Meet your Managing Partners

• 

  Richard

  Nichols

  Chief Executive Officer

  richard.nichols@instinctif.com

  

  Richard Nichols

  Chief Executive Officer

  Email: richard.nichols@instinctif.com

  Richard founded Instinctif Partners, formerly the College Group, in 2006 as the international business communications consultancy including leading brands College Hill, College Public Policy, The College, Instinctif and Truth. In 2011 the private equity group Vitruvian invested in the firm. Prior to joining College Group, Richard was Chief Executive Officer of Huntsworth plc, having been the architect of the 2005 merger with Incepta Group plc, the culmination of nine years of development. Richard qualified as a Chartered Accountant with PW in London (and Amsterdam) before spending two years in Corporate Finance at British Gas.

  

  Nik

  Holgate

  Chief Finance Officer

  nik.holgate@instinctif.com

  

  Nik Holgate

  Chief Finance Officer

  Email: nik.holgate@instinctif.com

  Nik started his career at PricewaterhouseCoopers and subsequently served in a number of senior finance roles within BSKYB plc and Aegis Group plc. Following this, he worked as CFO in several private equity and venture capital backed marketing and communications businesses before becoming Finance Director at Digital Barriers. Outside of work, Nik is a lover of most sports, especially rugby and cycling.

  

  Carsten

  Böhme

  Managing Partner, Germany

  carsten.boehme@instinctif.com

  

  Carsten Böhme

  Managing Partner, Germany

  Email: carsten.boehme@instinctif.com

  Carsten Böhme, who has a degree in business administration, held positions at Deutsche Bank from 1992 to 1996 in the areas of private banking, public relations and financial control. He then moved to DWS Investments in Frankfurt, the investment management arm of Deutsche Bank, where he worked in marketing and sales. From 2000 to 2003 he served as DWS press spokesman and deputy head of public relations, sharing responsibility for all press and public relations activities in Germany and throughout Europe. Since 2004 he has been a Managing Partner of Instinctif Partners in Germany (until 2014 under the name Stockheim Media), with responsibility since 2013 for the firm’s business within Germany. In this role, he is a member of the Global Executive Committee.

  

  Andy

  Dexter

  Managing Partner, Truth

  andy.dexter@truth.ms

  

  Andy Dexter

  Managing Partner, Truth

  Email: andy.dexter@truth.ms

  Andy is founder and Managing Partner of our strategic research company Truth. Well known in the global market research community, he holds numerous industry awards for presentations and papers worldwide. Previously, Andy was CEO of Incepta Marketing Intelligence (now Illuminas). He is a Fellow of the Market Research Society.

  

  Paul

  Downes

  Executive Chairman, Capital Markets & Corporate Affairs (UK)

  paul.downes@instinctif.com

  

  Paul Downes

  Executive Chairman, Capital Markets & Corporate Affairs (UK)

  Email: paul.downes@instinctif.com

  Paul is a member of Instinctif Partners’ Executive Committee and has day to day responsibilities for managing a portfolio of clients as well as for international business development. Paul joined the Group in August 2012 on its acquisition of Merlin, a successful financial PR boutique, where he was Chief Executive and a founding partner. He has almost 30 years’ experience in the industry and has specialised throughout in transaction work (M&A, IPOs, corporate restructurings and refinancings) and crisis management.

  

  Tim

  Fallon

  Chief Executive, Capital Markets & Global Corporate Affairs

  tim.fallon@instinctif.com

  

  Tim Fallon

  Chief Executive, Capital Markets & Global Corporate Affairs

  Email: tim.fallon@instinctif.com

  Responsible for the Global Corporate Affairs practice and a member of Instinctif Partners’ Executive Management Committee, Tim is formerly Head of Corporate and International Affairs for Hill & Knowlton, as well as Head of Corporate Affairs for Sainsbury’s and BAA plc. He is also a former election campaign adviser to Tony Blair. He has significant experience of working with international commercial and non-commercial organisations on a wide range of issue and reputation management campaigns.

  

  Nic

  Pearce

  Managing Partner, Global Engagement

  nic.pearce@instinctif.com

  

  Nic Pearce

  Managing Partner, Global Engagement

  Email: nic.pearce@instinctif.com

  Nic has over 25 years’ of worldwide sales & marketing experience and has worked for some of the worlds most successful companies. In his career he has touched on nearly every facet of marketing, including strategic marketing, branding, product, marketing, marketing communications, market research, public relations, and event marketing, working in Europe, the US and Australasia.

  

  Warwick

  Smith

  Managing Partner, Global Public Policy

  warwick.smith@instinctif.com

  

  Warwick Smith

  Managing Partner, Global Public Policy

  Email: warwick.smith@instinctif.com

  Warwick joined Instinctif Partners in October 2006 to establish the Global Public Policy practice. He advises a range of clients on domestic and international legislative, regulatory and public policy issues. Prior to joining Instinctif Partners, he had been Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of Citigate Public Affairs Ltd, and Senior Managing Director UK of The Global Consulting Group (of which Citigate Public Affairs became part in 2005 following the acquisition of Incepta Group plc by Huntsworth plc). Before joining the public affairs industry, Warwick was in UK government service for 16 years as a policy adviser, ministerial aide, and international negotiator.

  

  Ulrich

  Stockheim

  Managing Partner, Continental Europe

  ulrich.stockheim@instinctif.com

  

  Ulrich Stockheim

  Managing Partner, Continental Europe

  Email: ulrich.stockheim@instinctif.com

  Ulrich Stockheim founded Stockheim Media in 2003 and is now heading up the operations for Continental Europe of Instinctif Partners. He is responsible for the growth of the continental European business and heads up key accounts on reputation and crisis management. Ulrich, economist and trained journalist, started his career in 1993 as editor of the publication “Wertpapier”. At the end of 1994, he started working for the business magazine “Capital”, where he specialised in funds and international investment. In 1998 and 1999 he was the first Wall Street correspondent for “Capital” in New York and after returning from New York he became managing director of the German publishing house “Wertpapier” for three years.

  

  Damian

  Reece

  Managing Partner, Capital Markets

  damian.reece@instinctif.com

  

  Damian Reece

  Managing Partner, Capital Markets

  Email: damian.reece@instinctif.com

  Damian joined Instinctif Partners in May 2013 to lead the company’s growth among large cap companies both public and private. He has an award-winning 23 year career in print and broadcast journalism working across newspapers, radio, television and digital. He’s held a string of senior roles including Head of Business for the Telegraph Media Group from 2005-2013, which gave him a front row seat at all the major corporate and financial events of recent years including an intimate understanding of the financial crisis.

  

  Sue

  Charles

  Managing Partner, Global Life Sciences

  sue.charles@instinctif.com

  

  Sue Charles

  Managing Partner, Global Life Sciences

  Email: sue.charles@instinctif.com

  Sue co-founded and was CEO of Northbank Communications, a highly-regarded Life Sciences consultancy that was acquired by Instinctif Partners in October 2007. She has more than 20 years’ communications experience, across financial, corporate, science and marketing communications, and is regarded as an industry leader in Life Sciences communications.

  

  Cécile

  Bachmann

  Managing Partner

  cecile.bachmann@instinctif.com

  

  Cécile Bachmann

  Managing Partner

  Email: cecile.bachmann@instinctif.com

  Cécile Bachmann leads the Swiss office. Instinctif Partners acquired blueRobin, which she founded in 2013. Prior to which she worked for two renowned PR companies in Switzerland and as a corporate communications manager for a Swiss asset management company. She started her professional career as a financial editor for “Finanz und Wirtschaft”, one of the most respected financial newspapers in the Swiss market. She holds a master degree in Sociology, Economics and German linguistic from the University of Basel.

• 

  Samantha

  Bartel Al Khalaf

  Managing Partner, Middle East

  samantha.bartel@instinctif.com

  

  Samantha Bartel Al Khalaf

  Managing Partner, Middle East

  Email: samantha.bartel@instinctif.com

  Samantha joined Instinctif Partners in June 2013. She has over 13 years of financial and corporate communications experience mostly in the Middle East but also in Europe and Asia. Her key sectors of expertise include financial services, telecoms, healthcare and real estate. Samantha was previously a senior member of M:Communications Gulf team and the former Managing Director of Buchanan Middle East, where she advised numerous local, regional and international companies on their corporate, financial and crisis communications strategies.

  

  Cornelius

  Brand

  Managing Partner, Public Policy

  cornelius.brand@instinctif.com

  

  Cornelius Brand

  Managing Partner, Public Policy

  Email: cornelius.brand@instinctif.com

  Cornelius has been a professional in the German public affairs business for over 10 years. He established his own consulting firm in 2008 and joined Instinctif Partners with his team of 10 in January 2014. He started his career working with Arthur D. Little and AT Kearney, supporting clients mainly in the public sector following which he became managing director of the Industrial Investment Council, an investment promotion agency for the New German States. His industry expertise ranges from the health sector to automotive, telecoms and the renewables and he is a lecturer for public affairs at various German universities.

  

  Deanne

  Chatterton

  Managing Partners & Chief Operating Officer, South Africa

  deanne.chatterton@instinctif.com

  

  Deanne Chatterton

  Managing Partners & Chief Operating Officer, South Africa

  Email: deanne.chatterton@instinctif.com

  Deanne has overall responsibility for strategic development and operations of Instinctif Partners, South Africa.  She has over  16 years of experience helping organisations to create engagement and change through effective marketing and communications strategies across retail, financial and media in South Africa, London and Hong Kong.

  

  Ben

  Curson

  Managing Partner, Corporate Affairs

  ben.curson@instinctif.com

  

  Ben Curson

  Managing Partner, Corporate Affairs

  Email: ben.curson@instinctif.com

  With 16 years’ experience in corporate communications, Ben joined Instinctif Partners from H+K Strategies where he was Group Managing Director. He works across a range of sectors providing strategic communications counsel to senior management, as well as implementing multi-stakeholder communications strategies in both the UK and internationally. He has also worked across campaigns incorporating Financial Communications, Public Affairs, Internal Communications, Digital, Video Content and Production.  His experience encompasses clients in the in the healthcare, retail, banking, insurance, asset management, accountancy, legal, telecoms, inward investment and public sectors. Prior to H+K, Ben was a Partner at Penrose Financial, a boutique City agency where he developed strong relationships with national and trade media. Ben started his career as a broadcast journalist and then a Press Officer at Co-Operative Financial Services.

  

  Mike

  Davies

  Managing Partner, Capital Markets

  mike.davies@instinctif.com

  

  Mike Davies

  Managing Partner, Capital Markets

  Email: mike.davies@instinctif.com

  Mike brings a wealth of experience to the Capital Markets’ Industrials team. After qualifying as an accountant with Arthur Andersen, he joined James Capel where he advised on 3i Group’s IPO before joining to head up their investor relations. Mike subsequently led corporate communications and investor relations at The Rank Group and Fox Kids Europe, as well as heading investor relations at Invensys.

  

  Adrian

  Duffield

  Managing Partner, Capital Markets

  adrian.duffield@instinctif.com

  

  Adrian Duffield

  Managing Partner, Capital Markets

  Email: adrian.duffield@instinctif.com

  Adrian leads the UK Capital Markets’ Technology, Media and Telecoms team and also looks after a number of clients in the life sciences sector. He has some 23 years’ experience in media and investor relations, having joined Instinctif Partners from the corporate communications team at Reuters Group, where he was involved in all aspects of the Group’s international corporate communications.

  

  Tony

  Friend

  Managing Partner, Capital Markets

  tony.friend@instinctif.com

  

  Tony Friend

  Managing Partner, Capital Markets

  Email: tony.friend@instinctif.com

  Tony gives strategic advice and support to a range of UK and international clients including particularly those in emerging markets. Qualified as a chartered accountant he has more than 25 years’ experience and has worked on numerous major M&A, fund raising and listing projects. He has significant experience advising companies particularly in Russia & CIS. Prior to joining Instinctif Partners, Tony worked in investment banking and corporate broking.

  

  Mark

  Garraway

  Managing Partner, Capital Markets

  mark.garraway@instinctif.com

  

  Mark Garraway

  Managing Partner, Capital Markets

  Email: mark.garraway@instinctif.com

  Mark, a key player in the Capital Markets’ Industrials team, is also responsible for building the Company’s presence across a number of fast-growth markets, including India. Over the past 25 years, he has advised clients across a range of sectors and geographies and gained extensive experience of advising companies on hostile bid and defence work, restructurings, M&A activity, IPOs and fund raisings. Mark joined the business from a management consultancy background.

  

  Matthias

  Grossmann

  Managing Partner, Germany

  matthias.grossman@instinctif.com

  

  Matthias Grossmann

  Managing Partner, Germany

  Email: matthias.grossman@instinctif.com

  Matthias Grossmann, who completed his studies in economics and industrial engineering following an apprenticeship in banking, is a recognized expert in the media and communications industry. From 1994 until 2008 he worked at publishing house Gruner + Jahr/Bertelsmann in their offices in Hamburg, Paris and Cologne, culminating his career there as publishing director of business magazines “Capital” and “Impulse” and as a member of the executive committee. He came to Instinctif Partners in 2009, where he has been Managing Partner since January 2010, with senior management responsibility for human resources, finance, organization, and M&A.

  

  Wes

  Himes

  Managing Partner

  wes.himes@instinctif.com

  

  Wes Himes

  Managing Partner

  Email: wes.himes@instinctif.com

  With over 20 years experience in public affairs, Wes is responsible for advising clients in different sectors ranging from health to financial services and supervises lobbying activities as well as spearheading or project managing numerous campaigns at national level across the EU Member States. Wes has worked with all the EU institutions including DG Internal Market and DG Competition as well as key MEPs in committees such as ENVI, IMCO and JURI which handle all legislative issues in environment, internal market and legal affairs respectively

  

  Uhi

  Hui

  Managing Partner & CEO Greater China

  uhi.hui@instinctif.com

  

  Uhi Hui

  Managing Partner & CEO Greater China

  Email: uhi.hui@instinctif.com

  Uhi heads up Instinctif Partners offices in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing, and advises Global and Fortune 500 companies on a range of corporate reputation and positioning mandates. Born in Hong Kong and having studied abroad, she started her career as a columnist for a leading Chinese daily, before graduating in journalism from the University of Wisconsin in Madison, USA, as well as studying in France. She is trilingual, being fluent in English, Madarin/Catonese and conversational French.

  

  Victoria

  Lewis Stephens

  Managing Partner, Engagement

  victoria.lewis-stephens@instinctif.com

  

  Victoria Lewis Stephens

  Managing Partner, Engagement

  Email: victoria.lewis-stephens@instinctif.com

  Victoria has over 12 years of experience in Internal Communications and Engagement and has worked in a range of in house roles and agency roles. Victoria has delivered a number of projects for Lloyds Banking Group, Unilever, Direct Line Group and Royal Bank of Scotland. Most recently Victoria was Vice President of Employee Communications EMEA for State Street.

• 

  Nicholas

  Lunt

  Managing Partner, Middle East

  nicholas.lunt@instinctif.com

  

  Nicholas Lunt

  Managing Partner, Middle East

  Email: nicholas.lunt@instinctif.com

  Nicholas is Managing Partner of Instinctif Partners Middle East operation. From 2009 to 2013 he was Managing Director of M:Communications’ Middle East operations. After ten years with Ogilvy in Europe from 1995 to 2004, he was PR adviser to the Iraqi Prime Minister’s office in Baghdad in 2004/5 and then NATO’s Senior Civilian Spokesman in Kabul. Prior to moving to Dubai he held senior leadership positions with India’s leading corporate and financial PR agency, based in Mumbai.

  

  Paul

  Owen

  Managing Partner, Creative & Content

  paul.owen@instinctif.com

  

  Paul Owen

  Managing Partner, Creative & Content

  Email: paul.owen@instinctif.com

  Paul is responsible for the planning and project management of a wide range of programmes encompassing all aspects of corporate marketing in the UK and internationally. Paul joined Instinctif Partners from CDP where his principal role was to research, develop and implement integrated communications campaigns and brand identity programmes.

  

  Anne

  Pang

  Managing Partner, Hong Kong

  anne.pang@instinctif.com

  

  Anne Pang

  Managing Partner, Hong Kong

  Email: anne.pang@instinctif.com

  Anne’s Hong Kong-based team provides clients with investor relations services including investor relations positioning advisory, perception studies, investor targeting, road show, development of investor presentations, speaker and investor communications training. Before becoming active in financial communications, Anne worked at Schroder Salomon Smith Barney as an investment banker in the infrastructure advisory team in London. She is fluent in Mandarin, Cantonese and English.

  

  Kim

  Polley

  Managing Partner, South Africa

  kim.polley@instinctif.com

  

  Kim Polley

  Managing Partner, South Africa

  Email: kim.polley@instinctif.com

  Kim has headed up three communications consultancies in her career and she works closely with clients to establish distinctly favourable leadership positions on issues that impact reputation, whether these are long-term challenges or a response to the changing market. Kim believes that understanding government objectives is essential to formulating successful and sustainable strategies and she works with clients to facilitate security of tenure through reputation management across a complex group of stakeholders, from public sector to civil society.

  

  Ursula

  Querette

  Managing Partner, Germany

  ursula.querette@instinctif.com

  

  Ursula Querette

  Managing Partner, Germany

  Email: ursula.querette@instinctif.com

  Ursula Querette, a trained banker and graduate of business administration, started her career in Investment Banking and gained several years of experience from positions at WestLB, Dresdner Kleinwort Benson and J.P. Morgan in Frankfurt and London. She then moved into Investor Relations and worked for AIXTRON SE in their Aachen headquarters and in Shanghai, and for Haubrok, an Investor Relations consultancy. Since November 2012, Ursula has management responsibility for the Financial Markets and Investor Relations practice within Instinctif Partners in Germany as well as for the firm’s Munich office

  

  David

  Simonson

  Managing Partner, Capital Markets

  david.simonson@instinctif.com

  

  David Simonson

  Managing Partner, Capital Markets

  Email: david.simonson@instinctif.com

  David joined Instinctif Partners in August 2012. He has over 20 years experience of corporate and financial communications. He has worked with leading international consultancies including Valin Pollen and Gavin Anderson & Co. advising UK and International corporations and has been a strategic adviser to Airbus for over 15 years. He is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and a member of the Aviation Club.

  

  Matthew

  Smallwood

  Managing Partner, Capital Markets

  matthew.smallwood@instinctif.com

  

  Matthew Smallwood

  Managing Partner, Capital Markets

  Email: matthew.smallwood@instinctif.com

  Matthew brings 25 years of Capital Markets experience to the Leisure team, firstly as a market maker, and then with Instinctif Partners during which time he has developed an exceptional ability to support his clients’ investment cases through working with the business media and market analysts. Matthew has worked on many major transactions within the sector over the past two decades.

  

  Thomas

  Stein

  Managing Partner, Germany

  thomas.stein@instinctif.com

  

  Thomas Stein

  Managing Partner, Germany

  Email: thomas.stein@instinctif.com

  Thomas Stein, a graduate in economics, has been a consultant on the agency side for some 20 years, where his work has focused on reputation management – an area of special expertise where his publications include a section in the “Handbuch für Kommunikation” (“Handbook of Communications”), crisis PR, and internal communications. He has been a member of the senior management team at Instinctif Partners since 2007, where he also heads the PR team in Cologne as well as the Corporate Communications practice throughout Germany.

  

  Richard

  Sutcliffe-Smith

  Managing Partner, Public Policy

  richard.sutcliffe-smith@instinctif.com

  

  Richard Sutcliffe-Smith

  Managing Partner, Public Policy

  Email: richard.sutcliffe-smith@instinctif.com

  Richard founded his own practice in 1984 after ten years of working for some of the UK’s leading advertising and PR agencies. He has provided political and community engagement counsel to many of the UK’s leading house-builders and property development companies, together with utility companies, trade bodies, three of the UK’s top supermarkets, a global industrial detergent company and a major UK brewer.

  

  Leanne

  Tomasevic

  Managing Partner, Truth

  leanne.tomasevic@truth.ms

  

  Leanne Tomasevic

  Managing Partner, Truth

  Email: leanne.tomasevic@truth.ms

  Leanne’s experience spans brand, business and communications consulting, including specialist interest areas of innovation and utilising cultural ideas to create change for brands. As an expert strategist, Leanne uses design thinking to create future solutions for business.

  

  Derrick

  Tuke-Hastings

  Managing Partner, Content & Creative

  derrick.tuke-hastings@instinctif.com

  

  Derrick Tuke-Hastings

  Managing Partner, Content & Creative

  Email: derrick.tuke-hastings@instinctif.com

  Derrick has over 30 years experience of brand communication, both as a client in the seventies when he helped build the BMW brand, and then as a creative consultant when he co-founded what was to become a leading International brand communications company which shaped many of the Worlds leading brands.

  

  Justine

  Warren

  Managing Partner, Capital Markets

  justine.warren@instinctif.com

  

  Justine Warren

  Managing Partner, Capital Markets

  Email: justine.warren@instinctif.com

  Justine has built a reputation as adviser of choice with many management teams in the consumer and leisure sector. Justine is known for her insight into her clients’ businesses, and for her messaging capability. Justine has advised many leisure companies on their relationships with the media and the market.

• 

  Nicholas

  Williams

  Managing Partner, South Africa

  nicholas.williams@instinctif.com

  

  Nicholas Williams

  Managing Partner, South Africa

  Email: nicholas.williams@instinctif.com

  Nicholas has extensive experience of working with CEOs and business leaders throughout South Africa. With more than 15 years financial and business communications experience, he has advised companies across a range of sectors in Africa and Europe on many high profile transactions including IPOs, M&As and fundraisings.

  

  Donna

  Zurcher

  Managing Partner

  donna.zurcher@instinctif.com

  

  Donna Zurcher

  Managing Partner

  Email: donna.zurcher@instinctif.com

  Donna brings an unrivalled depth of knowledge and experience of the communications and marketing industry from both a consultancy and in-house perspective. She has held a number of senior roles including Managing Director of Lowe Bell Good Relations and Ogilvy PR Worldwide; VP Global Communications for National Media Corp and Head of Communications for Microsoft Consulting Partner, 1E. She is a Board Member of the PRCA.

Our Work

• 

  Trusted advisor and partner to one of the world’s most successful resort and hotel groups.

  Starwood

  

  We have helped AstraZeneca position and communicate its partner offering.

  Astra Zeneca

  

  We helped Lenta effectively communicate its investment story ahead of its international IPO.

  Lenta

  

  We're helping this growing global FMCG manufacturer to tell its sustainability story.

  PZ Cussons

  

  We are building the corporate and financial profile of graze.com

  graze.com

  

  We helped define and communicate a highly successful five-year growth strategy.

  ASOS

  

  We provided capital markets advice and senior counsel to the world’s largest diamond producer.

  ALROSA

  

  We help engage audiences on ground breaking Low Carbon Innovation projects.

  Western Power Distribution

• 

  We helped the world’s largest online gambling community engage with European Member States.

  RGA

  

  We helped a major biomass fuel producer engage with public policy audiences across Europe.

  CPL

  

  We helped engage with global scientific, biotechnology and financial communities.

  Prosensa Therapeutics

  

  We have simplified the messaging behind GE’s $1.6 billion life sciences business

  GE

  

  We advise Costain on brand, reporting and digital communications.

  Costain

  

  We work with the best brands in the world, to make them stand alone.

  XL Group

  

  We developed a monthly ‘employee magazine’ programme

  KCOM Group

Some of our clients

How we view the world