Company Information for Lothbury Financial

Company Statement

Lothbury Financial was formed in July 2008 following the acquisition of City of London PR, a long-established specialist natural resources PR group, and its merger with another team of PR/IR specialists. The enlarged consultancy shares a thorough grounding in financial/corporate PR and investor relations, whilst individuals have backgrounds in disciplines appropriate to the sector, including accountancy, stockbroking, investment analysis and financial/trade journalism.

Focussing on the small to mid-cap sector, Lothbury’s current clients are spread across the natural resources, technology, financial services and healthcare sectors, although the team also has expertise in building, retail and smaller companies in general.

Services Provided

Lothbury is a full-service consultancy, providing PR/ IR, M&A advice, crisis management, handling IPOs and fund raising. It also has established relationships with a network of marketing and advisory companies that can be utilised when a client’s particular needs require other channels of communication to be involved and other audiences addressed.

Financial PR advice to clients is based on the knowledge and experience of Lothbury’s team of consultants who have a cumulative total of more than 150 years of working with smaller, growing companies.  News management is all-important in building a client’s image. In this context, Lothbury believes that “preparation is vital to effective communication” and works closely with its clients in drafting  announcements that are both interesting and easily understood.  In this way, the progress and achievements of client companies are more readily appreciated by the media and the market. Between statutory financial announcements, other developments may present further media opportunities to enhance the client’s profile, such as comment on market activity and feature-type articles in the specialist press.  To achieve the best results for the client, Lothbury endeavours to become a “quasi” part of the management team preparing and handling all announcements, financial or otherwise.

Lothbury has a strong investor relations capability which includes supporting clients in marketing their shares to private client stockbrokers and other institutions, both in the UK and Continental Europe where the IR team is particularly strong. Typically, this will also involve a media relations programme targeting appropriate national, investment and trade press.

Through its corporate division, Lothbury is able to operate outside the conventional limits of investor and media relations, looking at all areas of communication and its implications to a client’s business.

The Lothbury team has advised on a large number of IPOs during the past 25 years, both as PR advisors and in other roles.  Whilst the majority have been London listings, others have been in Australia, Canada and the US.

Lothbury is also unusual in that, on many occasions it has assisted client companies to raise funds additional to those that the appointed advisers have managed to attract. In this regard, Lothbury provides additional sources of funds rather than alternative ones, and works closely with the team of advisors to the overall benefit of the client.


The Lothbury Team

Michael Padley - Executive Chairman
A partner at several leading financial PR firms and now owner of Lothbury Financial following the acquisition of City of London PR, has over 20 years experience in financial PR, banking and finance and was also an Extel ranked analyst. A smaller company specialist, he has broad experience across a range of sectors including technology, healthcare, property and natural resources.

John Greenhalgh MIPR - Consultant
Founded City of London PR in the 1970s after an early career in financial and general journalism on three national newspapers. Before setting up City of London PR, he created the financial public relations division of the Exchange Telegraph Company, the UK news wire service. A natural resources specialist used to dealing with companies based overseas.

Michael Spriggs - Consultant
Michael Spriggs has over 40 years' mining industry experience with major multinational groups. He joined SG Warburg (now UBS), becoming a No.1 Extel ranked analyst and Director. He entered financial PR in 1997 and worked for a number of leading consultancies as the Head of Natural Resources before moving with the team to Lothbury. He is a director of several mining companies.

Simon Astley - Consultant
Originally trained with PWC. Simon worked in financial pr before moving into the financial services sector. Highlights include:– largest ever unit trust [Royal] and investment trust [Mercury] launches; leading the life assurance industry [Zurich] in face of mortality projections re aids; launched sandler report; handled first ever VCT merger [Chrysalis]. Offers all round corporate communications advice to both quoted and unquoted companies.

Chris Price - Consultant
Has over 17 years' experience as a national paper business journalist, mostly at the Financial Times. Among a series of editorial positions he was latterly Technology Correspondent before entering PR five years ago. He has extensive knowledge of the sector and unrivalled press contacts.

Ron Marshman, BSc, MSc - Consultant
Following a number of years in the international mining industry, Ron joined Mining Journal and became Editor in 1984. He joined City of London PR in 1988 and specialises in minerals and naturals resources.

Peter C Doye - Consultant
ASIP, MSTA. Prior to joining City of London PR in 1981 he had a career in financial journalism, mainly with Reuters and the Financial Times Group including 15 years as Editor of the Investors Chronicle News Letter. He is Executive Deputy Chairman of City of London Group Plc.

Kevin Feeny - IR Consultant
Became a Member of the Stock Exchange in 1974 and a partner of Fielding, Newson-Smith and later W. Greenwell & Co. In 1987 he was made a director of Warburgs and subsequently of UBS. Throughout his City career he has specialised in the drinks industry and more recently in the field of Investor Relations.

Amanda Harris - PR/IR Consultant
Has over 10 years experience and began her career within the luxury brand and leisure sectors, and also advising private companies. She has 4 years experience in financial PR and within the team she also has responsibility for IR development.

Louise Davis - Account Executive
Has MA (Hons) in Ancient History from Edinburgh University. Having worked in PR and media during her studies she joined Bankside in 2007, transferring with the team to Lothbury. Louise now deals in all areas of account handling with current clients in the mining, technology and financial services sectors.

Libby Moss - Account Executive
Entered PR in 2000 from the Chemical Industries Association. She has a degree in Business (Marketing) from Edith Cowan University in Western Australia. she specialises in small-mid cap companies in the telecoms, leisure and natural resources sectors. Outside of PR, Libby has extensive experience in the sport industry and is a technical commissioner of the European Softball Federation and Secretary General of the British Softball Federation.

Cornelia Fernandes - Account Executive
Has six years experience in PR, joining City of London in 2004, looking after press/client relations. Cornelia has a degree in economics from Staffordshire University.