SEC Newgate UK

Emma specialises in creating positive change through communications. She has 30 years’ experience in the communications industry. Today she is Chief Executive of SEC Newgate UK, part of the international communications group, SEC Newgate S.p.A. on whose board she also sits. Her clients include business leaders, household brands and international organisations. She is a regular feature in the ‘PR Week UK Power Book’.

She is Deputy Chair of the Elton John Aids Foundation and a Non-Executive Director of the Green Finance Institute. She is the former Chair of the UK’s largest ovarian cancer charity, Target Ovarian Cancer, and of The Barbican Centre Trust and served on both boards for nine years. She was awarded the Freedom of the City of London in 2017.

Nina is the COO/CFO of SEC Newgate UK, and supports the entire client-facing team by running the agency’s back office both tightly and professionally.

She joined the agency Redleaf Communications (since rebranded to SEC Newgate UK) in December 2010, following Redleaf’s acquisition of Polhill, where she had been CFO since October 1999.

Admired for her team spirit and good humour as much as her determination and her negotiation skills, Nina covers areas such as HR, accounts, IT and facilities and consistently inspires the confidence of clients, colleagues and suppliers.

She is a CIMA-qualified graduate of the University of Central England, where she specialised in Financial & Management Accounting, is fluent in Hindi, Gujarati and Urdu (both spoken and written), and studied Welsh at school.

Mother to a set of triplets, Nina is married to a former professional ice-hockey player from the US and is an avid sports fan, with Manchester United being especially close to her heart.

Mark has an unrivalled understanding of the interface between politics, communications and business. Founder of Newington in 2006 (which merged with Newgate to form SEC Newgate UK in 2021), Mark led the award-winning consultancy to its UK TOP TEN rating. He regularly advises senior corporates on public affairs and communications issues.

Mark is a Fellow of the PRCA, winner of PRCA Outstanding Contribution to Public Affairs Award 2020 and a Warden of the Company of Communicators.

Mark was a Labour Councillor in Southwark 2002-14, including six years as Chairman of the Labour Group, and two years as Chairman of the Audit and Governance Committee. He was a campaign manager in three general elections for the Labour Party. He was an expert witness on lobbying transparency in front of the Council of Europe.

Mark also served for five years on Marston Group’s Ethical Advisory Group and served on the Federal Executive of the Lib Dems in 1992.

Mark is an Awards Judge for the PRCA, Public Affairs Awards and PR Week.

Alistair has almost 25 years’ experience in corporate positioning and financial communications, advising a wide range of organisations both in the UK and internationally.

Clients have ranged from start-ups, HNWIs, boutiques and family businesses to PE houses, large multinationals, banks and global asset managers, to business advisory firms, industry trade bodies and government departments. Alistair has supported the launch of several businesses, helping to shape and articulate social purpose; he has advised on fundraising strategies, has supported and defended against high profile domestic and cross-border transactions; provided crisis and issues management; advised on rebranding strategies and has led a number of award-winning media and policy campaigns.

As well has co-leading the Communications division, Alistair runs the Pensions Advisory practice, which provides strategic consultancy to the Trustee Boards of FTSE100 pension schemes. He started his career in public affairs before moving into corporate and financial communications.

A seasoned communications professional with a career spanning nearly 30 years, Paul has been in senior management roles for some of the leading communications consultancies in the UK.

He is an expert in issues and crisis management and media relations and has worked on some of the most complex communications issues in the UK for clients in both the public and private sector.

A former IPR Young Communicator of The Year and PRCA judge, Laura has 25 years of agency experience, across property, luxury hospitality and tourism. Laura works across a portfolio of clients including Countryside, Ballymore and Urban & Civic in the UK and a number of branded residence developments overseas. Her key remit sees her crafting communications for large opportunity areas, issues management and digital strategy.

Prior to SEC Newgate, Laura led the 20-strong property team at LUCHFORD for clients including Capco, Lodha, Berkeley and Lendlease and she previously spent eight years at FTI.

Chris leads SEC Newgate’s Public Affairs team, providing strategic counsel to clients in a number of highly regulated sectors, including financial services, infrastructure and transport. He was recognised by his peers at the Public Affairs Awards in 2016 by winning the Consultant of the Year Award, and in 2017 for leading the best public affairs campaign.

Before joining SEC Newgate (formerly Newington), Chris spent six years as a Special Adviser to Conservative Cabinet Ministers William Hague, Andrew Lansley and Patrick McLoughlin in both the Leader of the Commons and Government Chief Whips’ offices between 2009 and 2015. He was responsible for managing and planning the government’s legislative programme, providing expert parliamentary and political advice to Downing Street and Cabinet Ministers.

He was also the Policy Adviser on the Devolution Cabinet Committee chaired by William Hague after the Scottish Referendum, advising on the constitutional settlement of the United Kingdom and on city deals in England.

Chris began his career by working in the House of Commons in 2005 for two Conservative MPs. He is also a former Chairman of a Conservative Constituency Association, and organised and ran several political campaigns for local council, Mayoral, and general elections.