Timeline
1990
Start of longest recession in the UK since the Great Depression.
Margaret Thatcher resigns.
London Business School becomes Caroline Cecil Associates’ first client.
Manweb asks us to research and write the electricity company’s first annual report post-privatisation.
FBC hires CCA to advise Visa International on its annual conference.
1991
Coalition forces invade Kuwait and Iraq in the First Gulf War.
Tim Berners-Lee and CERN create the world’s first website info.cern.ch.
The Soviet Union collapses.
Robert Maxwell found drowned after falling from his yacht.
NatWest hires CCA to advise on PR for the launch of its life assurance company.
1992
George Bush and Boris Yeltsin declare Cold War over.
Black Wednesday (16/9) – the UK leaves the European exchange rate mechanism.
Demon and Pipex bring dial-up internet access to the UK.
CCA organises young artists’ competition to design sculpture for NatWest Life’s offices.
We are retained as PR adviser to private equity firm Gresham Trust.
1993
The Maastricht Treaty takes effect, formally establishing the European Union.
CCA launches The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants’ ‘Costs of Business’ Survey in conjunction with the BBC’s ‘Financial World Tonight’.
CCA devises a campaign to support Coopers & Lybrand’s rescue plan for one of the world’s largest insurance insolvencies.
1994
South Africa holds its first fully multi-racial elections and Nelson Mandela becomes its first democratic president.
The Channel Tunnel opens.
First draw of Camelot National Lottery.
The Chartered Institute of Taxation appoints CCA to raise its profile.
1995
Rogue trader Nick Leeson causes the collapse of Barings.
CCA receives first email.
Fleming Investment Management retains CCA as its PR adviser and we successfully promote its defined contribution pensions plans.
1996
Massacre at Dunblane School, near Stirling, results in deaths of 16 children and one teacher.
Pearl Assurance calls in CCA to advise on a major and highly sensitive communications programme, leading to a Plain English Campaign award.
1997
Labour wins a landslide election victory and, soon after, grants independence to the Bank of England.
CCA works with management consultancy Monitor Company, co-founded by Michael Porter, to raise its profile.
1998
Google opens its first office in California.
CCA is hired by Westminster Abbey to advise on communications strategy with regard to a sensitive employment issue.
Caroline Cecil becomes Reform Club Media Group secretary.
CCA promotes launch of The Low Incomes Tax Reform Group.
1999
First BlackBerry email pager launched.
CCA writes, redesigns and rationalises Cheltenham & Gloucester’s most important communication - the annual mortgage mailing.
We launch and produce PricewaterhouseCoopers’ in-house newsletter to improve worldwide communications across its Business Recovery Services team.
2000
The Y2K Millennium computer bug fails to bite but the ‘Dot Com’ bubble bursts.
Broadband arrives in the UK.
SG Hambros retains CCA to raise the profile of the newly merged wealth management group.
2001
9/11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington DC lead to conflict in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The FTSE 100 falls 5% on news of the attacks, its biggest one-day fall since 1987.
Wikipedia launches.
CCA promotes Directorbank-sponsored report on the management buy-in process and creates new website for career strategy adviser Stork and May.
2002
The Euro currency goes into circulation.
The Queen Mother dies.
Construction law firm Fenwick Elliott hires CCA for PR, marketing, communications and corporate identity advice.
2003
Coalition forces invade Iraq.
LinkedIn launches.
England wins the Rugby World Cup.
TetraPak hires CCA to carry out a benchmarking research study and to train the in-house team to handle the tracking research.
2004
The Indian Ocean tsunami devastates parts of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand.
Private equity specialist Graphite Capital appoints CCA to handle its PR.
CCA promotes voyage of eighth century replica ship, the Borobudur, which retraces 11,000 mile ancient trading route from Jakarta to Ghana.
2005
England regains the Ashes.
CCA advises on the PR for the AIM launch of drugs development company ImmuPharma and gives it a new corporate identity.
We launch PR Bootcamp for SMEs.
2006
Twitter launches and Facebook is opened to the public.
CCA helps the Medical Research Council to communicate a major reorganisation.
We provide advice for Imperial College’s centenary fund raising campaign.
2007
The Bank of England revelation that it had provided emergency funding to Northern Rock leads to the first run on a British bank since 1866.
Apple launches the first iPhone.
CCA starts work to raise the profile of private equity firm Bowmark Capital.
2008
Credit crunch ends a record run of unbroken economic growth lasting 16 years and puts UK into deepest recession since the Second World War.
Barack Obama becomes the first black president of the USA.
Android phone launched by HTC.
CCA starts profile-raising campaign for international culture change consultancy Senn Delaney.
2009
NATO celebrates its 60th anniversary.
Michael Jackson dies.
Caroline Cecil becomes chairman of Chartered Institute of Public Relations’ Corporate and Financial Group.
2010
BP oil rig explodes in the Gulf of Mexico.
First UK coalition government since the Second World War.
Apple launches the iPad.
The first stirring of the Arab Spring in Tunisia; Twitter fans the flames.
Hiscox and CCA start revamping the annual Hiscox ‘DNA of an Entrepreneur’ report.
2011
British troops leave Iraq.
Osama bin Laden is killed by US Navy SEAL.
CIPR Corporate and Financial Group wins award under Caroline Cecil’s chairmanship.
Caroline Cecil is awarded Fellowship of the CIPR.
2012
3D printing becomes a reality as American firearms maker releases downloadable files to make a hand gun.
London hosts the Olympics.
Specialist direct lender Beechbrook Capital hires CCA to handle its PR.
McBride plc briefs us to advise on the internal communication of a major reorganisation.
We carry out research among international opinion leaders on behalf of Acanchi (which advises countries on their brand capital development) for Dubai’s successful 2020 World Expo bid.
2013
Margaret Thatcher dies.
Andy Murray becomes first British male Wimbledon champion in 77 years.
‘Selfie’ added to the dictionary.
CCA provides letter-writing training for the Legal Services Commission.
2014
Scotland narrowly votes to stay in the United Kingdom.
British troops leave Afghanistan.
Fund raising consultant Marts & Lundy appoints CCA to advise on its UK launch.
2015
The world strikes a deal on climate change: 195 countries sign the Paris Climate Accord.
Europe is hit by a wave of nearly one million refugees.
CCA refreshes the brand and develops new marketing material.
2016
The United Kingdom votes to leave the European Union.
Donald Trump becomes the first President Elect of the USA who has not served as a politician or in the armed forces. The Republicans control both the House of Representatives and the Senate for the first time since 1928.
CCA advises two leading British institutions: for one, advising on a communications plan to overcome a barrage of criticism and, for another, creating and running a prestigious anniversary event.
2017
Seventy-one people lose their lives in the Grenfell Tower fire.
Terrorist attacks in Manchester and London.
CCA works with Hiscox to devise and produce its first annual international Cyber Readiness report.
2018
British prime minister Theresa May dances on the Brexit tight rope as negotiations go on and on and on …
The effects of the Time’s Up organisation, founded in Hollywood to end sexual abuse in the industry, create waves in the business world.
CCA devises and implements a successful marketing communications and media relations campaign for BFS’s launch of a revolutionary new initiative.
2019
MPs pass the Brexit withdrawal agreement bill after the Conservatives win General Election and Boris Johnson becomes UK prime minister.
CCA clients complete successful fund raisings against an uncertain economic outlook.
2020
The coronavirus originates in China and locks down the world.
Caroline Cecil Associates celebrates 30th anniversary.
2021
The world continues to struggle against the coronavirus.
The CCA-authored Hiscox international Cyber Readiness report goes into its fifth edition.
2022
Russia invades Ukraine
CCA advises on a major project involving government and the private sector.