community services."Mike Birtwistle of MHP told PR Week:

"Guy’s strength in engaging with GPs will be particularly important as GP consortia assume responsibility for the commissioning of NHS services in the new world.^[23] Lavis was previously a lobbyist at both Fleishman-Hillard (2005-06) and Connect Public Affairs (2003-05).^[24]

Richard Sloggett, account manager Health. Formerly of agency New Century Media, where he worked for ‘tele-healthcare’ clients as an account manager in its political comms team, Sloggett started his career in the House of Commons in 2006 as a researcher to the Conservative Party’s then-shadow work and pensions secretary Philip Hammond MP (now transport secretary). He subsequently worked for Joanne Cash, the unsuccessful Conservative parliamentary candidate for Westminster North at May 2010’s general election. Sloggett has also formerly worked for City PR firm Brunswick Group.^[25]

Healthcare clients

MHP's health sector clients (to August 2010): Abbott Laboratories, AstraZeneca, Bayer Schering Pharma, Beating Bowel Cancer, Blood Cancers Alliance, British In-Vitro Diagnostics Association, Cancer Campaigning Group, Company Chemists Association, Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies, Diabetes UK, Ellipse, Grunenthal, Hoffmann-La Roche, IMS Health, Janssen-Cilag, Lundbeck, Macmillan Cancer Support, Myeloma UK, National Ankylosing Spondylitis Society, NHS Pathology, Organ Donation Coalition, Pharmaceutical Oncology Initiative, PharmaMar, Prostate Cancer Charter for Action, Prostate Cancer Charity, Royal College of Radiologists, Rarer Cancers Foundation, Roche Products Limited, Royal College of Surgeons, Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, UK Lung Cancer Coalition.

MHP Scotland

MHP opened an office in Edinburgh in 2001, which employed four people led by Craig Harrow. In February 2015, it made the decision to close the Edinburgh office, but said it would continue to work with Scottish clients from its London HQ. MHP director Ian Kirby told PRWeek: 'It became apparent that having a physical office in Scotland was no longer essential to deliver quality service to our clients with interests in the country. We can be more flexible now.'^[26]

Clients

Clients at the end of 2008 include:^[27]

Clients second quarter 2009: Mandate Communications, APPC Register Entry for 1 June 2009 to 31 August 2009

Contact

60 Great Portland Street, London, W1W 7RT
http://www.yourmandate.com

Social media

[1]

@MHPC

Resources

See: Fracking lobbying firms

Melissa Jones and Andy Rowell, Access all areas: Westminster's (vast) fracking lobby exposed, 29 April 2015.

References

↑ John Harrington MHP Communications forms strategic partnership with Brussels-based Cabinet DN PR Week, 16 January 2015
↑ Linkedin, Jane Wilson, accessed 9 February 2015
↑ John Harrington MHP hires former CIPR boss Jane Wilson to head corporate affairs team PR Week, 9 February 2015, accessed 9 February 2015
↑ David Singleton New premium on Tory lobbyists Public Affairs News, 27 May 2015, accessed 28 May 2015.
↑ Brian Bender MHP Communications, accessed September 2014
↑ MHP Communications staff June-August15, APPC.org, accessed 3 February 2016
↑ Register of Members May 2015APPC.org, accessed 7 October 2015
↑ ^8.0 ^8.1 Register 1st December 2014 - 28th February 2015 APPC, accessed 31 March 2015
↑ ^9.0 ^9.1 Register 1st September 2014 - 30th November 2014 APPC, accessed 16 January 2015
↑ ^10.0 ^10.1 Register 1st June 2014 - 31st August 2014 APPC, accessed 17 October 2014
↑ ^11.0 ^11.1 Register for 1st March 2014 - 31st May 2014 APPC, accessed 5 September 2014
↑ ^12.0 ^12.1 Register for 1st December 2013 - 28th February 2014 APPC, accessed 7 October 2014
↑ ^13.0 ^13.1 Register for 1st September 2013 - 30th November 2013 APPC, accessed 7 October 2014
↑ ^14.0 ^14.1 Register for 1st June 2013 - 31st August 2013 APPC, accessed 7 October 2014
↑ ^15.0 ^15.1 Register for 1st March 2013 - 31st May 2013 APPC, accessed 7 October 2014
↑ ^16.0 ^16.1 Register for 1st December 2012 - 28th February 2013 APPC, accessed 7 October 2014
↑ Mandate website, accessed Jan 2009
↑ Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACoBA) Annual Report 2010-2011
↑ MHP Communications clients Sep-Nov15, APPC.org, accessed 2 February 2016
↑ MHP Communications clients Jun-Aug15, APPC.org, accessed 2 February 2016
↑ Register of members May 2015APPC.org, accessed 7 October 2015
↑ National Prostate Cancer Conference, 2004, Speaker's Biographies
↑ PR Week Mandate Communications hands senior role to former NHS Choices comms chief,27 September 2010
↑ Guy Lavis, Linked in profile, accessed October 2010
↑ Public Affairs News, [pointer=10&cHash=0b36b43e23 Ex-Tory researcher takes account manager role with Mandate Communications’ health wing], 13 July 2010
↑ MHP closes Edinburgh office, PR Week, 2 February 2015
↑ APPC register to November 2008

Back to Lobbying Portal

[1] John Harrington MHP Communications forms strategic partnership with Brussels-based Cabinet DN PR Week, 16 January 2015

[2] Linkedin, Jane Wilson, accessed 9 February 2015

[3] John Harrington MHP hires former CIPR boss Jane Wilson to head corporate affairs team PR Week, 9 February 2015, accessed 9 February 2015

[4] David Singleton New premium on Tory lobbyists Public Affairs News, 27 May 2015, accessed 28 May 2015.

[5] Brian Bender MHP Communications, accessed September 2014

[6] MHP Communications staff June-August15, APPC.org, accessed 3 February 2016

[7] Register of Members May 2015APPC.org, accessed 7 October 2015

[Dec14-8] 8.0 ^8.1 Register 1st December 2014 - 28th February 2015 APPC, accessed 31 March 2015

[sept-9] 9.0 ^9.1 Register 1st September 2014 - 30th November 2014 APPC, accessed 16 January 2015

[June-10] 10.0 ^10.1 Register 1st June 2014 - 31st August 2014 APPC, accessed 17 October 2014

[MP-11] 11.0 ^11.1 Register for 1st March 2014 - 31st May 2014 APPC, accessed 5 September 2014

[MQ-12] 12.0 ^12.1 Register for 1st December 2013 - 28th February 2014 APPC, accessed 7 October 2014

[MR-13] 13.0 ^13.1 Register for 1st September 2013 - 30th November 2013 APPC, accessed 7 October 2014

[MS-14] 14.0 ^14.1 Register for 1st June 2013 - 31st August 2013 APPC, accessed 7 October 2014

[MT-15] 15.0 ^15.1 Register for 1st March 2013 - 31st May 2013 APPC, accessed 7 October 2014

[MU-16] 16.0 ^16.1 Register for 1st December 2012 - 28th February 2013 APPC, accessed 7 October 2014

[17] Mandate website, accessed Jan 2009

[18] Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACoBA) Annual Report 2010-2011

[19] MHP Communications clients Sep-Nov15, APPC.org, accessed 2 February 2016

[20] MHP Communications clients Jun-Aug15, APPC.org, accessed 2 February 2016

[21] Register of members May 2015APPC.org, accessed 7 October 2015

[22] National Prostate Cancer Conference, 2004, Speaker's Biographies

[23] PR Week Mandate Communications hands senior role to former NHS Choices comms chief,27 September 2010

[24] Guy Lavis, Linked in profile, accessed October 2010

[25] Public Affairs News, [pointer=10&cHash=0b36b43e23 Ex-Tory researcher takes account manager role with Mandate Communications’ health wing], 13 July 2010

[26] MHP closes Edinburgh office, PR Week, 2 February 2015

[27] APPC register to November 2008

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MHP Communications

Contents

History

Key people

Advisory board appointed July 2013

June 2015-August 2015

March 2015-May 2015

December 2014-February 2015

September 2014-November 2014

June 2014-August 2014

March 2014-May 2014

December 2013-February 2014

September 2013-November 2013

June 2013-August 2013

March 2013-May 2013

December 2012-February 2013

2010

Clients

September 2015-November 2015

June 2015-August 2015

March 2015-May 2015

December 2014-February 2015

September 2014-November 2014

June 2014-August 2014

March 2014-May 2014

December 2013-February 2014

September 2013-November 2013

June 2013-August 2013

March 2013-May 2013

December 2012-February 2013

MHP Health

Healthcare people

Healthcare clients

MHP Scotland

Clients

Contact

Social media

Resources

References

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