UK telephone company, Ionica, which brought the administrators in
last week, has sent its five-strong in-house team home.
Some 600 out of 1,000 employees are expected to lose their jobs this
month after Ionica plc, the operating arm of Ionica Group plc, was
declared insolvent. Ian Morris, Ionica’s head of external affairs, is on
holiday and it is not known whether he and his team will be among those
made permanently redundant.
A source close to Ionica said: ’We suspect the company will be wound
down so their (the PR team’s) prospects aren’t bright.’ However, the
administrators, PricewaterhouseCoopers, are attempting to find potential
buyers - Alan Sugar is reported to be interested.
Finsbury has handled financial PR for two years and Countrywide Porter
Novelli’s Leeds office was appointed in June to handle consumer PR for
the roll-out of Ionica’s service across Yorkshire.
Finsbury is still retained by Ionica Group. Countrywide Leeds was told
last week that its contract was at an end as Ionica suspended marketing
activity.
