David Wright, former managing director of Citigate Communications,
is to step down to focus on his role as group chief executive of
Citigate’s parent company Incepta.
He will be replaced by Simon Brocklebank-Fowler, managing director of
Citigate Corporate. The agency has restructured its operations with a
merger of its financial and corporate divisions.
The merger creates a single consultancy with 150 clients, fee income of
pounds 7 million and 80 staff. It also has offices in New York, San
Francisco, Boston, South Africa, and Hong Kong. Brocklebank-Fowler will
head the merged consultancy, which will be known as Citigate
Communications and Jonathan Clare, formerly deputy managing director of
Citigate Communications, becomes chairman.
Brocklebank-Fowler said: ’We have recognised the advantages of unifying
the two divisions. The synergies between financial and corporate are
clear and the merger will also provide a unified critical mass in
management terms.’
Around 40 of Citigate’s clients are based in mainland Europe and
Brocklebank-Fowler believes the changes will help Citigate to build on
international business.
Wright is expected to focus on growing the Incepta group abroad and
through acquisitions. In the past two years it is believed to have
considered making approaches to Dewe Rogerson, Gavin Anderson, and Lopex
- although none of these deal materialised. Having so far failed to make
a major acquisition within the PR or marketing services sectors, the
group is keen to address thesituation.
The restructuring coincides with the appointment of Philip Robinson,
currently City news editor of the Daily Telegraph, as a director of
Citigate.
