Open Road

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

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Open Road is as independent consultancy founded in 2007, specialising in corporate communications, public affairs and corporate responsibility.

People

Its founders are:

• Nick Deluca, former MD of APCO UK who helped to develop APCO's European and transatlantic business;
• Graham McMillan, former Head of Public Affairs at Fishburn Hedges and winner of Consultant of the Year at the Public Affairs News awards of 2005;
• Victoria Tate, former Head of Public Affairs at the Spirit Group and former board director and Head of the Consumer Issues practice at Fishburn Hedges;
• Martin Le Jeune, former Head of Public Affairs at Sky, former director and Head of Corporate Responsibility at Fishburn Hedges and former Cabinet Office civil servant.

Staff

• Jessica Frost Previously she was at Lexington Communications working with clients in the agribusiness, financial services, pharmaceutical and third sectors on public affairs, corporate communications and corporate responsibility.
• Matt Bright joined Open Road from the Greater London Authority. Prior to this, Bright wrote and edited material for the websites of the Guardian and the German newspaper Handelsblatt.
• James Worron He has previously worked as a Press Officer at HM Treasury, Oxford University and on public services reform at the CBI.
• Nicolas Lehmann Formerly with the in-house public affairs team at BSkyB.
• Joanna Atogdina Office Manager. Previously she worked at Designers Guild.
• Carys Afoko joined in December 2008 as a Researcher. Formerly with the Campaigns team of the international development NGO, Action for Southern Africa. She then had a stint at the NHS Confederation before moving on to handle media relations and online communications for Labour candidate Chuka Umunna – he became an MP in 2010.
• Rosie Clarke - senior consultant, previously worked for Lanson Communications for 4 years, and before that for Liberal Democrat MP Annette Brooke.

Clients

Lobbying clients, according to the Association of Professional Political Consultants's register in 2008 include:
HSBC | Sky | Morrisons | BAE Systems | BPI | Eurostar | Orange | Helveta | Chartered Insurance Institute | Finance and Leasing Association | The Bingo Association | Engineering and Technology Board | Nabarro | British Metals Recycling Association | Novus | Royal Mail | OSS

• Bookmaker William Hill hired Open Road in January 2009.

• Royal Mail brought in Open Road in February 2009 reportedly to handle its corporate social responsibility (CSR). A Royal Mail spokesman said: 'Royal Mail has an ongoing commitment to reducing the impact of its operations on the environment and promoting ethical behaviour, improving quality of life for its people and ensuring it has a positive relationship with society. To further these aims, Royal Mail has implemented a comprehensive CSR strategy and is working with Open Road to communicate the different elements of the strategy.' The appointment coincides with growing anger over the government's plans to part-privatise the Royal Mail

• HSBC In June 2008 HSBC appointed public affairs and corporate comms agency Open Road to build support for its corporate responsibility initiatives in the UK

2011

Lobbying clients, according to the Association of Professional Political Consultants's register in 2011 include:

HSBC | Sky | Morrisons | BAE Systems | BPI | Eurostar | Orange | Helveta | Chartered Insurance Institute | Finance and Leasing Association | The Bingo Association | Engineering and Technology Board | Nabarro | British Metals Recycling Association | Novus | Royal Mail | OSS

• News Corporation • Everything Everywhere • AstraZeneca / Bristol-Myers Squibb Alliance in Diabetes • UK Food Chain Alliance • EMR • Novus • Bayer • Prudential • British Metals Recycling Association • Royal Bank of Scotland • Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) • Universal Music • Airwave • VEVO • AkzoNobel • Newspaper Licensing Agency • Janssen • Bristol-Myers Squibb Virology • William Hill • Research in Motion – Blackberry • Allergan

Contacts

Golden Cross House

8 Duncannon Street

London

WC2N 4JF

Tel+44 (0)20 7484 5014; Fax+44 (0)20 7484 5100

http://www.theopen-road.com

Notes

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