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What's New - ArchiveClick here to view current news stories 20 July 2006 Council Expert Vinall Joins GPlus Europe Antony Vinall, former Head of Industry and Internal Market at the UK’s Permanent Representation to the EU, has joined GPlus Europe as an Associate. Welcoming his appointment, GPlus Director Peter Guilford said “Antony has been at the cutting edge of Europe's policies regulating business for over a quarter of a century. The breadth of experience he brings to our clients on trade, industry, competition, environment and a host of other related areas is unmatched in the EU public affairs marketplace”. Antony added: “This is an exciting new challenge for me. Perhaps my greatest asset is first-hand experience of the Council and Coreper – not always a well-known area. I feel I am in a great position to advise GPlus clients on how this central element of the EU system works in practice”. Antony joins GPlus after eight years at the UK Permanent Representation (UKREP), Britain's de facto embassy to the EU. He was Counsellor in charge of Industry, Energy, Internal Market and Transport, playing a central role in orchestrating the UK's position on several major pieces of legislation. Previously he spent over 20 years at the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), most recently as Director for Motor Vehicles. He occupied several other DTI posts representing the interests of the UK government in the world, including four years at the British Embassy in Washington DC, where he was Minister Counsellor for Trade, and an earlier four-year stint at UKREP as First Secretary for Industry and Competition. In addition to Antony, GPlus has also announced the recruitment of three new Account Executives, all German speaking. Andrea Maibaum joins from the office of Cassidy & Associates Europe in Brussels, Julian von Fumetti switches from advising Erika Mann MEP and Daniel Friedlaender comes directly from the College of Europe in Bruges, having worked on several Canadian political campaigns in the past. GPlus Europe offers EU political and policy analysis, tailor-made communication strategies and media relations. Its current client list includes blue-chip companies and associations from Europe, America and Asia, including the Royal Bank of Scotland, Microsoft and Toyota.
17 March 2006 Diversified Agency Services (DAS), acquires a majority stake Diversified Agency Services (DAS), a division of Omnicom Group Inc (NYSE: OMC), has acquired a majority stake in GPlus Europe, the EU political communications specialists with offices in Brussels and London. GPlus was founded in 2000 by Peter Guilford and Nigel Gardner, both of whom had previously held senior posts within the EU Commission as well as being former journalists. In just over five years GPlus has built a business with a team of 27 with an unrivalled understanding of the people, processes and politics of EU decision-making. This makes it uniquely placed to help clients navigate their way through Europe’s complicated political and media environment. Other senior team members include John Wyles, formerly Financial Times correspondent in Brussels, New York and Rome, and Michael Tscherny, a long-standing EU official who worked as Competition Spokesman under former Commissioner Mario Monti. GPlus handles clients and trade associations across a broad range of industries. Their clients include Microsoft, Wal-Mart, Royal Bank of Scotland, Toyota, BHP Billiton, BG, Time Warner, and the Transatlantic Business Dialogue, a grouping of European and American CEOs who advise the EU and US administrations on removing barriers to transatlantic business. Under the new arrangements with Omnicom, Gavin Anderson, Ketchum and Porter Novelli will use GPlus as their EU political communications specialist. Peter Guilford, founder partner of GPlus, said : Anthony Wreford, CEO of DAS, said :
13 January 2006 GPlus celebrates 5 years and boosts team Celebrating its fifth birthday at the turn of the year EU political and communications consultancy GPlus Europe has added Lucía Caudet to its ever-growing team which now numbers 26. She starts on 30 January. Lucía joins from the Comité Européen des Assurances, the European insurance industry federation. As Head of Communications and Public Relations as well as spokesperson for over three years she advised CEA on its communication strategy and ran its media relations. Earlier in her career Lucía worked at the Union of European Federalists, where she coordinated the European Parliament European Constitution Intergroup. She will initially advise GPlus clients from the financial services and insurance sector. Commenting on her appointment Peter Guilford, Director and co-founder of GPlus, said “Lucía brings a wealth of experience with her – sound media skills, knowledge of a complex policy area and a good political brain. With her three nationalities and great languages she will be a fantastic addition to our team for 2006”. GPlus was founded in December 2000 by Nigel Gardner and Peter Guilford, both former European Commission Spokesmen. The company now includes 11 nationalities and 14 languages, and offers EU political and policy analysis, tailor-made communication strategies and media relations. Its current client list includes blue-chip companies and associations from Europe, America and Asia, including BHP Billiton, Microsoft and the Royal Bank of Scotland. In addition to Lucía’s appointment, GPlus has also promoted 8 of its team effective 1 January. Madeline Whitaker becomes an Account Director, in recognition of her outstanding client work on the client accounts she manages, which includes BG Group. Laura Bacci, Lewis Crofts and Dorothée D’Herde are promoted to Account Managers, while Christian Kaufholz and Suvi Seppäläinen are made Senior Account Executives. Trainees Loren Lesko and Anna Michalowicz were given full time contracts.
6 July 2005 Brussels-based political and communication consultancy GPlus Europe has appointed Julia Staunig and Tom Brookes as Partners, as it continues to grow rapidly. Until now both were Account Directors and are the first appointments to partner-level from within the company.Announcing the changes, Peter Guilford, Director and co-founder of GPlus, said "Julia and Tom will make first-class Partners. They have the assets and knowledge to continue growing our portfolio of clients. They will also bring much to the partnership in a managerial sense. I look forward to working with them in their new roles." Julia becomes the first female Partner at GPlus. An Austrian national, she joined as a junior consultant in 2002 and has rapidly progressed through the ranks of the company, specialising in financial services, insurance, transport and new technologies. British-born Tom joined GPlus in early 2004. With over 10 years experience in EU communications and public affairs he has worked on complex competition issues, corporate governance, technology, IP and retailing. Their appointments bring GPlus' partnership to six. Founded in 2000 by Peter Guilford and Nigel Gardner, the other partners are John Wyles and Michael Tscherny. The partners have also decided to promote two other staff members. Portuguese Susana Braz becomes an Account Director and Italian Annachiara Torciano becomes Senior Account Manager. Both have been rewarded for the excellent quality of their work in the past 12 months. GPlus Europe offers EU political and policy analysis, tailor-made communication strategies and media relations. Its client list includes blue-chip companies, associations, governments and institutions from Europe, America and Asia. Rapid growth since 2000 is reflected in GPlus' 23-strong team.
14 October 2004 GPlus recruits new political and media highfliers GPlus Europe has recruited two new Account Executives from the worlds of politics and the media. Dorothée D’Herde joins from the cabinet of the Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Patrick Dewael. Lewis Crofts switches from journalism where he was recently trade correspondent for the online EU news portal EUpolitix.com. GPlus Director Nigel Gardner commented: “We are delighted that Dorothée and Lewis have chosen to join us. With their skills, backgrounds in politics and journalism, and language abilities they will perfectly complement our existing team and help us meet the challenge of EU enlargement, and the new Commission and Parliament”. D’Herde, GPlus’ ninth graduate of the College of Europe in Bruges, has worked for Patrick Dewael for the past 12 months where she worked directly with the chef de cabinet and the Minister’s diplomatic adviser. Beforehand she had worked in the Press and Communication service of the European Commission. A Belgian national, D’Herde speaks Dutch, French, English and Spanish. Crofts brings media expertise of trade, agriculture and development from EUpolitix.com, the BBC and The Times. Previously, he lived for 2 years in Central Europe where he was a lecturer at Prague’s Charles University and editor of a Czech political journal. A language graduate from Oxford University, Lewis speaks English, French, Czech and German. The 22-strong political consultancy has also rewarded five current employees with promotions. Tim Price, with the company for 2 years, has been made an Account Director. Madeline Whitaker, Susana Braz and Julia Staunig have all been promoted to the position of Senior Account Manager. And recent recruit Annachiara Torciano is now a Senior Account Executive. Peter Guilford, Director and co-founder of GPlus, said: “These five have been promoted for the high quality of their work and their ever-improving client management skills. We look forward to their continuing development over the coming months”. GPlus’ team of 22 now includes 8 nationalities and 10 languages, as its client base continues to expand.
30 April 2004 GPlus welcomes Clegg as Fifth Partner UK Liberal Democrat MEP Nick Clegg, who is standing down at the Euro elections, is to join GPlus Europe, the EU communications consultancy. Nick will join GPlus on a half-time basis after the European elections this June.GPlus Director Nigel Gardner said, “Nick is a high-quality signing - his communications skills are formidable and his knowledge of the EU second-to-none. GPlus is already very strong on the European Commission. Nick’s arrival will reinforce our work with the European Parliament”. Like GPlus’ four existing Partners - Peter Guilford, Nigel Gardner, John Wyles and Michael Tscherny - Nick has a real grasp of politics and decision-making in Brussels, having spent 10 years in the Parliament and Commission. In common with his GPlus colleagues he also started his career as a journalist. Nick said, “It’s especially exciting to be joining GPlus at a time when Brussels is moving more and more to the centre of business concerns. With the EU taking in ten more countries and adopting a new Constitution, organisations need more than ever intelligent professional help in engaging with the EU institutions.” Nick will focus on developing GPlus’ service to UK clients. Nick was elected as an MEP in 1999, and served as the Liberal Group’s Trade and Industry Spokesman. During his term he has taken a particular interest in telecoms, energy, air transport and international trade. Previously, he was a senior policy adviser to former Vice-President of the Commission, Sir Leon Brittan, and an official in the External Relations department of the Commission. A graduate of Cambridge University, the American University of Minnesota and the College of Europe in Bruges, Nick speaks English, Dutch, French, German and Spanish. Nick will bring GPlus’ team to 21 people.
18 March 2004 GPlus Europe, the fast growing EU political and communications consultancy, is being joined by one of the rising stars of Brussels consultancy. After 3 years with APCO Europe, 34-year-old Tom Brookes will be an Account Director and a key leader of GPlus’ expanding team, already 17-strong.GPlus Director Nigel Gardner commented: “We are very excited that Tom has decided to join us. He is a brilliant all rounder, liked and respected within the EU institutions as well as among Brussels journalists. He is someone our clients will enjoy working with.” On joining GPlus, Brookes said: “I am really looking forward to joining such a dynamic and successful team. GPlus is now a powerful competitor in the Brussels market and will present me with new and different challenges.” During the past two years, Tom has been Director of APCO Europe’s Competition and Media practice. In that time, he has designed and implemented Communication Strategies for several major multinational corporations, in the IT, food and transport sectors. Tom learned the ropes of European public affairs at Ellips Communications and its successor, Porter Novelli, where he developed his expertise on competition, telecoms, heath and the media. Like many of his colleagues at GPlus, Tom began his Brussels’ career as a journalist, for European Computer Services and Europa Times. Tom, a British national, has a degree in English and Politics from Manchester University. He speaks English and French.
12 January 2004 GPlus duo go back to College of Europe Michael Tscherny and Tim Price from political and communications consultants GPlus Europe went to Poland in January to teach a mini-course on ‘Interest Representation in Brussels’ at the College of Europe campus in Warsaw.On the eve of EU enlargement, Tscherny and Price, both graduates of the College of Europe in Bruges, ran an interactive seminar with around 30 students, mostly from the new Member States, on communicating with the European institutions. Commenting on the experience, GPlus Partner Tscherny said: “Studying the European Union also means learning about the interaction of the European Commission and European Parliament with business interests”. This was the second year running that the two have taught at the College of Europe in Natolin, Warsaw, created in 1994 to be a second campus alongside Bruges. Price, who was a student at Bruges only 5 years ago, said: “The students were business-orientated and came up with some interesting ideas”. GPlus is also actively building up its portfolio of clients from Poland and the other new Member States, ahead of their entry into the EU in May 2004.
17 November 2003 Three years, three new staff at GPlus Europe Three new staff join GPlus Europe this week, as the company celebrates its third birthday.Filipa Figueira from Portugal, Sonja Polan from Austria and Annachiara Torciano from Italy bring GPlus’ team to 17, establishing it as one of Brussels’ fastest growing independent consultancies. Filipa Figueira is the seventh member of GPlus to hold a degree from the College of Europe, Bruges. In Brussels, she has worked at the European Policy Centre, for an EU consultancy, specialising in consumer protection and agriculture, and at the Council of Ministers. Filipa is fluent in Portuguese, Spanish, English and French. For the past year Sonja Polan has worked in the Communications department of EURELECTRIC, the European association of the electricity industry in Brussels. She has experience of working in a consultancy and in the European Parliament, focusing mainly on energy and environment. Sonja speaks German, English and French. Annachiara Torciano came to GPlus from leading London-based think-tank, the Foreign Policy Centre . A graduate of the LSE and fluent in Italian, English, Spanish and French, Annachiara also has experience of working in Rome for the Italian Ministry of European Affairs. Founded by Nigel Gardner and Peter Guilford, GPlus Europe’s client list includes companies, associations and institutions from Europe, America and Asia. The EU political and communications consultancy offers political and policy analysis, tailor-made Communication Strategies and media relations.
13 June 2003 Annalisa Barbagallo joins GPlus Europe GPlus Europe is growing to 14 on 1 July with the arrival of new Italian recruit Annalisa Barbagallo. Annalisa is moving from Director of EU Policy at the International Swaps and Derivatives Association, where she represents the voice of t he privately negotiated derivatives industry, encompassing the world's major financial institutions.GPlus’ team now has six different nationalities and a client list that includes companies or associations from five EU countries. Annalisa, 30, is also the fifth member of GPlus to have studied at the College of Europe in Bruges, including partners Michael Tscherny and Nigel Gardner. Annalisa adds substantial experience and expertise to GPlus’ strength in European financial services, both wholesale and retail. At GPlus, she will work initially on accounts in financial services, competition and manufacturing. In her previous job for the derivatives industry, Annalisa was responsible for political advocacy and EU regulatory affairs. She was a member of the Advisory Committee of the European Parliament Financial Services Forum. Earlier in her career, she was an EU adviser to the European Association of Co-operative Banks in Brussels, with a focus on consumer policy and e-commerce. Annalisa has also worked in both the European Parliament and the European Commission. Annalisa has a degree in Law from the Università Federico II of Naples, as well as a Masters in European Politics and Administration from the College of Europe in Bruges. Annalisa speaks Italian, English, French and German.
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