Despite only being in the job a few days, Lloyd’s of London’s new
media relations manager Adrian Beeby received an award last week. Lloyds
was ranked as the fifth-best insurance press team in the country
according to a poll organised by the Association of British Insurers
(ABI).
Although the awards took place last week, voting occurred between April
and June, before a cull in the Lloyd’s press office, which saw six
communications staff including media relations manager Nick Doak and
corporate communications head Peter Hill, leave.
The ABI award was the result of voting from over 80 financial
journalists writing for national and trade journals.
A spokesman for the ABI accepts that the award was not representative of
the present operation at Lloyd’s. ’The award is retrospective so they
have every right to receive it,’ he says.
The ABI’s financial awards are dished out every year and the ABI
relinquishes any responsibility on this occasion. ’It takes time to do
these things and it was accurate at the time,’ the spokesman pleads.
After relying largely on the services of its financial PR agency College
Hill, Lloyd’s has obviously recognised the need for a strong in-house
team too, with Beeby’s appointment.