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A Corporate and Financial PR consultancy based in London
Olympic lessons for corporate and financial communications people
There were some great lessons for corporate and financial communications people to be learnt from the London Olympics, writes Caroline Cecil. Continue reading →
CIPR Corporate and Financial Group appoints new chairman
Annette Spencer, global head of media relations at law firm Salans, became chairman of the CIPR Corporate and Financial Group at the AGM yesterday, as Caroline Cecil stepped down from the role she has held for the last three years.
Previously Spencer has been head of public relations at first direct and ran the communications function at RSA.
Stepping down, Caroline will continue her association as deputy chairman. In her chairman’s statement, Caroline reported that membership of the group had doubled over the last five years and that the group was chosen as the 2011/12 CIPR sector group of the year.
“It’s a great privilege to take over the Chair of the Corporate and Financial Group from Caroline Cecil, who has done an outstanding job in developing the Group into its current strong and vibrant state,” explained Spencer. “People need to keep up their contacts and industry knowledge more than ever at this stage in the economic cycle, and the Corporate and Financial Group events offer a great forum to meet people in the industry. We have a strong programme of speakers planned for the upcoming lunchtime meetings, with representatives from the media, major industries and, of course, the Olympics. I look forward to building on the strong foundations Caroline has laid for the Group.”
“Annette is a professional communicator and a great ambassador for the industry,” explained outgoing chairman, Caroline Cecil, director of financial and corporate PR consultancy Caroline Cecil Associates. “She is an excellent choice for chairman of the CIPR Corporate and Financial Group, which has one of the best programmes around for financial and corporate PR people.”
People wishing to join the group should email Sue Owen (sueowen@corporate-financial.com)
Olympic Forum – CIPR Corporate and Financial Group
Caroline Cecil chaired the CIPR Corporate and Financial Group Olympic forum on Tuesday 17 April
The panel comprised:
Fiona Wilkinson, Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications, Visa Europe. Visa has been an Olympic sponsor since 1986 and also sponsors the Fifa World Cup
Thomas Coops, communications partner at Deloitte, Official Professional Services Provider to London 2012
Adrian Moorhouse, Olympian
Journalist Mihir Bose who has covered eight Olympics. His new book, The Spirit of the Game, looks at how sport has become a tool of business and government.
In advance of the London Games, the panel discussed how financial and professional firms can benefit from associating with the Olympics.
Financial services industry needs to explain
The need for the financial services industry to explain better how it connects with business and the economy was the main issue coming out of the recent CIPR Corporate and Financial Group Advisory Board discussion. By coincidence, the meeting chaired by Caroline Cecil was held on the day news of the removal of Fred Goodwin’s knighthood broke and the day after RBS announced that Stephen Hester was not taking his bonus. The CIPR Corporate and Financial Group will be looking at ways of encouraging better communication about the industry.
CIPR Corporate and Financial Group annual dinner
Speaking at the annual dinner of the CIPR Corporate and Financial Group on 3 November, group chairman Caroline Cecil called on communications’ people to encourage the companies they work for to step forward and explain the work they do. At a time when the business and financial world is under attack from all sides, she said that the business community, which is working to get the economy back on track, should use every opportunity to demonstrate the value of its work.
The guest speaker at the dinner was Peter Barron, Google’s director of external relations for Europe, the Middle East and Africa and former editor of Newsnight.
CIPR Corporate and Financial Group, chaired by Caroline Cecil, has won award
The CIPR Corporate and Financial Group, which is chaired by Caroline Cecil, has won an award.
The CIPR has chosen the group as the best sector group of the year. In its citation, the CIPR said: “The group continued to run their high quality and well attended monthly speaker programme, which featured speakers in 2010 to include Rt Hon John McFall MP, Treasury Select Committee; Richard Alderman, Serious Fraud Office and Edward McBride, The Economist. The committee also organised visits to The Guardian and No 10 Downing Street (which was an instant sell-out). The group also updated their financial PR guidelines at the end of 2010, with the new version of ‘Through The Thicket’ launched in early 2011.”
Caroline Cecil made a fellow of the CIPR
Caroline Cecil has been made a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations in recognition of her “outstanding work in public relations, service to the Institute and personal achievements within the profession”.
The definition of a newspaper
Chris Blackhurst, Evening Standard City Editor’s definition of a newspaper: “It asks you all to treat it like a friend – it makes you laugh, cry and understand, but, most importantly, it needs to be consistent so the reader knows what they are getting.”
How it began
In 1991 we were in the teeth of another recession. I had just come back from an around the world trip and decided to set up shop, even though the economic prospects were gloomy. As a glass half full person, I thought the ideal time to get started was when things were at the bottom. Fortunately, there were other optimistic people around and, when two of my former clients called to ask if I would work for them, I said yes. Quickly I got together with a small team of people who liked the idea of concentrating on clients without the other calls on your time that a larger business demands.
First on board was Roy Hodson who had just left the FT after a distinguished career. His experience stood us in good stead in ghosting articles and drafting press releases for clients. He was so good at winkling out stories and writing them concisely with a light touch. Continue reading →
Launch of financial PR guide
The third edition of the Corporate and Financial Group’s guide for those doing PR for listed companies, Through The Thicket, was launched recently. Copies are available from Sue Owen, sueowen@corporate-financial.com
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