Lord Bell’s Chime agrees to merge its Bell Pottinger unit with Pelham PR
CHIME, the communications firm led by former Tory spin-doctor Lord Bell, has agreed to merge its Bell Pottinger Corporate and Financial business with rival Pelham Public Relations.
Chime will own a majority stake in the enlarged business, which will be called Pelham Bell Pottinger. Pelham chief executive James Henderson – who launched the firm five years ago this week – will become managing director of the new business.
Henderson said that he was “very excited” about the deal, and about taking the firm to the next level.
“We’ve become an established player over five years, but we are not quite top flight yet in financial public relations,” he said.
“But this move means we can attract the best talent and take on the big boys.”
Privately-owned Pelham reported a pre-tax profit of £880,000 for the 16 months to the end of 2008, on a turnover of around £8.2m.
Father-of four-Henderson co-founded Pelham after leaving College Hill Associates, where he had worked for 15 years. His areas of expertise are the oil and gas, insurance, utilities and luxury goods sectors.
Described by associates as work-focused and dedicated, Henderson is also known for chasing the sunshine with his family and for running marathons – though he says the latter is “more about keeping sane than keeping fit”.