ROBERT WHITE
Email: robert@prmatters.org
Nationality: British
LinkedIn
Home: Larnaca & London Tel: +44 203 286 4694
Website & Blog
Twitter
Recent Writing
Feb 2013 - Present
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My own freelance PR, marketing, communications and social media consultancy. A range of services provided,
including: counsel on strategic, crisis and reputation management issues, planning and content creation for all
communication channels, training in media relations and presentation skills, plans for integrated communications
(PR, social media, marketing, new business and internal comms), media launches, articles, press releases, copy for
advertising, websites and marketing literature, and copywriting reviews of existing client content. Clients to date
include: Prestigio, a consumer electronics firm; The Business Outsourcing Company; a retail FX business,
zebrafx. I also occasionally write for publication: PR News, PR Week US, Social Media Today and Marketme.
Oct 2011 – Jan 2013
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PR & Communications Consultant, PR Matters (Larnaca & London)
Global Head of PR, FOREX CLUB (Russian Federation, Montenegro)
Headhunted to deliver professional, best practice global PR and communications for this privately owned Russian
retail broker in FX, gold, silver, oil and shares. Made redundant, along with all other English language staff, as a
result of the Board’s decision to retrench and consolidate its key geographic foothold (Russia) and to focus only
on the Russian language markets.
Created and implemented strategies and content for all communication channels, including PR, website, intranet,
marketing, social media and internal comms. The goal was to raise FOREX CLUB’s profile and thought
leadership in the English language media (with a long-term view to a London/FTSE IPO), the Russian Federation
and CIS countries, China, US, Spain, Portugal and Brazil.
Achievements
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Profile Transformation: Prior to my appointment there were no appearances in the English language global
media, which was also either negative about or indifferent to the Russian B2C FX broker. Within three months of
implementing my new PR strategy, we were being quoted in major English financial media, including:
Bloomberg, The Daily Telegraph, FX Week, The Financial Times, Index Trader, Investment Europe, The Times,
Investors Chronicle, Money Observer. Important media and social media in English and Russian soon began to
solicit our views on retail FX, macro-economics and commodities and published our articles as welcome thought
leadership.
Coverage & Media Relations: Consistent, high-quality, high-volume achieved in media for market
commentaries, articles, press releases, research and for social media conversation in online trading communities.
Public Relations: Established services and processes, including dedicated counsel to the Management Board of
Directors, wrote all guidelines, set up measurements and auditing, reporting of results on a monthly, quarterly,
half-yearly basis, presentations to management, crisis comms procedures and media training.
Marketing: Independent client research commissioned on trading behaviour and perceptions of B2C traders
across multiple markets.
Content Creation: Rewrote the entire English language website, which in turn was applied to all of the other
language versions. Devised strategies and content for all social media channels, the Customer Service Desk scripts
and guidelines, advertising and email marketing, internal communications (see below), marketing and corporate
literature, product guides and annual client and staff event brochures.
Internal Communications: Set up a department and appointed and managed two staff from within the company,
updated the intranet and tools for access by 650+ staff across multiple offices and countries, and managed a
monthly forum for the CEO to engage with all staff via the intranet. Created and edited a weekly, global bilingual
newsletter for English and Russian language staff, and launched a revamped news room and CSR section for the
Russian language main website. Responsible for change management strategy to ensure the smooth transition of
200 staff from one business to another within the Group.
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Management of: Staff, budgets, agencies and suppliers (including appointments via invitation to tender
processes). These comprised Citigate Dewe Rogerson (team of 12 based in Moscow and London), PR Newswire
(London), Precise Media Monitoring (London), 15 analysts (Russia, CIS, US) and an in-house PR team of four
(Moscow, London).
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Feb 07 – Sep 11 – PR & Communications Consultant, PR Matters (UK, Cyprus). Established own PR and
communications consultancy for work in the UK and Europe. Provided a range of services across the
communications spectrum, from writing articles, advertisements and press releases, to events management,
training in media relations and presentation skills, internal comms, recruitment writing, editorial work,
development and implementation of communications strategies, emarketing, new business and PR campaigns.
Clients included FxPro, Capuchin, Tell Mardikh and The McKernan Agency.
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Sep 09 – Apr 10 – Acting Head of PR, FxPro Financial Services (Cyprus). A leading global retail broker
in FX, gold, oil and shares, FxPro provides services across 120+ countries in 10+ languages. An eight-month
contract reporting to the Chairman, the position was tasked with raising the company’s profile by creating and
implementing a corporate comms and PR strategy and content, a CSR strategy and programme, a social media
programme, writing press releases, rewriting of the company website and product marketing guides.
Responsible for all media relations, internal communications, branding and events management. Negotiated
sponsorships with Virgin Racing Formula One and the FIA World Rally Championship. Created and
implemented e-marketing and new business campaigns, targeting new and existing clients, and built
relationships with press across the finance, consumer and social media. Managed the global PR agency
Citigate Dewe Rogerson, conducted an invitation to tender process and appointed a new agency (Financial
Dynamics), set up a media monitoring service (Durrants), and a news distribution service (PR Newswire).
Recruited and managed a staff of five.
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Jan 09 – Aug 09 – Acting Head of Business Development and Head of the Global Client Service Team,
Action Global Communications (Cyprus). An eight-month senior PR consultancy at the Cyprus-based HQ
of this independent PR agency network (40+ offices) that focuses on the Middle East, Central and Eastern
Europe, parts of Asia and Africa. Responsibilities included global and local (country-specific) new business
development, including successful pitches, presentations and proposals. Oversaw international clients,
developed PR campaigns, budgets and proposals, managed the country managers of the entire network and a
team of 10 PR staff in Cyprus. Also charged with reviewing all team processes and communications to ensure
best practice across the entire network.
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Feb 07 - Dec 08 – PR Consultant (UK). Advised an Asset Manager and Liberata (UK), a leading Business
Processes Outsourcing (BPO) company.
June 06 – Jan 07
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Corporate Communications Manager, Xchanging (London).
Headhunted for this newly created senior position. Made redundant as a result of organisational restructuring.
Initiated PR and IR processes to IPO (float the company as a PLC) on the London Stock Exchange.
Created PR strategic plans, including for the CEO, corporate and sector PR, to raise the profile of this BPO
company in the UK, US, Europe and Asia. Media included trade press, broadsheets, newswires and online.
Sector PR covered financial institutions, retail and manufacturing, insurance, HR, payroll and procurement.
Successful £230m, high-profile campaign AON insurance company deal.
Created positive media perception of insurance division within six months.
Crisis media management on TUPE and redundancy issues, and advised on PLC launch.
Acquisition PR relating to two international HR businesses.
Managed four consultancy staff from PR agencies in London (insurance) and Frankfurt (financial services), and
two members of staff at Xchanging (including one PR manager in India).
Pitched, wrote and placed articles for the CEO and Division Heads, and averaged three press releases a month.
Advised on all keynote internal communications as well as overseeing marketing initiatives.
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Feb 05 – May 06
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Head of PR & Media Relations, ABN AMRO Mellon (UK).
Headhunted for this position with ABN AMRO Mellon, the global joint venture (JV), and now part of Bank of
New York Mellon.
Planned and executed UK, pan-European and Asia-Pacific strategies for PR and media relations activities for
CEO and senior management that focused on thought leadership for geography, sector and service issues.
Particular focus on the UK, The Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, Singapore and China (Hong Kong).
Generated unprecedented high-volume, high-quality coverage, including premier positions in leading surveys.
Managed high-profile campaign for Standard Life outsourcing deal.
Wrote press releases (40+), marketing collateral (20 pieces), client magazines, and placed over 20 thought
leadership pieces (commissioned editorial, not advertorial).
Managed analyst activity for JV and created global advertising campaigns (£73k budget, but achieved £170k
value through negotiations).
Managed redesign of website’s News Room and wrote/co-wrote all keynote internal communications.
Media trained and counselled senior management and established media monitoring and evaluation procedures.
July 01 – Nov 04
PR & Communications Consultant (UK)
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The Alliance Trusts (Apr 04 – Nov 04) Marketing Communications Manager
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Citigroup (Sep 02 – Apr 04) PR Manager for UK, Europe, Middle East & Africa. Responsible for PR,
internal communications and some marketing activities across all units within UK and EMEA, and liaison
with US counterparts. Extensive communications across Citigroup, third party agencies and for lobbying in
Brussels. Business sectors included cash, trade, securities and fund services. Achieved consistent high-quality
coverage - with the emphasis on strategic and thought leadership viewpoints - across all major and specialist
financial press. Pitched articles for publication, conducted lobbying activities in UK and Europe, gained top
ratings in industry surveys and speaker placements at high profile conferences. Established no.1 presence in
the media, vs. the competition, from inherited fourth place.
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Department for Business Innovation and Skills (Mar 02 – Aug 02) E-commerce Project
Communications Manager
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Universities UK (July 01 – Mar 02) Editorial Consultant
July 00 – June 01
PR Manager, Vodafone plc (ipulsys b.v) (The Netherlands)
July 91 – July 00
Communications & Editorial Roles (Freelance/Contract) (UK, EU, US)
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Won contracts and freelance work in a variety of sectors, including: Eurolink (May 99-May 00, global IT
recruitment); Random House (Apr 98-Apr 99, publishing); Goddard Kay Rogers, now part of Whitehead
Mann (Oct 97-Mar 98, executive search); Rufus Leonard Consultants (Sep 96-Sep 97 and July 91-Sept 91,
design and communications consultancy); 3 Tenors 1996 World Tour & Pavarotti Concerts (Apr 96-Sep 96,
music entertainment); Cable & Wireless Europe (July 94-Mar 96, telecoms); Scholastic Children’s Books
(Dec 93-May 94); Times Mirror Int. (Feb 93-Nov 93, publishing); Foundation Health (Nov 91-Nov 93, B2B
healthcare).
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This period also included freelancing a journalist, editor and reviewer for publishers (e.g., Random House,
Hodder & Stoughton, Scholastic), magazines (e.g., Time Out, Q Magazine) and journals (e.g., Child Health).
Apr 90 – July 91
Robert White
Assistant to the Group Managing Director, Wolff Olins (UK)
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July 88 – Mar 90
Assistant to Editor, Hodder & Stoughton Publishers (UK)
Professional Memberships
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National Union of Journalists (NUJ) since 1992
Public Relations Consultants Association (PRCA) since 2014
Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) 2000-2013
Education/Training/Professional
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(2007) Nat. Union of Journalists
(1994) Frost & Sullivan
(1992) Central School of Counselling
(1989) Book House Training Centre
(1986 – 88) Reading University
Courses in Feature Writing, Sub-editing and Adobe InDesign
Certificate in Advanced Project Management Skills
AEB Certificates in Counselling Skills & Theory
Foundation Course in Copy-editing
Study for a BA (Hons) American Studies Degree
Volunteer Experience
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(2014) Creating Thrivers
(2007 – 2011) CINI UK
(2009 – 2010) FISU
(2003 – 2004) Rethink
(1992 – 1996) ChildLine
(1986, 1987) Camp America
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Adviser on communications and PR for this US-based charity
Adviser on PR for Child in Need India UK
Adviser on PR for meditation organisation
Adviser on fundraising for mental health charity
Counsellor on Saturday or Sunday evening shifts
Children’s Counsellor and Director of Drama