Grayling

prweek.com, Wednesday, 05 December 2012, 5:00pm,

Grayling substantially expanded its international client base in the past 12 months, with new business from the Ryder Cup Europe and European corporate work for Hilton Worldwide, London City Airport, Western Union and the European Commission.

Tee time: Golfer Paul Lawrie with the Ryder cup

Global head Michael Murphy

Ownership Huntsworth

Fastest growing offices Shanghai, Doha, New York

Key clients Qatar Foundation, Kapsch, British Airways

It also won the global account for Lloyds TSB and consumer work for Marks & Spencer in the UK.

The agency expanded its global network with the opening of a Shanghai office, which attained 15 clients in its first nine months of operation, including Diageo, Heineken and Allianz. Grayling hired Wolfgang Lang as CEO for its German office, to replace outgoing Hanning Kempe, who joined Fleishman-Hillard. Stephan Oehen was recruited to head the agency's Switzerland office.

Longstanding employee James Acheson-Gray left his role of MD of the London base to join APCO. CEO Michael Murphy announced he would be stepping down and would take on a part-time chairman role when a new CEO is recruited.