Our people
Led by Caroline Cecil, our team is very experienced. We bring a range of skills to bear:
-
an understanding of the issues facing organisations built up from working at a senior level in-house, as external consultants, or in the media as senior journalists;
-
the ability to identify what will be of interest and newsworthy, and to shape messages for different audiences;
-
excellent writing and training skills;
-
and excellent media contacts.
Caroline Cecil
Founder and communications consultant
Caroline Cecil is the main point of contact for all clients. She has over 30 years’ experience of corporate communications, both in-house and consultancy-based. Before setting up Caroline Cecil Associates, she was a board director at Valin Pollen (now Kreab Gavin Anderson), responsible for some of the agency’s largest accounts, including NatWest and Visa International. She has served as chairman of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations’ Corporate and Financial Group, which she transformed into an award-winning industry body, and as a Fellow of the Institute. She is also vice-chairman of the Reform Club Media Group and regularly judges industry awards.
Patricia Knox
Strategy and editorial consultant
Patricia Knox became a communications consultant following a long career in the media. She was assistant city editor of the London Evening Standard and then chief press officer of the London Stock Exchange before moving to consultancy. She has provided strategic planning advice and copywriting skills to a wide range of Caroline Cecil Associates' corporate, financial, professional services and institutional clients for the last 17 years.
Rose Chisholm
Account coordinator
Rose Chisholm keeps us all on the ball. She is an expert organiser, having had a career as a press officer and administrator, before setting up and running her own small business.
Susannah Ross
Trainer and writer
Peter Shearlock
Media and presentation trainer, editorial
and strategy consultant
Peter Shearlock has 40 years’ experience in financial journalism, publishing and consultancy. Among other positions, he worked at the Sunday Telegraph, and the Sunday Times as city editor. He launched and sold his own financial newsletter group and later set up Equity International, the magazine for institutional investors. He has worked with Caroline Cecil Associates for many years, advising on media relations and providing media training. He also writes speeches and corporate material.
Fiona Wilkinson
Strategy and communications consultant
Fiona Wilkinson has a 35 year track record in business, including board level roles at Visa Europe, most recently as chief communications officer. She has extensive experience of external and internal communications, risk, reputation and issues management, as well as sales, marketing and change management. She is a non-executive director of banking and payments company Contis Group, an accredited coach, and a trustee of Speakers Trust.
Mike Tate
Strategy and communications consultant
Mike Tate was, until 2005, director of communications at a major support services company after spending four years as a director of a leading financial PR consultancy. This followed 25 years in financial journalism, including as city editor at The Times and in senior roles with the Observer and Daily Telegraph. He covered a wide range of issues from major City takeovers and flotations to company collapses and frauds.
Susannah Ross was a BBC journalist for 20 years before becoming an independent consultant and trainer, specialising in websites. She is the author of ‘Writing for the Web’ (Chambers Desktop Guides) and has done editorial work on a number of websites, including writing online training modules. For 12 years Susannah provided BBC Training with regular writing courses and has run numerous courses in letter and report-writing.
Testimonial - CIPR Corporate and Financial Group member
“I’m hugely impressed with the difference you have made.”