Difference between revisions of "Financial Dynamics"

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FD, formerly known as Financial Dynamics, is a financial PR firm. It has offices in Europe, the US, Asia, the Middle East and South Africa.
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{{Template:Mining and Metals badge}}{{Template:NuclearSpin}}
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'''Financial Dynamics''', also known as simply '''FD''', was a financial and corporate PR and lobbying firm with offices in Europe, the US, Asia, the Middle East and South Africa. It was bought by business advisory firm [[FTI Consulting]] in 2006, which now offers lobbying services under its name.
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Its lobbying arm was called [[FD Public Affairs]].
  
 
==History==
 
==History==
It was formerly part of the [[Cordiant]] Group which was taken over by [[WPP]] in 2003 at which point Financial Dyamnics undertook a Management Buy Out.
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It was formerly part of the [[Cordiant]] Group which was taken over by [[WPP]] in 2003 at which point Financial Dyamnics undertook a Management Buy Out. In September 2006, it was then acquired for £139m by US firm [[FTI Consulting]]. PR Week called the deal significant “because the buyer, FTI, is an economic and management consultancy, rather than a marketing services group”. The Financial Times wrote that the deal underlies “the increasing value that corporate clients place on issues such as reputation management.”<ref>Daniel Rogers, “FD Sale is Watershed for Comms Industry”, PR Week, September 15, 2006, p19</ref> 
  
In 2005 it acquired [[LLM Communications]], a PR company with close links to the [[Labour Party]]. The renamed agency, FD-LLM, included co-founder of LLM [[Jon Mendelsohn]], a former adviser to Tony Blair.<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2007/nov/28/labour.uk2]</ref> In August 2007, Mendelsohn left the company to become director of General Election resources at the Labour Party and its chief fundraiser. Mendelsohn was later embroiled in Labour’s funding scandal, and faced calls to quit in December 2007 after it was alleged he knew of funding arrangements to fund the Labour party through intermediaries.<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2007/nov/28/labour.uk4]</ref>  
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In 2005 it acquired [[LLM Communications]], a PR company with close links to the [[Labour Party]]. The renamed agency, FD-LLM, included co-founder of LLM [[Jon Mendelsohn]], a former adviser to Tony Blair. In August 2007, Mendelsohn left the company to become director of General Election resources at the Labour Party and its chief fundraiser. Mendelsohn was later embroiled in Labour’s funding scandal, and faced calls to quit in December 2007 after it was alleged he knew of funding arrangements to fund the Labour party through intermediaries.<ref>Haroon Siddique, "'Ethical lobbyist' caught up in donations row",[http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2007/nov/28/labour.uk2 ''The Guardian''], 28 November, 2007.</ref>  
  
In December 2005 FD acquired [[Dittus Communications]], a Washington DC based lobbying firm [http://www.fd.com/admin/upload/uploaded_files/press39.pdf].
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In December 2005 FD acquired [[Dittus Communications]], a Washington DC based lobbying firm <ref>FD [http://www.fd.com/admin/upload/uploaded_files/press39.pdf PRESS RELEASE Financial Dynamics Acquires Dittus Communications, Expands Global Public Affairs Practice] NEW YORK AND WASHINGTON DC – December 5, 2005</ref>.
  
Dittus is headed up by Gloria Dittus, “known locally for both her PR skills and party-hosting prowess.” <ref>[http://www.hillnews.com/thehill/export/TheHill/Business/120605_dittus.html The Hill]</ref> By its own admission, Dittus has “been involved in many controversial campaigns including nuclear waste disposal, food safety and protecting legal immigration.”  
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Dittus is headed up by [[Gloria Dittus]], “known locally for both her PR skills and party-hosting prowess.” <ref>[http://www.hillnews.com/thehill/export/TheHill/Business/120605_dittus.html The Hill]</ref> By its own admission, Dittus has “been involved in many controversial campaigns including nuclear waste disposal, food safety and protecting legal immigration.”  
  
In a proposal sent to Philip Morris, the company outlined its proposed approach to promoting tobacco industry supported legislation on dealing with youth smoking including the use of “third parties” in its PR campaign.  
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In a proposal sent to tobacco firm [[Philip Morris]], Dittus outlined its proposed approach to promoting tobacco industry supported legislation on dealing with youth smoking. It included the use of “third parties” in its PR campaign. Later in its proposals it outlines it credentials for the benefit of Philip Morris. “Our principals have played critical roles in campaigns concerning the recent debate on legal immigration, electricity deregulation security over the Internet, telecommunications deregulation, product liability reform, the BTU tax, licensing the Seabrook nuclear power plant, reforming the nation’s agriculture and housing programs, and public policy issues impacting the American software industry.”<ref>[http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/cgi/getdoc?tid=wee76c00&fmt=pdf&ref=results Legacy Library]</ref>   
Later in its proposals it outlines it credentials for the benefit of PM. “Our principals have played critical roles in campaigns concerning the recent debate on legal immigration, electricity deregulation security over the Internet, telecommunications deregulation, product liability reform, the BTU tax, licensing the Seabrook nuclear power plant, reforming the nation’s agriculture and housing programs, and public policy issues impacting the American software industry.”<ref>[http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/cgi/getdoc?tid=wee76c00&fmt=pdf&ref=results Legacy Library]</ref>   
 
  
FD's former managing director [[Nick Miles]] had an "acrimonious split" from the company in 2002 and went on to form [[M Communications]]. (''The Daily Telegraph'', August 20, 2004)
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FD's former managing director [[Nick Miles]] had an "acrimonious split" from the company in 2002 and went on to form [[M Communications]].<ref>The Daily Telegraph, August 20, 2004</ref>
  
 
==Clients==
 
==Clients==
Financial Dynamics is Shell’s external PR company in Ireland. In the country, Shell is currently involved in the extremely controversial proposed Corrib pipeline that will deliver natural gas from 80 kilometers off the Mayo coast to the mainland. For two years, campaigners have demanded that Shell reroute the pipeline away from a rural hamlet called Rossport and build the processing facility offshore. This culminated in 2005 with five men “the Rossport five” spending 94 days in jail for refusing to observe a court order. There have been repeated allegations of police brutality against the protestors.<ref>[http://www.corribsos.com Corribsos.com]</ref><ref>[http://www.publicinquiry.ie/pdf/Fiosru_2_LOW_RES_Final.pdf]</ref><ref>[http://indymedia.ie/article/79054 Indy Media]</ref>  
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FD advises more than 250 clients, ranging from fast-growing entrepreneurial businesses to the largest corporations, professional firms and public bodies.<ref>[http://www.fd.com/offices/uk.php FD website], accessed Feb 2009</ref>
  
In December 2002, the UK Ministry of Defence was accused of using “dirty tricks” in its negotiations with BAE Systems over two controversial military contracts worth £5 billion. The MOD hired Financial Dynamics along with investment bank UBS Warburg, to assist it in its negotiations with BAE over cost overruns. BAE executives said the use of Warburg and FD constituted “utterly inappropriate” tactics, which were labeled by a BAE source talking to the Observer as “clearly dirty tricks.<ref>Oliver Morgan, “MoD's 'Dirty Tricks' - BAE: Whitehall Hired City Advisers in ‘Utterly Inappropriate’ Move Against Defence Giant”, The Observer, December 15, 2002, Business Pages, p1</ref>
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*[[Shell]] Financial Dynamics is Shell’s external PR company in Ireland. In the country, [[Shell]] has been involved in the extremely controversial proposed Corrib pipeline that will deliver natural gas from 80 kilometers off the Mayo coast to the mainland. For two years, campaigners have demanded that Shell reroute the pipeline away from a rural hamlet called Rossport and build the processing facility offshore. This culminated in 2005 with five men “the Rossport five” spending 94 days in jail for refusing to observe a court order. There have been repeated allegations of police brutality against the protestors.<ref>[http://www.corribsos.com Corribsos.com]</ref><ref>[http://www.publicinquiry.ie/pdf/Fiosru_2_LOW_RES_Final.pdf Centre For Public Inquiry website]</ref><ref>[http://indymedia.ie/article/79054 Indy Media]</ref>  
  
Financial Dynamics is the sole PR company for British Energy, one of the key companies pushing for a nuclear revival. It was reportedly paid £1m for the contract.   
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*[[Ministry of Defence]] ([[MOD]]) In December 2002, the UK Ministry of Defence was accused of using “dirty tricks” in its negotiations with [[BAE Systems]] over two controversial military contracts worth £5 billion. The MOD hired Financial Dynamics along with investment bank [[UBS Warburg]], to assist it in its negotiations with BAE over cost overruns. BAE executives said the use of Warburg and FD constituted “utterly inappropriate” tactics, which were labeled by a BAE source talking to ''The Observer'' as “clearly dirty tricks.”<ref>Oliver Morgan, “MoD's 'Dirty Tricks' - BAE: Whitehall Hired City Advisers in ‘Utterly Inappropriate’ Move Against Defence Giant”, ''The Observer'', 15 December, 2002, Business Pages, p. 1.</ref>  
  
In early 2006, Financial Dynamics became the first major financial communications firm to move into Russia.  Later that year, in October the Russian metal-producing leviathan Rusal brought in FD to help steer it through a three-way merger to create the world's largest aluminum firm. The following month it was announced that Rusal is to face legal action in Britain over allegations of computer hacking. The company has also faced accusations of polluting the health of densely populated areas of Uzbekistan.  
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*[[British Energy]] Financial Dynamics is the PR company for [[British Energy]], one of the key companies pushing for a nuclear revival. It was reportedly paid £1m for the contract.<ref>[http://www.newstatesman.com/Ideas/200505230004 New Statesman]</ref>
  
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*[[OSI Group]]- A global food business running beef and poultry operations in Brazil, some of which were bought by [[Marfrig]] (the largest Beef processor in Uruguay and Argentina) in 2008<ref>PR Newswire, June 23, 2008 [http://www.investegate.co.uk/article.aspx?id=20080623153600NQ530 Brazilian Company Acquires US Food Group's UK and Brazilian Poultry Business] Accessed 14/07/10</ref>
  
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===Mining and Metals===
  
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*[[Anglo American]] joined FD between 2007 and 9<ref>Alec Mattinson,PR Week, November 20, 2009 [http://www.prweek.com/channel/ConsumerEntertainment/article/968007/Mining%20firm%20Anglo%20American%20hands%20UK%20account%20back%20to%20Brunswick/ Anglo American hands UK account back to Brunswick] Accessed 14/07/10</ref>.
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*[[Central African Mining  & Exploration Company]]<ref>PR Week, October 2, 2009 [http://prweek.com/uk/news/1007350/City---Corporate-Week-City---Corporate/ The Week in City & Corporate] Accessed 14/07/10</ref>
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*[[Rusal]] used FD during their takeover of [[Glencore]] and [[Sual]] in 2006<ref>PR WeekOctober 20, 2006 [http://www.prweek.com/news/rss/598825/FD-lands-Rusal-merger-role/ FD lands Rusal merger role] Accessed 14/07/10</ref>
  
==Nuclear links==
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==People==
  
FD has [[British Energy]] as a client.
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*[[Jonathan Hawker]] Senior Managing Director<ref>LinkedIn profile [http://uk.linkedin.com/pub/jonathan-hawker/b/75b/967 Jonathan Hawker] Accessed 09/07/10</ref>.
 
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*[[Giles Sanderson]] Senior financial director from approx 1995 until 2010, when he left to join [[NewMarket Partners]]<ref>Alec Mattinson, PR Week UK, 29 January 2010 [http://www.prweek.com/uk/news/979995/Giles-Sanderson-leave-FD-role-management-consultancy-role/ 'Giles Sanderson to leave FD role for management consultancy role'] Accessed 14/07/10</ref>
[[Category:Nuclear PR, lobbying and consultancy firms]]
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*[[David Yates]] MD of life sciences team, left autumn 2009<ref>Alec Mattinson, PR Week UK, 29 January 2010 [http://www.prweek.com/uk/news/979995/Giles-Sanderson-leave-FD-role-management-consultancy-role/ 'Giles Sanderson to leave FD role for management consultancy role'] Accessed 14/07/10</ref>.
[[Category: Public relations firms]][[Category:Lobbying firms]]
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*[[John Waples]] Senior MD. formerly business editor of The [[Sunday Times]]<ref>Alec Mattinson, PR Week UK, 29 January 2010 [http://www.prweek.com/uk/news/979995/Giles-Sanderson-leave-FD-role-management-consultancy-role/ 'Giles Sanderson to leave FD role for management consultancy role'] Accessed 14/07/10</ref>
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*[[Charles Watson]] Group chief executive<ref>Alec Mattinson, PR Week UK, 29 January 2010 [http://www.prweek.com/uk/news/979995/Giles-Sanderson-leave-FD-role-management-consultancy-role/ 'Giles Sanderson to leave FD role for management consultancy role'] Accessed 14/07/10</ref>
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*[[Lee Findell]] Vice President, Issues Management. Previously of [[Weber Shandwick]], where his clients included [[Nestle]]- where he worked on overturning student union bans on selling Nestle products on campuses, following the marketing of powdered baby milk in the developing world<ref>PR Week, October 27, 2006 [http://www.prweek.com/uk/news/search/600793/FD-poaches-WSs-Findell-issues-management-job/ FD poaches WS's Findell for issues management job.] Accessed 14/07/10</ref>
  
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==Contacts==
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Holborn Gate<br>
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26 Southampton Buildings<br>
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London, WC2A 1PB<br>
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www.fticonsulting.co.uk (formerly www.fd.com)
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
 
<references/>
 
<references/>
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[[Category:Nuclear PR, lobbying and consultancy firms]]
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[[Category: Public relations firms]]
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[[Category:Nuclear Spin]]
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[[Category:Mining and Metals: Public Relations]]
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[[Category:Mining and Metals]]

Latest revision as of 21:19, 13 December 2011

Mining-alcans-60px.jpg This article is part of the Mining and Metals project of Spinwatch
Nuclear spin.png This article is part of the Nuclear Spin project of Spinwatch.

Financial Dynamics, also known as simply FD, was a financial and corporate PR and lobbying firm with offices in Europe, the US, Asia, the Middle East and South Africa. It was bought by business advisory firm FTI Consulting in 2006, which now offers lobbying services under its name.

Its lobbying arm was called FD Public Affairs.

History

It was formerly part of the Cordiant Group which was taken over by WPP in 2003 at which point Financial Dyamnics undertook a Management Buy Out. In September 2006, it was then acquired for £139m by US firm FTI Consulting. PR Week called the deal significant “because the buyer, FTI, is an economic and management consultancy, rather than a marketing services group”. The Financial Times wrote that the deal underlies “the increasing value that corporate clients place on issues such as reputation management.”[1]

In 2005 it acquired LLM Communications, a PR company with close links to the Labour Party. The renamed agency, FD-LLM, included co-founder of LLM Jon Mendelsohn, a former adviser to Tony Blair. In August 2007, Mendelsohn left the company to become director of General Election resources at the Labour Party and its chief fundraiser. Mendelsohn was later embroiled in Labour’s funding scandal, and faced calls to quit in December 2007 after it was alleged he knew of funding arrangements to fund the Labour party through intermediaries.[2]

In December 2005 FD acquired Dittus Communications, a Washington DC based lobbying firm [3].

Dittus is headed up by Gloria Dittus, “known locally for both her PR skills and party-hosting prowess.” [4] By its own admission, Dittus has “been involved in many controversial campaigns including nuclear waste disposal, food safety and protecting legal immigration.”

In a proposal sent to tobacco firm Philip Morris, Dittus outlined its proposed approach to promoting tobacco industry supported legislation on dealing with youth smoking. It included the use of “third parties” in its PR campaign. Later in its proposals it outlines it credentials for the benefit of Philip Morris. “Our principals have played critical roles in campaigns concerning the recent debate on legal immigration, electricity deregulation security over the Internet, telecommunications deregulation, product liability reform, the BTU tax, licensing the Seabrook nuclear power plant, reforming the nation’s agriculture and housing programs, and public policy issues impacting the American software industry.”[5]

FD's former managing director Nick Miles had an "acrimonious split" from the company in 2002 and went on to form M Communications.[6]

Clients

FD advises more than 250 clients, ranging from fast-growing entrepreneurial businesses to the largest corporations, professional firms and public bodies.[7]

  • Shell Financial Dynamics is Shell’s external PR company in Ireland. In the country, Shell has been involved in the extremely controversial proposed Corrib pipeline that will deliver natural gas from 80 kilometers off the Mayo coast to the mainland. For two years, campaigners have demanded that Shell reroute the pipeline away from a rural hamlet called Rossport and build the processing facility offshore. This culminated in 2005 with five men “the Rossport five” spending 94 days in jail for refusing to observe a court order. There have been repeated allegations of police brutality against the protestors.[8][9][10]
  • Ministry of Defence (MOD) In December 2002, the UK Ministry of Defence was accused of using “dirty tricks” in its negotiations with BAE Systems over two controversial military contracts worth £5 billion. The MOD hired Financial Dynamics along with investment bank UBS Warburg, to assist it in its negotiations with BAE over cost overruns. BAE executives said the use of Warburg and FD constituted “utterly inappropriate” tactics, which were labeled by a BAE source talking to The Observer as “clearly dirty tricks.”[11]
  • British Energy Financial Dynamics is the PR company for British Energy, one of the key companies pushing for a nuclear revival. It was reportedly paid £1m for the contract.[12]
  • OSI Group- A global food business running beef and poultry operations in Brazil, some of which were bought by Marfrig (the largest Beef processor in Uruguay and Argentina) in 2008[13]

Mining and Metals

People

Contacts

Holborn Gate
26 Southampton Buildings
London, WC2A 1PB
www.fticonsulting.co.uk (formerly www.fd.com)

References

  1. Daniel Rogers, “FD Sale is Watershed for Comms Industry”, PR Week, September 15, 2006, p19
  2. Haroon Siddique, "'Ethical lobbyist' caught up in donations row",The Guardian, 28 November, 2007.
  3. FD PRESS RELEASE Financial Dynamics Acquires Dittus Communications, Expands Global Public Affairs Practice NEW YORK AND WASHINGTON DC – December 5, 2005
  4. The Hill
  5. Legacy Library
  6. The Daily Telegraph, August 20, 2004
  7. FD website, accessed Feb 2009
  8. Corribsos.com
  9. Centre For Public Inquiry website
  10. Indy Media
  11. Oliver Morgan, “MoD's 'Dirty Tricks' - BAE: Whitehall Hired City Advisers in ‘Utterly Inappropriate’ Move Against Defence Giant”, The Observer, 15 December, 2002, Business Pages, p. 1.
  12. New Statesman
  13. PR Newswire, June 23, 2008 Brazilian Company Acquires US Food Group's UK and Brazilian Poultry Business Accessed 14/07/10
  14. Alec Mattinson,PR Week, November 20, 2009 Anglo American hands UK account back to Brunswick Accessed 14/07/10
  15. PR Week, October 2, 2009 The Week in City & Corporate Accessed 14/07/10
  16. PR WeekOctober 20, 2006 FD lands Rusal merger role Accessed 14/07/10
  17. LinkedIn profile Jonathan Hawker Accessed 09/07/10
  18. Alec Mattinson, PR Week UK, 29 January 2010 'Giles Sanderson to leave FD role for management consultancy role' Accessed 14/07/10
  19. Alec Mattinson, PR Week UK, 29 January 2010 'Giles Sanderson to leave FD role for management consultancy role' Accessed 14/07/10
  20. Alec Mattinson, PR Week UK, 29 January 2010 'Giles Sanderson to leave FD role for management consultancy role' Accessed 14/07/10
  21. Alec Mattinson, PR Week UK, 29 January 2010 'Giles Sanderson to leave FD role for management consultancy role' Accessed 14/07/10
  22. PR Week, October 27, 2006 FD poaches WS's Findell for issues management job. Accessed 14/07/10