Journalists take top posts at UBS
Investment bank UBS is boosting its four-strong corporate communications
department with two senior appointments. Damien McCrystal, City diarist
on the Daily Telegraph and Simon Pincombe, financial journalist on the
Independent are set to join the firm early next year. Both will report
to head of corporate PR Lisa Spiro.
Carlsberg-Tetley revamps PR structure
Carlsberg-Tetley’s centralised its public relations structure this week
as part of a move to concentrate its marketing efforts on its core
brands Tetley Bitter and Carlsberg. PR managers in Leeds, Scotland and
Burton-on-Trent will now report directly to corporate PR manager Linda
Bain, rather than local marketing heads. ‘Carlsberg-Tetley is conducting
a thorough business review. It is important that PR reflects this,’ said
Bain.
The Communication Group hires Caine
Jonathan Caine, former special adviser to Secretary of State for
Northern Ireland Patrick Mayhew, has been appointed a director of The
Communication Group’s government and political affairs division. Caine,
whose brief is to work closely on contacts with the Conservative Party,
will report to the division’s managing director Peter Bingle.
Spybey to head PR at Silicon Graphics
Leading computer graphics firm Silicon Graphics has hired Andrew Spybey
to the new post of public relations manager for the UK. Spybey has been
hired following his departure from US-owned computer giant Digital
Equipment Corporation in July, where he held the same role. The company
is the dominant supplier of special effects technology to the UK TV and
film industry.
Helms steps down from top transport post
The Department of Transport’s head of information Martin Helms is to
take voluntary redundancy, and hand over his post in command of 39 staff
to successor David McMillan in December. Helm, 47, said he was taking
advantage of the ‘generosity of the Department’s voluntary redundancy
programme’ and would be seeking an in-house or consultancy role in the
private sector.
FD behind Harnishchfeger bid success
Financial Dynamics has emerged as the winning PR agency behind
Harnischfeger Industries’ successful bid for UK rivals Dobson Park
Indust-ries.The US mining equipment manufacturer appointed FD in August
when news of the pounds 203.6 million takeover first broke. FD chief
executive Nick Miles confirmed that the consultancy has been awarded an
additional success fee following the close of the deal last week. ‘It is
a success-based fee related to the size of the transaction which was
relatively modest,’ he said.
Partridge, Muir & Warren hire Polhill
Financial product designer Partridge, Muir & Warren has appointed
Polhill Communications to handle its PR, in a bid to raise its profile
in the financial services sector. The move comes as the company, which
has previously designed products branded for independent financial
intermediaries, prepares to launch a range of own-brand products.
Corrections
Following last week’s story ‘Pill crisis expert calls in Manning Selvage
and Lee’, we would like to make it clear that research carried out by
Professor Walter Spitzer was funded by drugs company Schering AG and not
Schering Plough as stated. VNU magazine Busines Age has also asked us
to point out that Fiona Harold PR is not, as suggested in last week’s
issue, the title’s first PR consultant. Business Age has previously used
Olivia Warrington as PR consultant to the magazine.
