Shandwick public affairs new boy, director Alan Butler, is taking
the concept of employee commitment to new limits.
In order to secure a sexy new contract with PricewaterhouseCoopers,
Butler cut short his holiday in Dubai by three days to rush back for the
final pitch.
Butler tells me, with just a hint of lobbyist’s licence, that,
Bond-like, he literally jumped off a camel’s back and onto an aeroplane
in the burning 38 degree heat.
’I took a call in a tent in the luxury desert resort of Al Maha from
(Shandwick director) Juliet Carey to ask if I could come in for the
final pitch. I’d just got off my camel. That’s dedication for you,’ he
quips.
Was this a mere show of dedication, or is Butler already feeling the
heat of that special brand of Shandwick pressure?
If I remember rightly, he was hired from rival lobby shop GJW earlier
this year on the understanding that he would bring in financial services
clients.
Either way, Butler’s efforts were obviously worth it: Shandwick walked
off with the account, beating six agencies to it. This boy will go far.
