Former Birmingham Midshires PR chief Tony McGarahan is set to join
Australian insurance giant AMP as the firm seeks to expand its
group-level presence in the UK.
McGarahan starts as the firm’s first UK corporate relations director on
Monday. His move is one of several new key UK executive appointments and
follows recent press speculation that AMP may float on the London Stock
Exchange. It already has New Zealand and Australia listings.
In his new job, McGarahan will report to Sydney-based corporate affairs
senior vice-president Donna Staunton. He is expected to recruit staff in
due course.
McGarahan has been briefed to co-ordinate AMP’s internal and external
communications, investor relations, public affairs and corporate
citizenship, working closely with the PR heads of AMP’s UK operating
businesses.
These include Pearl Assurance, fund manager Henderson Investors and
London Life. AMP is also in the process of acquiring UK insurance firm
NPI, a deal which should be completed next year.
AMP has used Financial Dynamics as its single financial PR agency at
both group and operating company level since the beginning of this
year.
Pearl also employs Fishburn Hedges for public affairs advice.
McGarahan worked at Birmingham Midshires for eight years, until the
building society’s demutualisation and merger with the Halifax (PR Week,
28 May).
He previously worked at Paragon and in-house at Mecca Leisure and Legal
and General.
AMP counts assets of about pounds 75 billion and has six million
customers worldwide.
