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| Mark McCall |
FTI Consulting's strategic communications unit posted 8.9 percent Q3 growth to $60M as it navigated a complex financial environment marked by disruptions in global capital markets, supply chains and political uncertainty, according to Mark McCall, head of the PR group. Operating income surged 20.2 percent to $11.3M.
A robust demand for corporate reputation services in North America, Europe, Middle East and Africa sparked the solid performance.
McCall told O'Dwyer's a priority of the stratcom unit is to integrate its marketing communications services offering into the overall FTI platform.
Carlyn Taylor, co-leader of FTI's corporate finance & restructuring unit, said clients undergoing major transformation projects are eager to take advantage of stratcom's employee engagement and change management savvy.
McCall noted that FTI continues to invest in executive talent to ensure best-in-class client service.
Simon Lewis is joining FTI on Jan. 6 as EMEA vice chairman and global head of financial services for the stratcom segment.
He's the CEO of the Association for Financial Markets in Europe, former director of communications for UK prime minister Gordon Brown, first communications director for Queen Elizabeth and director of corporate affairs at Vodafone, Centrica and NatWest.
Earlier this month, Anne MacGregor signed on as managing director in Brussels.
Most recently, a national partner at Dechert LLP, the 25-year veteran of the European Union legal and regulatory scene, will advise and counsel clients on antitrust, M&M, state aid and trade matters.
For the nine-month period, stratcom registered a 6.9 percent growth in revenues to $176.8M and a 12.9 percent advance in operating profit to $30.7M.
Billable headcount rose 10.3 percent to 719 staffers from a year ago.
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