FleishmanHillard Inc

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FleishmanHillard is a public relations and marketing agency based in Missouri. It is one of the biggest PR firms in the world, with a major presence in the UK.

FleishmanHillard has been involved in several controversies and scandals, including Cash for Access, overcharging the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power,ref,ref illegal collection and processing of personal data to support Monsanto,ref,ref

People

  • Jim Donaldson, CEO, UK & Middle East. Previously chair of Weber Shandwick’s EMEA corporate practice.ref
  • Ali Gee, deputy CEO & senior partner. Formerly CEO of Fishburn Hedges. Previously Executive Vice President at American public relations firm Edelman.
  • John Saunders, president and chief executive officer. Previously managing director of FleishmanHillard Saunders. Was president of ICCO (International Communications Consultancy Organisation), the global representative body for the PR industry (2005-2007). Was also a member of the Europe and Central Asia Committee at the World Economic Forum. Also a member of the Arthur W. Page SocietyWikipedia-W.svg.
  • Olivier Beheydt, COO & Chef de Cabinet of the EMEA Management Team. Previously held positions on the financial teams for and GPC International and Pfizer.

Timeline

See also Powerbase, and SourceWatch.
  • Jan.2016: FleishmanHillard London and Fishburn HedgesPowerbase-graphic.svg merged their UK operations to form a new London PR agency "FleishmanHillard Fishburn".[fh 1]
  • 2001: GPC International was absorbed into FleishmanHillard.ref,ref
  • 1997: Acquired by Omnicom Group.ref
  • 1996: GPC International of Toronto opened an office in Edinburgh, ahead of the establishment of a Scottish Parliament in 1999. See Fleishman-Hillard (Edinburgh)Powerbase-graphic.svg.
  • 1990: Fleishman-Hillard Saunders was a joint venture between US-based Fleishman-Hillard and a group of Irish public relations professionals, including John Saunders, which held a 59% stake in the company. FHS had offices in Dublin and Belfast.ref
  • 1946: Fleishman-Hillard International Communications was founded by Alfred FleishmanWikipedia-W.svg and Bob HillardWikipedia-W.svg.ref

Articles

  • Jul.12.2018: Beyond the pale: Industry fights sunscreen cancer warning label. Corporate lobbyists are waging a fierce battle to prevent the European Union labelling titanium dioxide – a chemical ubiquitous in many everyday items including sunscreen – a “suspected carcinogen”. The lobbying is led by an unregistered trade association Titanium Dioxide Manufacturers' Association (TDMA) and public relations consultancy FleishmanHillard; nonetheless, they appear to have the ear of member states and the European Commission (https://specialty-chemicals.eu/tdma/). Titanium dioxide is a chemical whitener which can be found in sunscreen, toothpaste, foodstuffs like candies, as well as plastics, paints, and many other products. In 2006 the World Health Organisation’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) declared titanium dioxide a “possible carcinogen for humans” after tests on animals, with even larger risks in its nano form. In late Sept.2018 the 28 EU member states via the Commission’s chemicals regulatory committee (set up under Europe’s main law to regulate chemicals, REACH – the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) will take a decision about whether all forms of titanium dioxide (including the nano form) should be classified as a “suspected carcinogen” when inhaled, and be labelled as such on products where it is used. Industry is spending €14 million on funding scientific studies into titanium dioxide which will then be promoted to decision-makers - studies designed by themselves to promote their arguments. CEFIC and BusinessEurope are also lobbying. In 2017, TDMA paid Brussels’ biggest lobby firm Fleishman-Hillard €400,000-€499,999 a year for lobbying services. Fleishman-Hillard is actively involved in directly lobbying officials on titanium dioxide on behalf of TDMA - Peter Holdorf previously worked as an assistant at Denmark’s Permanent Representation to the EU in the Environmental Section, a handy background for lobbying member state officials working on EU matters. Fleishman-Hillard and fellow industry-lobbyists are reframing chemicals regulation away from the core topic of health and environmental protection, using arguments about the economy and jobs to try to persuade member state officials. For eg., one TDMA document argues that classifying titanium dioxide as a suspected carcinogen would “affect the jobs of millions of workers in Europe and beyond, in a wide range of industry sectors from paper, plastics, paints, cosmetics and automotive. It would threaten the billions of euros of value added to the EEA, across the industries using [titanium dioxide] in their products.” Perhaps there may be job losses, but that's far better than millions of people getting cancer and dying. Aaron McLoughlin heads up CEFIC's public affairs team, and used to work at Fleishman-Hillard - very handy.
    Fleishman-Hillard is no stranger to working for clients with a dodgy reputation: for years it has represented Monsanto and ExxonMobil among many others. Specifically in the chemicals sphere, it represents CEFIC (the European Chemical Industry Council), as well as a range of other associations which promote particular types of chemicals. These include Crop Life and the European Crop Protection Association representing pesticides producers, and an organisation referred to as BPA (PlasticsEurope). BPA (bisphenol A is a chemical used in many plastics; it is banned from babies’ bottles and campaigners argue it should be restricted in far more products.
    The UK has adopted some of the industry’s arguments, including on the circular economy as part of its positioning. Clearly the health of UK citizens is less important than Bu$ine$$; after all, one must look after one's donors. The UK’s stance on this seems particularly hypocritical. Michael Gove has tried to brand himself as a champion on green causes, and has been keen to score points against the European Commission on some environmental issues in the public eye - but he has no sense of irony when it comes to his own govt's position on titanium dioxide, or other chemicals issues such as glyphosate. Corporate Europe Observatory.
  • May.13.2018: Who are the new movers and shakers in the UK public affairs world? Tim Snowball, head of public affairs, FleishmanHillard Fishburn, is a former Liberal Democrat communications director and political secretary to Nick Clegg. He joined Clegg’s parliamentary office in 2006 after meeting the Lib Dem leader during a lecture he was giving at the University of Sheffield and went on to be a key link person during the collation years. He took the plunge into public affairs in 2014 and was last year recruited by FleishmanHillard Fishburn as the agency sought to shore up its wobbling public affairs operation. David Singleton, Public Affairs News.

References

  1. ^ FleishmanHillard London and Fishburn to Merge. FleishmanHillard London and Fishburn are to merge, creating a new London PR agency with 200+ staff. Fleishman Hillard, Nov.2015.