Henry Gewanter
Henry Gewanter is the managing director of PR firm Positive Profile.[1]
Contents
Education
Gewanter studied at the Bronx High School of Science in New York, and the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, before graduating in Social and Political Science from King’s College, Cambridge in 1974.[2]
Career
His career has included four years as Account Director at First Financial, part of the Lowe Bell Group, two years as Deputy Head of Public Relations and Head of Advertising at investment bank County NatWest, and eight years with National Westminster Bank. Gewanter established Positive Profile in 1997, after leaving Financial Dynamics, where he had set up and run their Financial Services Division for five years.[3]
Crisis management projects handled by Gewanter include the Blue Arrow trials for County NatWest and the Maxwell pension scandal on behalf of IMRO.[4]
MP expenses story
The Wall Street Journal claims that it was offered data on MPs' expenses by Gewanter on 15 May 2009:
- On Friday a London-based public relations consultant working for Mr. Wick, Henry Gewanter, said he would give The Wall Street Journal access to the reimbursement information if the Journal agreed not to identify Mr. Wick as its source. Mr. Gewanter said he was making the same offer to British newspapers and expected to complete the arrangement early next week.
- "We trying to make some original source material available for research purposes," he said. "I believe in a free press."[5]
According to the Sunday Times, "Gewanter is a friend of Wick and was brought in because of his experience in dealing with newspapers."[6]
Gewanter reportedly confirmed his role in the affair to the Mail on Sunday:
- Mr Gewanter, who once worked for Lord Bell, a key adviser to Baroness Thatcher when she was Prime Minister, confirmed he was acting for Mr Wick.
- This story has not come about because of money or anything of that sort,’ said Mr Gewanter.
- It involves very courageous people who have all taken very big risks in exposing this stuff to public scrutiny and it is incredibly important.’[7]
Notes
- ↑ Our team, Positive Profile, accessed 18 May 2009.
- ↑ Our team, Positive Profile, accessed 18 May 2009.
- ↑ Our team, Positive Profile, accessed 18 May 2009.
- ↑ Our team, Positive Profile, accessed 18 May 2009.
- ↑ Aaron O. Patrick, Ex-Army Officer Helped Paper Get Sensitive Information, Wall Street Journal , 15 May 2009.
- ↑ Insight, Ex-SAS major John Wick exposed as broker in sale of expenses secrets, Sunday Times, 17 May 2009.
- ↑ Jason Lewis, The 'tin-legged' ex-SAS man, the City PR and the £350,000 plot to sell MPs' secrets, dailymail.co.uk, 17 May 2009.
