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 is heading up the German operations and co-heading Global Capital Markets jointly with Paul Downes. He has been a Managing Partner of Stockheim Media since 2004 and is responsible for the Frankfurt office. From 1992, business graduate Carsten Böhme worked in private banking, PR and financial controlling at Deutsche Bank. Following educational pursuits in Germany, France and England, he worked in the marketing department of DWS Investments in Frankfurt. Between 2000 and 2003, he was jointly responsible for press and public relations in Germany and Europe at DWS as spokesman and acting public relations director.
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 heads up Global Capital Markets and joined Instinctif Partners in August 2012 on its acquisition of Merlin, where he was Chief Executive and a founding partner. He was formerly Deputy Chief Executive in the UK of Georgeson, the world’s largest specialist financial communication consulting group. Prior to that he was Director of Financial PR at Valin Pollen and has over 25 years’ experience in the industry.
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.
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.
Cathy
Forrest
Managing Partner, Truth
cathy.forrest@truth.ms
Cathy Forrest
Managing Partner, Truth
Email: cathy.forrest@truth.ms
Cathy’s 20+ year career includes agency and client-side roles. With her client-side experience, Cathy brings to bear skill in landing major strategies with senior stakeholders; with her agency-side experience, she brings a talent for converting insights into commercial meaning. Her passion is for telling a clear and compelling story, revealing the truths that often lay hidden in plain sight.
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 joined Stockheim Media in 2009 and has been a Managing Partner since January 2010. He act as the COO for Germany and Continental Europe. A graduate industrial engineer and banker, is a recognised expert in the media and communications industry. From 1994 to 2008, he worked for the publishing company Gruner + Jahr in Hamburg, Paris and Cologne. Most recently he was publishing director of Capital und Impulse and a member of the board of management.
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, China
uhi.hui@instinctif.com
Uhi Hui
Managing Partner, 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.
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, China
anne.pang@instinctif.com
Anne Pang
Managing Partner, China
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.
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 is member of the Global Corporate Affairs board and has been a Managing Partner of Stockheim Media since 2012. He joined Stockheim Media in 2007 as a member of management and since then has been responsible for the PR team in Cologne. Thomas is a graduate economist and has worked for over 15 years as a consultant on agency side. Reputation management – including, among others, contributions in Handbuch für Kommunikation – internal communications and crisis communications are his main focus.
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.
