Boakes joins MRM Group as Chair

MRM Group, the communications consultancy specialising in reputation management and brand promotion, has appointed Nick Boakes as Non-Executive Chair following its acquisition of paid media specialist Capital City Media.

Boakes, who played an important advisory role in the CCM deal, will take up the position with immediate effect. He will work closely with the MRM Group Board and Executive Committee to ensure the smooth integration of the two businesses while providing ongoing counsel to the senior team and guidance on future growth and development plans.

An accountant by training, Boakes is one of the most experienced and respected corporate communicators operating in the UK today. Over the past three decades, he has helped found and grow some of the UK’s leading communications consultancies. As a member of the executive committees of two FTSE 100 companies, Friends Provident and Provident Financial, he has been directly responsible for both advising on and managing acutely sensitive political and financial issues.

Commenting on the appointment, MRM Group CEO Andrew Appleyard said:

“Nick is someone I have known, admired and sought counsel from for many years. His advice and guidance during that time has been invaluable, never more so than in the last few months when he has got to know the business and its people inside out. It gives me enormous pleasure to welcome him more formally to the team, in a way that I know will have deep and long-lasting impact on MRM Group, its people and the work we do.”

Nick Boakes said:

“Communications is an exciting and rapidly changing sector reacting, and in many cases anticipating, society’s and consumers’ changing consumption patterns and tastes. MRM has impressively both seen and grasped the emerging opportunities, especially in the financial services sector, but is also well placed to capitalise on the potential in other sectors and geographies. The recent tie-up with CCM underlines the exclusively client-focused approach to delivering powerful and effective reputation management and communications.

“In Andy Appleyard, Richard Wheat and Mike Richards and the highly professional communications teams with them, there is a real potential to galvanise their carefully thought through, thoroughly researched approach to clients’ communications strategy, reputation management and execution. I am delighted to join the team and help to push the business along both further and faster.”