MHP Communications formed as Mandate, Hogarth and Penrose merge

Some work news: today sees the launch of MHP Communications, formed out of the merger of three firms in the Engine Group – Mandate (where I’ve been working), Hogarth and Penrose.

With a new company comes a new website, www.mhpc.com, which has been keeping me busy helping colleagues with – though not stressed as it has been a real pleasure for us to be working with Fantastic Thinking.

Here’s the launch news that explains the reasoning for the merger:

Engine, the UK’s largest independent communications business, announces the integration of three of its public relations businesses, Mandate, Hogarth and Penrose, into a new single company, MHP Communications.

MHP has 160 employees and annual revenues of £17m.

Gay Collins, former Chief Executive of Penrose, becomes Executive Chairman of MHP. Sacha Deshmukh, former Chief Executive of Mandate becomes Chief Executive Officer of MHP. Andrew Jaques, former Chief Executive of Hogarth becomes Chief Executive of MHP Financial & Investor Communications.

Announcing the new company, Gay Collins said:

“This move creates a major force in the world of communications, where scale and scope is becoming an increasingly important factor in the buying decisions of clients. MHP has been structured to take forward the heritage of Mandate, Hogarth and Penrose within a model that we believe will deliver even more for our current clients as well as future clients and our people. We are excited about taking MHP from three successful businesses to an organisation that will make a measurable difference to the communications landscape.”

Sacha Deshmukh said:

“MHP combines in-depth knowledge of the full range of audiences that matter to businesses and brands. From investors to consumers, from politicians to employees, from pressure groups to business partners, MHP understands those audiences and how to reach them.

A team of 160 and annual revenues of £17m makes us one of the strongest and largest companies in the PR market. But our goal is not size. It is to provide a unique quality and way of working with our clients. That is why we have designed MHP to work in a very different way from what we think is the tired, standard PR company model. We ensure the client is the absolute centre of our focus by organising our business and revenue around client sector, not PR discipline silo. It means that our only interest is in delivering exactly the right mix of expertise and brains for every single clients’ needs. MHP is designed to avoid the problem that plagues old-model PR companies where time, energy and focus is wasted fighting internal battles to protect internal cost centres.”

Andrew Jaques said:

“MHP will be significantly growing its City and financial team as we expand to meet our ambition to sit in the premier league in the financial and investor communications market. We will build from the many strengths of Hogarth, but also diversify our sector experience and attract new clients and more great people to the MHP business.”

MHP also announces that Sir Brian Bender, who until 2009 was the Permanent Secretary of the UK Department for Business, Innovation & Skills, is joining its Board of Directors, as a Non-Executive Director.

All former Mandate, Hogarth and Penrose consultants are transferring to MHP and the company plans for further expansion in staff numbers fuelled by continuing impressive growth. As part of its launch, MHP also announces the opening of its new Brussels office. The company will be announcing its Brussels leadership team late in the autumn and MHP Brussels will be fully operational from 1 January 2011.

In November 2010 MHP will be moving into a new custom-designed London office, currently under construction. The MHP London HQ will occupy a whole floor of MHP’s parent group Engine’s building in London’s Oxford Circus. The former Mandate offices in Edinburgh and Washington DC now become MHP offices. MHP also has a project team developing implantation plans to open MHP offices in other key global markets in 2011, with the initial focus being in Asia.

Now excuse me while I go update umpteen different social network profiles…