Kevin Read - Managing Director
Kevin, a former political speech writer and management lecturer, is managing director of Bell Pottinger Business & Brand.
His main focus is on resolving complex, international communications problems, shaping fresh, modern strategies and implementing integrated solutions that are typically spearheaded by PR.
He has more than 15 years senior consultancy experience and specialises in strategic planning and providing senior level business counsel.
He has worked extensively for leading global brands (HSBC, British Gas, and Unilever), a wide array of industry bodies (Nuclear, Food, Telecomms, Cosmetics, Drinks), government departments, NGOs and professional services firms (Hammonds, Ince, Fairplace, Black & Veatch).
He is a member the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, the Chartered Institute of Marketing, and acts as PR senior examiner for the CAM Foundation. He is also a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
Christine Johnson - Director
A senior communications consultant, Christine has extensive experience of managing and delivering communications strategies for a range of public sector and not for profit organisations both in-house and agency side.
Since joining Bell Pottinger, her client experience has included: the government’s Skills for Business network; the John Templeton Foundation, a US-based academic and scientific grant giving body; Employment Opportunities, a national charity for people with disabilities; YouthNet, an online charity for young people.
She also has broad experience of working with international B2B and professional service clients, such as HSBC Insurance, part of HSBC Holdings plc and Merrill Legal Solutions, part of the US-based Merrill Corporation.
Christine is a member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations.
Steve Double - Director
Steve has substantial experience of working for global brands having held senior communications positions with British Airways, the Football Association and Cable and Wireless before joining Bell Pottinger in 2006. He was previously a national newspaper journalist for the Daily Mail and the Mirror Group.
His clients have included Emirates Airline, BAE Systems, Dubai Aerospace Enterprise, satellite communications company Inmarsat, global commodity trader Trafigura and the McLaren Formula One team.
Adam Powell - Associate Director
Adam has a dozen years experience in the communications industry, with a career spanning journalism, press and public relations.
He worked for the Daily Mail as a reporter and news editor before joining the Confederation of British Industry as a senior communications adviser.
Adam has first hand knowledge of how media thinks and operates, and experience of the managing reputations in the world of business and politics.
He works on a range of UK and international clients.
Neil Cameron - Associate Director
Neil has more than 11 years’ communications experience. He has provided public relations, issues and crisis management services to a wide range of national and international organisations.
Neil has worked across a wide range of sectors, including sport, property, construction, energy, transport and education.
Current clients include the Madrid 2016 Olympic bid team, commodities trader Trafigura and the European Community.
Nico de Klerk - Associate Director
Nico has worked for more than 12 years in communications. He specialises in media relations, corporate positioning, and brand reputation. He has strong experience of helping clients to communicate complex issues to wide stakeholder audiences and directing high profile national and global media campaigns.
He has represented clients across a wide variety of industries including education, healthcare, government, financial and professional services, transportation and the non-for-profit sector.
Specialising in B2B communications his client experience include: HSBC Insurance, Prudential, Department of Trade & Industry, Office of Fair Trading, Nuffield Hospitals and Blue Arrow.
Neville Rawlings - Associate Director
Neville’s track record in communications spans 20 plus years, both in house and agency side. His work has predominantly been in the business-to-business TMT (telecoms, media and technology) sector. Prior to joining Bell Pottinger, he provided in house PR management at Cable & Wireless’s Corporate and Public Affairs department and more recently managed Microsoft’s UK press centre.
Client activity to date spans Dubai Aerospace Enterprise, Inmarsat, Qatar Financial Centre and Donovan Data Systems.
Neville is a member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations.
David Wilson - Chairman
David Wilson has vast experience from agency and corporate life. Among his client responsibilities, he is helping Emirates Airline become one of the world’s fastest growing brands with a global communications strategy and approach. David is a specialist in the aerospace and travel arena but also represents clients across a range of industry sectors.
Before joining Bell Pottinger he was Head of Communications for Pfizer UK, the world’s biggest pharmaceutical company. As Head of News at British Airways, David managed the carrier’s worldwide reputation and later as Managing Editor of BATV drove an award-winning business TV channel for the airline’s 60,000 staff. David began his PR career at P&O Ferries during the build-up and subsequent opening of the Channel tunnel, having originally trained as a journalist.
Alex Woolfall - Head of Issues and Crisis Management
Alex has over 20 years’ experience of working in public relations and is a specialist in issues and crisis management. He helps clients identify risks to their business and plan for them. He also helps clients respond to and manage crises and recover thereafter.
Alex's experience covers deliberate sabotage and accidental contamination of products (from food to pharmaceuticals); accident, injury and death in the workplace; allegations of corporate manslaughter; product recalls; corporate fraud and theft; pension fund scandals; court cases and employment tribunals; redundancy and closure announcements; liquidation or administration of businesses; the use of illegal and/or child labour; grey market and counterfeiting issues; medical negligence; regulatory breaches, mislabelling of products and controversial introduction of novel foods (ie. genetically modified foods/GMOs); abduction and robberies and a terrorist related activities.
Alex's current clients include Coca-Cola, Roche, the National Trust, Mark Warner and the Federation Equestre Internationale.
Charlie Hampton - Account Director
Charlie has 12 years experience in communications. He specialises in corporate and consumer media relations for a mix of transport and travel clients, working with a wide range of media contacts covering the aviation, travel, transport and business sectors.
He also has extensive experience in driving international media coverage for clients through day-to-day management of an international network of PR agencies.
He currently works across a number of accounts including Emirates, VLM Airlines, Canadian Affair, Lease Corporation International and AeroMobile.
James Carron - Account Director
James has a wealth of experience in corporate and political communications.
Prior to joining Bell Pottinger Business & Brand, he provided research for Members of Parliament on International Affairs and Defence matters and, more recently, worked in political consultancy, representing major clients on a wide range of issues including energy, defence, transport, financial services, and IT.
Client activity to date includes the John Templeton Foundation, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, Blue Arrow and the Food and Drink Federation.
Stuart Disbrey - Account Director
Stuart has more than 15 years' experience in communications, firstly as a successful local newspaper journalist in the south east before 'jumping the fence' to work agency side. He has a strong track record of media relations across a broad spectrum of sectors aided by a highly developed news sense. His experience encompasses a broad spectrum of media relations and related marketing disciplines, from public affairs to literature design, event organisation to speech writing. His business-to-business work has included representing charities, public and private sector organisations, ranging from start-ups to major multi nationals.
Client activity with Bell Pottinger Business & Brand includes HSBC Insurance, Benoy, Davenport Lyons and the Doha Debates.
