Transport for London has appointed its first permanent media
relations team.
TfL head of media relations Lesley McLeod, who reports to transport
commissioner Bob Kiley, has recruited mainly from government departments
and political parties to fill the seven posts.
Her deputy has been named as Dean Fell, who was a communications officer
at what was then the Department for Education and Employment. He also
worked at the former Department for the Environment, Transport and the
Regions on integrated transport issues.
As deputy head of media relations, he reports to McLeod and heads the
three-strong corporate press team, which includes PROs William Parkes
and Stuart Ross.
Parkes joined two months ago after a spell in Labour's media rebuttal
unit during the general election campaign.
Ross joined TfL in December last year and has been part of the temporary
media relations team, which was headed by consultant Chris Bailey.
Also joining the new team is Stephen Webb, who has taken the post of
senior press officer, briefed with looking at long term transport
strategy.
This was highlighted as a key role by McLeod when she joined from the
Department of Culture, Media and Sport, where she was head of news, in
June (PRWeek, 29 June).
The final three posts involve PROs covering issues relating to specific
modes of transport.
Venessa Finneran, deputy head of media for Iain Duncan Smith's
successful Tory leadership bid, has joined to handle rail issues.
Jeremy Cuthbert, formerly at the then DfEE's press office, covers road
issues. Metin Enver, who joins from the Association of Anaesthetists,
will handle issues relating to bus services.
TfL is campaigning with London mayor Ken Livingstone to halt the
Government's plans to run the Tube through a public-private-partnership.
