Ray Eglington to lead 50-strong UK team
Four Communications Group is bringing four of its UK teams – corporate, brand, travel and culture – into a new Communications unit, which will act as a centre of excellence for its PR-led businesses.
Founding partner and group managing director Ray Eglington will lead the new unit, which has 50-plus staff in total serving clients including Baillie Gifford, Sibos, King’s Cross, Mayfair & Belgravia (Grosvenor), Costa Rica, AlUla, the Booker Prizes and Coventry UK City of Culture. He will work with the leadership team of Seren Hirons, Lizzie Costelloe and Fiona O’Rorke in brand; Helen Coop and Rob Wilson in travel; Truda Spruyt and Matt Railton in culture; and Jonathan Atkins in corporate & finance.
Four’s Communications unit will extend the agency’s corporate reputation, campaigning and consumer PR offer while retaining its focus on sector expertise in its existing teams. It becomes one of the agency’s six core units, along with Social Purpose & Policy, Health, Property, PACE (digital, creative and media) and MENA (Middle East & North Africa).
Nan Williams said:
This is a moment to invest in strength. Each of the four teams in Communications is growing strongly and we now want to open further the synergies of bringing the best of communications together. We’re delighted Ray has agreed to move back to the UK to lead this initiative, whilst still continuing to work closely with our MENA team.
Ray is returning to the UK after 17 years in the Middle East, where he built Four’s MENA team into one of the most successful agencies in the region. With a client roster including the UAE’s peaceful nuclear energy programme, Dubai Tourism, Wizz Air, Honeywell, Etihad Rail, the UAE Space Agency and Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company, Four MENA was named Middle East Agency of the Year four times in the last decade. Ray was chair of the Middle East Public Relations Association during 2017 and 2018, a period of record expansion, and currently sits on its executive Board.
Ray will continue to dedicate half of his time to the MENA operation and Middle East clients, working with MENA chief executive Samir Hammad and the leadership team of Natalie Amos, Alice Walker, Ghali Houri, Mohaned Lafi and Louay Houri.
Ray said:
We’ve got an incredibly strong team of communicators and I’m looking forward to working with them to deliver impactful campaigns, innovative new approaches and even greater growth.
I am also looking forward to increasing further the ways our UK and Middle East teams work together on data-led, award-winning communications programmes.