NEWGATE COMMUNICATIONS OPENS BEIJING OFFICE, APPOINTS DAVID SCHLESINGER AND TOM GRIMMER AS SENIOR ADVISORS IN GREATER CHINA Hong Kong, 20 October 2014 – Newgate Communications, a leading international strategic communications consultancy, today announced the opening of its Beijing office and the appointments of David Schlesinger and Tom Grimmer as Senior Advisors to the firm in Greater China. Newgate Hong Kong partner Grace Zhang will act as the Head of the firm’s new Beijing office, further developing the firm’s growing business in Mainland China. Richard Barton, Newgate’s Managing Partner for Greater China, said, “Since our launch in Hong Kong in January 2013 we have made strong inroads into the Mainland China market across our corporate, financial and public affairs practices. Grace has a strong track record in advising both local and MNC clients and will drive forward our development in Beijing. “As we continue to hire in both Hong Kong and Beijing, we are also delighted that David and Tom have joined us as senior advisors. Both have been at the cutting edge of journalism, communications and business in the PRC. Their insights and advice on business and communications in China are proving to be an invaluable resource for our fast-‐growing global client roster.” David Schlesinger has deep experience with political risk analysis, offshoring, localisation, labour relations and acquisitions as well as all aspects of traditional, online and social media. He was most recently Chairman of Thomson Reuters China and was the global information services group’s senior representative in the region. He was responsible for building relationships, providing thought leadership and advising on strategy for operations across Thomson Reuters’ interests in financial markets, legal and regulatory databases, scientific information and journalism. He was previously Editor-‐in-‐Chief and Global Managing Editor of Reuters News, in charge of its worldwide operations and news editing. He joined Reuters’ Hong Kong bureau in 1987 as a correspondent. From 1989 to 1995, he ran Reuters editorial operations in Taiwan, China and the Greater China region in a series of posts. Schlesinger is active in the World Economic Forum, where he has served as a member of the International Media Council and the China Agenda Council, and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. In 2008, he was awarded an Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award for Business and Financial Reporting by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in the United States. For nearly three decades Tom Grimmer has held senior communications positions in both Hong Kong and Beijing, advising global financial institutions, MNCs and Chinese firms alike on issues ranging from market entry, branding and sponsorships to crises and cross-‐border M&A. Grimmer's career in Asia began in Beijing in 1985 and has seen him cover markets as diverse as India, China, Hong Kong and Australia. He was most recently Head of Communications in Asia for HSBC, overseeing a team of more than 100 communications professionals in 18 markets. He was previously Managing Partner for China at Kreab Gavin Anderson, a consultancy specializing in financial communications. Prior to that he was Head of Communications, Asia, at Credit Suisse First Boston. In the 1990s he was global Head of Communications for Hong Kong-‐based investment bank Peregrine Investments. From 2008 to 2011 Grimmer was Visiting Professor at the School of Journalism and Communications at Tsinghua University, Beijing. He is a Mandarin speaker and is based in Beijing. About Newgate Newgate Communications is a fast growing international communications consultancy specializing in corporate reputation building, capital market communications & financial media relations, and public policy & regulatory consulting. Our purpose is to ensure our clients achieve their business, policy and social objectives. Newgate Communications, which has offices in London, Frankfurt, Brussels, Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong, Beijing, Singapore, Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Brisbane, is a subsidiary of Porta Communications PLC. Enquiries: Richard Barton, Managing Partner T: +852 9301 2056 E: [email protected] Grace Zhang, Partner T: +852 6756 1127 / +86 186 1420 1027 E: [email protected]