Open Road

Open Road Gets the Green Light

January 12th 2007

Senior industry figures Nick Deluca, Graham McMillan, Victoria Tate and Martin Le Jeune have launched a new independent consultancy.
Open Road have used their existing contacts to launch, with clients including Sky, Novus Leisure, Riley’s and the Pre-school Learning Alliance.

The firm will extend its reach beyond PA to corporate reputation-management, corporate PR, issue- and crisis-management, corporate responsibility and public sector communications.

Its focus will be on private and public sectors in the UK and the EU. Deluca, who becomes chairman of Open Road, said: “Increasingly clients are looking for not just for the best in corporate communications and public affairs. They want senior people who can advise and deliver in an integrated way.”

McMillan, who becomes chief executive after quitting Fishburn Hedges last year, added: “We are about substance and long term relationships, not spin and hype.? We will help our clients to improve their communication and their relationships with their key stakeholders.

“We believe that strategy should be simple, focused and powerful.? We will offer straightforward and challenging advice to clients, joined-up thinking and excellence in delivery.”

Full article here.

Craig Hoy

Public Affairs Supremos Unveil Agency Open Road

January 10th 2007

Four well-known figures in PA and corporate comms consultancy are setting up an independent agency called Open Road.

Full article here (subscription only).

Danny Rogers

Open Road Launch

January 8th 2007

Major New Corporate Communications And Public Affairs Consultancy Launched

Nick Deluca, Graham McMillan, Victoria Tate and Martin Le Jeune are launching a new independent consultancy in January 2007 called Open Road.

Open Road will offer:

• Corporate reputation management
• Corporate PR
• Public affairs
• Issue and crisis management
• Corporate responsibility
• Public sector communications.

It will serve clients in both the private and public sectors in the UK and the European Union.  The agency will move into new offices in the West End of London in mid-January.

The founder directors are:

Nick Deluca: Former founder and Managing Director of APCO UK. Nick helped develop APCO’s global and European business.

Graham McMillan: Former Head of Public Affairs at Fishburn Hedges.  Graham helped to found the Fishburn Hedges public affairs practice which was awarded Best UK Consultancy at the Public Affairs News Awards 2005.  Graham was awarded Consultant of the Year at the same awards. 

Victoria Tate: Former Head of Public Affairs at the Spirit Group and board Director at Fishburn Hedges where she was head of the Consumer Issues Practice.

Martin Le Jeune: Head of Public Affairs at Sky, and former board director and Head of Corporate Responsibility at Fishburn Hedges.  Martin was a civil servant in the Cabinet Office for over a decade and is a former Head of Public Policy at NatWest.

Each of the founders has over fifteen years of experience in corporate communications, public affairs and corporate responsibility.

The consultancy’s launch clients include:

• Sky
• Novus Leisure
• Riley’s
• Pre-school Learning Alliance.

Nick Deluca, Chairman of Open Road, said:

“Increasingly clients are looking for not just for the best in corporate communications, public affairs and corporate responsibility.  They want senior people who can advise and deliver in an integrated way.”

Graham McMillan, Chief Executive of Open Road, said:

“We have seniority and a mixture of both consultancy and in-house experience.  We are about substance and long term relationships, not spin and hype.  We will help our clients to improve their communication and their relationships with their key stakeholders.  We believe that strategy should be simple, focused and powerful.  We will offer straightforward and challenging advice to clients, joined-up thinking and excellence in delivery.”

For further information, please contact:

Nick Deluca – 07802 773971
Graham McMillan – 0772 0772 909
Victoria Tate – 07973 519088
Martin Le Jeune – 07740 257170

Veterans of Fishburn Hedges and APCO launch new UK Consultancy

January 8th 2007

LONDON—Nick Deluca, Graham McMillan, Victoria Tate and Martin Le Jeune—veterans of APCO and Fishburn Hedges—are launching a new independent consultancy: Open Road.

The firm will offer corporate reputation management, corporate public relations, public affairs, issues and crisis management, corporate responsibility, and public sector communications.

The firm will serve clients in both the private and public sectors in the UK and the European Union. The agency will move into new offices in the West End of London in mid-January.

Deluca is a former founder and managing director at APCO UK and will help develop APCO’s global and European business. McMillan was former head of public affairs at Fishburn Hedges. Tate was head of public affairs at the Spirit Group and board director at Fishburn Hedges, where she was head of the consumer issues Practice. Le Jeune was head of public affairs at Sky, and formerly board director and head of corporate responsibility at Fishburn Hedges.

The consultancy’s launch clients include Sky, Novus Leisure, Riley’s, and the Pre-school Learning Alliance.

According to Graham McMillan, chief executive of Open Road: “We have seniority and a mixture of both consultancy and in-house experience. We are about substance and long term relationships, not spin and hype. We will help our clients to improve their communication and their relationships with their key stakeholders. We believe strategy should be simple, focused and powerful. We will offer straightforward and challenging advice to clients, joined-up thinking and excellence in delivery.”