UK’s leading public relations consultancy to provide services for Swiss and international clients
London and Geneva, 9 September 2008
Bell Pottinger today announced it has opened an office in Switzerland. Based in Geneva, the new business will provide communications advice and services to companies, organisations and individuals who are based in or who conduct activities in Switzerland. Bell Pottinger is the UK’s leading public relations consultancy, serving more than 600 major UK and international clients. Its parent company Chime Communications plc is quoted on the main market of the London Stock Exchange.
There are a number of compelling reasons why Bell Pottinger chose Switzerland as a suitable market to establish a new office:
- continental Europe’s largest financial centre
- the location for many multinationals’ regional corporate or research & development centres
- Europe’s primary base for the life sciences sector
- the growing presence of hedge funds and private equity firms
Kevin Murray, Chairman of Bell Pottinger Group, said:
“We believe that the new office in Switzerland opens up significant opportunities for us to service existing and prospective clients. We have an established track record in the three key sectors of the Swiss economy – healthcare, finance and consumer goods. Through the Geneva office, we can offer our clients a special combination of local Swiss knowledge, sector expertise, senior counsel and access to the global reach of our parent company.”
The Swiss office (www.bellpottinger.ch) will provide access to a range of communications services such as public relations, investor relations, public affairs, crisis management and corporate responsibility. Through the London office, the firm has been providing counsel to blue-chip Swiss organisations such as Richemont, Roche, Speedel, Team Alinghi and UBS.
Clients of the new office will benefit from a senior team with a track record of providing board-level corporate communications and investor relations advice to publicly-listed and privately owned businesses and professional firms, plus a deep understanding of the Swiss and international markets. The team is led by Nick Miles, newly appointed Managing Director Bell Pottinger Switzerland;
Charles Cook Deputy Chairman Bell Pottinger Corporate & Financial, Stephen Benzikie Managing Director Bell Pottinger Corporate & Financial, and Richard Anderson Chairman Bell Pottinger Health.
Enquiries:
Bell Pottinger Switzerland
Nick Miles
Managing Director
22 Rue du General-Dufour
PO Box 423
1211 Geneva 4
Tel : + 41 (0) 22 322 9504
Mobile : +41 (0) 79 678 76 26
Fax : + 41 (0) 22 322 9407
www.bellpottinger.ch
Bell Pottinger Group
Kevin Murray
Chairman
6th Floor – Holborn Gate
330 High Holborn
London WC1V 7QD
Tel: + 44 (0) 20 7861 2427
Fax: + 44 (0) 20 7861 3839
www.bellpottinger.co.uk
About Nick Miles, Managing Director Bell Pottinger Switzerland
Nick has worked in Switzerland since 1998, at a senior level in corporate communications and investor relations with Serono and Speedel, both leading biopharmaceutical companies. Previously he was based in London, advising companies in sectors such as nuclear energy, banking and satellites. Nick has experience with large public and small private companies in their regular communications programmes as well as capital markets transactions, crisis management, and M&A. His first career was in international banking.
About Bell Pottinger (www.bell-pottinger.co.uk)
The Public Relations division of Chime Communications plc comprises some of the leading names in the industry, including Bell Pottinger, Good Relations, Harvard, Insight, Resonate, De Facto and Corporate Citizenship. It is the ranked number 1 PR Group in the UK in the PR Week public relations consultancy league table for 2007. It serves more than 600 major UK and international brands, as well as governments, government departments, pharmaceutical and healthcare companies, charities, not-for-profit organisations, professional service firms, consumer brands and famous people.
About Chime Communications plc (www.chime.plc.uk)
The Chime Group helps clients create, manage, monitor and market their businesses, brands and reputations both in the UK and internationally.
Chime is the holding company for the UK’s leading public relations group, Bell Pottinger; the UK’s leading research and engagement group, Opinion Leader; and one of the fastest growing advertising and marketing services groups in the UK, that includes VCCP, Team spirit, TTA and Fast Track.
