Accordience Rebrands As Grayling Group Amid Leadership Changes
(MENAFN- PRovoke)
LONDON - PR agency group Accordience will rebrand as Grayling Group on 2 November, placing Grayling's public affairs and corporate communications capabilities at the centre of a business that also includes Citigate Dewe Rogerson (CDR), Red Consultancy and Cirkle.
The change comes alongside the departures of Grayling UK chief executive Heather Blundell and global CEO Richard Jukes.
Blundell has stepped down to pursue a new opportunity, according to a statement from Accordience. She joined Grayling in 2023 from Ketchum, where she was latterly deputy CEO in the UK. In August, her remit was expanded to include leadership of Cirkle.
At Ketchum, Blundell joined as chief growth officer for Europe in March 2022 from Weber Shandwick, where she was managing director for UK client counsel and led the Manchester office. Before joining Weber Shandwick in 2016 she spent seven years at Edelman.
Jukes, who has been with Grayling for 16 years, has agreed to step down from his role to support the transition to the new group brand, Accordience said. He joined Grayling in 2010 as managing director of UK public affairs and became global CEO in December 2023.
The group has not yet named the leaders who will take over their roles. Grayling Group will be organised across four regions – North America, the UK, Europe and the Middle East, and Asia – each led by a regional CEO. The business has more than 650 people across 38 offices around the world.
Sarah Scholefield will continue as group CEO, leading the international business and its new management board.
Under the new structure, Grayling will“sit at the heart” of the group, bringing together public affairs, corporate communications, crisis and reputation expertise. CDR will continue to focus on financial communications; Red Consultancy on brand, social and influencer communications; and Cirkle on trade and B2B communications.
The rebrand builds on Accordience's ongoing move towards a more integrated model, with teams brought together around client needs rather than agency structures. Recent cross-agency appointments have included Red Consultancy creative director Dan Lambden taking on a role across Cirkle.
Scholefield said the new structure reflects the way communications challenges increasingly cross disciplinary boundaries, with corporate reputation issues able to become public affairs challenges, and brand issues quickly affecting reputation.
“Putting Grayling and its strength in public and corporate affairs at the heart of the group creates a clear centre of gravity, while allowing us to bring together specialist expertise across the business around each client challenge,” she said.
The group's proposition is“specialist where it matters, integrated where clients need it”. Scholefield said the change would make collaboration“more deliberate, more effective and, most importantly, more valuable to our clients”.
She also described AI as an opportunity to make work“smarter, faster and more effective”, while allowing people to focus on judgement, ideas, relationships and counsel.
The change comes alongside the departures of Grayling UK chief executive Heather Blundell and global CEO Richard Jukes.
Blundell has stepped down to pursue a new opportunity, according to a statement from Accordience. She joined Grayling in 2023 from Ketchum, where she was latterly deputy CEO in the UK. In August, her remit was expanded to include leadership of Cirkle.
At Ketchum, Blundell joined as chief growth officer for Europe in March 2022 from Weber Shandwick, where she was managing director for UK client counsel and led the Manchester office. Before joining Weber Shandwick in 2016 she spent seven years at Edelman.
Jukes, who has been with Grayling for 16 years, has agreed to step down from his role to support the transition to the new group brand, Accordience said. He joined Grayling in 2010 as managing director of UK public affairs and became global CEO in December 2023.
The group has not yet named the leaders who will take over their roles. Grayling Group will be organised across four regions – North America, the UK, Europe and the Middle East, and Asia – each led by a regional CEO. The business has more than 650 people across 38 offices around the world.
Sarah Scholefield will continue as group CEO, leading the international business and its new management board.
Under the new structure, Grayling will“sit at the heart” of the group, bringing together public affairs, corporate communications, crisis and reputation expertise. CDR will continue to focus on financial communications; Red Consultancy on brand, social and influencer communications; and Cirkle on trade and B2B communications.
The rebrand builds on Accordience's ongoing move towards a more integrated model, with teams brought together around client needs rather than agency structures. Recent cross-agency appointments have included Red Consultancy creative director Dan Lambden taking on a role across Cirkle.
Scholefield said the new structure reflects the way communications challenges increasingly cross disciplinary boundaries, with corporate reputation issues able to become public affairs challenges, and brand issues quickly affecting reputation.
“Putting Grayling and its strength in public and corporate affairs at the heart of the group creates a clear centre of gravity, while allowing us to bring together specialist expertise across the business around each client challenge,” she said.
The group's proposition is“specialist where it matters, integrated where clients need it”. Scholefield said the change would make collaboration“more deliberate, more effective and, most importantly, more valuable to our clients”.
She also described AI as an opportunity to make work“smarter, faster and more effective”, while allowing people to focus on judgement, ideas, relationships and counsel.
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