UK's Portland has hired David MacKay, a more than 30-year veteran of FleishmanHillard, Hill+Knowlton Strategies, Ketchum and Finn Partners, as general manager-US to oversee its five-year-old New York office and just opened DC outpost.

Tim Allan, an advisor to former Prime Minister Tony Blair, launched Portland in 2001 as a reputation management consultancy.

Portland's 120 staffers represent Barclays, Nestle, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Kofi Anan Foundation and McDonald's.

The firm believes its DC push will bolster is effort to support government entities, NGOs, arts & cultural institutions, foundations and global campaigns.

Qatar on Sept. 15 hired Portland for a $150K campaign targeted at Congress and federal agencies to improve ties with the US.

The effort runs through the end of the year includes media outreach, event management, policymaker/influencer meetings and research.

MacKay has worked for clients such as US Mint, Smithsonian Institution, Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the US Senate, Motorola, Allstate Financial, Barnes & Noble and Bloomberg Government.