Portland

Donald Trump has taken office as the 47th U.S. president, promising a new "golden age" of America. He immediately withdrew from the Paris climate accords, renewed his threats of tariffs on major trading partners, pledged to undo diversity, equity and inclusion programmes, and promised both to crack down on illegal migrants and "take back" the Panama Canal. @BakerLuke looks at the sweeping and at time brutal inauguration speech and how it tears up the legacy of Joe Biden. bit.ly/3PL04mK

Trump's inauguration sparks uncertainty for the tech world— with the power to shape regulations, change global strategies, and reform the future of the UK tech sector. Dive in to learn more 👇 portland-communications.com/technology/thr…

We are pleased to announce that Simon Whitehead is joining Portland as our new CEO. Simon brings a wealth of experience in the industry, most recently as CEO of Burson UK. We look forward to having him join us at the start of an exciting year for our business.

Check out part 2 of our Year in RevEU 👇

2024 was a year marked by unprecedented milestones for the EU. From the post-election transition to the resumption of work drafting new legislation on technology, sustainability and health, the EU is again gearing up to the challenges that lie ahead. The Portland Brussels team looks forward to helping companies and organisations navigate 2025 and beyond by co-creating winning strategies, anticipating policy trends and supporting impactful engagement. See below for part 1 of our Year in RevEU. Part 2 to follow in the next post. Subscribe to receive our weekly What’s nEU wire in your inbox every Friday 👉 lnkd.in/gH65KjiM

At Portland over the past couple of weeks, the teams have been getting into the festive spirit and celebrating another year of hard work 🥳. Our offices in the UK and Doha hosted their annual Winter parties and smaller team socials, the Paris team took part in an exciting escape room, and our colleagues over in Brussels have their party to look forward to next week. In the UK, we have also hosted a bake off, a desk decorating contest and indulged the national "Christmas Jumper Day" by wearing festive outfits to work yesterday. We wish all of our colleagues and clients a restful and restorative break when it comes, and we are looking forward to 2025. #LifeatPortland

As Ursula von der Leyen begins her second term at the helm of the EU executive, one of the top priorities for the incoming Commission will be how it promotes European competitiveness in the AI sector while ensuring the technology is used safely and ethically. From rules to resources, Portland’s Patrick Birken examines the challenges and opportunities facing the new European Commission over the next five years and how it can forge a regional AI environment that fosters innovation and competes with global tech hubs in the United States and China. Read the full article here 👉 bit.ly/3OSRHou

The French government led by Prime Minister Michel Barnier just fell following a no-confidence vote in the National Assembly. Read Portland's analysis examining the scenarios for the 2025 French budget adoption and the wider political consequences of this institutional deadlock here 👉 bit.ly/49mpUWY

Did you know that you can now follow us on Bluesky? Follow us there too for insight into communications, policy, and reputation, from our team of experts 👉bsky.app/profile/portla…

Now that #COP29 has wrapped up we’re back with a look at the key outcomes and what developments in Baku mean for next year’s much anticipated #COP30 and the future of climate finance. 💰 Read this week’s Temperature Check to learn more. ⬇️ bit.ly/4icld6b

This morning, Portland had the pleasure of hosting a breakfast discussion centred around this year’s report: Reputation & Accountability – Class Actions, ESG, and Values-Driven Litigation by the litigation and disputes team. Experts from across the industry shared thought-provoking perspectives on how these evolving trends are shaping the nature of claims and their implications for claimants, defendants, and litigators alike. A huge thank you to everyone who joined us and contributed to such an engaging and insightful conversation! You can download the full report here 👉 bit.ly/3VbyDFs

A huge congratulations to Portland director @joel_chacha, MPRSK, MMSK who has been included in the Top 30 Men in PR by Public Relations Society of Kenya (PRSK). Joel develops and leads a number of high-impact communications strategies for multinational corporations, foundations and global development agencies. Well done on this incredible achievement 👏 #Top30MenInPR #PRSK

At the tail end of a huge year around the world for elections, Ireland going to the polls may not match the magnitude of races in the UK and America. However, the small nation’s economic dependence on US multinationals could represent a headache in a Trump 2.0 world, with Dublin’s role as a bridge between the Silicon Valley and EU regulators under threat. Daniel Herlihy from our Brussels office examines what’s on Irish voters’ minds. 👇 portland-communications.com/geo-political/…

Today, Portland has published its newest report, Reputation & Accountability – Class Actions, ESG and Values-Driven Litigation – offering fresh insights into public attitudes toward various forms of ‘values-driven’ litigation, such as ESG claims, group litigation, and shareholder claims, and their impacts on corporate accountability and reputations. Some interesting findings from this year’s report include: 💷 A widespread belief that class actions benefit lawyers and funders financially 🫵 Strong public consensus that company directors owe a duty to ensure that their companies manage climate risks effectively ⬅ Half of the public would divest from a company that was found to have breached governance standards This report is based on findings from polling of 2,006 people in the UK, with contributions from industry experts: Aurélia Le Frapper from Alethica, Lorraine Lanceley (née McLinn) from Stewarts, Heather Gagen and Caroline Edwards from Travers Smith, as well as Portland’s own, Simon Pugh, Gabriel Milland, and Tristan Peniston-Bird.

Tomorrow Portland’s Litigation and Disputes team will launch its new report, Reputation and Accountability: Class Actions, ESG and Values-Driven Litigation. The report reveals new data, analysis and expert commentary on how the public and senior business leaders in the UK perceive issues around ESG regulation, class actions and securities litigation, and how they are increasingly driving corporate behaviour. Get in touch with the disputes team to be added to our mailing list and receive your copy! Email us at disputes@portland-communications.com

It’s round three of Portland’s Temperature Check! This week our International Development team in London and Nairobi dives into this week’s #COP29 news, including new calls for climate justice for Africa and the draft texts so far. Read more now: bit.ly/412MeCT

Priscilla Truong, Corporate Affairs Director at Portland, features in this month's #PortlandProfile 👇 -𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞? Since day one, I’ve been impressed with the brilliant people at Portland. Regardless of their role or level, everyone is incredibly bright, intelligent and hard-working. It was my first impression upon meeting my team on day one, and has remained unchanged as I’ve gotten to know more colleagues across the agency. Getting to work with and learn from some of the smartest brains in our industry is pretty special! -𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐭 𝐏𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐨 𝐟𝐚𝐫? There’s been many highlights - but one that stands out is our work with Travis Perkins to launch the Construction Inclusion Coalition, to improve diversity & inclusion across the sector. We played a pivotal role in helping to develop and shape the coalition, from defining its objectives and focus-areas, to establishing its brand identity, helping it recruit members, through to its external launch last year. I’m really proud of our work to help shape and launch the coalition. It’s more than a communication campaign, but an initiative which has the power to drive meaningful change across the construction sector and more broadly in society. -𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝟐𝟎-𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫-𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤? At the age of 20, I was an impressionable intern who said ‘yes’ to any and every request or opportunity. Don’t get me wrong - a can-do attitude is a brilliant trait to have at any age or level. However, what I’ve since learnt is that it’s not just about agreeing with other people’s opinions or saying yes (as important as yes can be). The true value comes when you can critically think for yourself, have a point of view and can challenge convention. It particularly rings true at Portland, where we pride ourselves on being a think-shop, not just a do-shop. Our clients want our counsel and to be challenged in the pursuit of the best outcome possible, and I expect the same of my team at any level. Learning to speak up, to share your perspective and ideas, and to challenge and persuade clients (and each other) is essential. -𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤? Most of my free time is spent lifting weights, running or finding new hikes to explore. I love being active, but truth be told, it’s mostly to justify my other true love: eating my way around new restaurants in London. -𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐚 𝐟𝐞𝐰 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮? I was a school dance-aerobics champion in primary school. It’s not a skill that frequently appears on my CV, but hang around at a Christmas party long enough and you might get lucky!

📣 It’s time! Portland’s International Development team is back with Temperature Check, your guide to the global climate agenda. This week we look at the (lack of) progress made at #COP16 before #COP29 kicks off in Baku on Monday. Read more now: bit.ly/48JduYP

At the FT Global Pharma and Biotech Summit 2024, NHS Director of Value and Access, Fiona Bride, invited industry to see innovation as more than just medicine alone. She emphasised the need for a holistic approach, where pharmaceutical companies have an opportunity to partner with the NHS across the entire patient journey, particularly as it works to adopt exciting new population health innovations. Adam Hall and Lucy Rodrick from our Health team reflect on her words in our latest blog: bit.ly/4ffeGpz