Peregrine announces the appointment of Chris Matthews as Chairman

Chris Matthews by Peregrine Communications

Peregrine Communications, the specialist integrated marketing communications agency, has appointed Chris Matthews to the position of Chairman.

Chris Matthews is an award winning financial and corporate communications specialist, who has successfully run and grown two of the UK’s best known communications consultancies.

Chris said: “I am delighted to be joining an award-winning, specialist team at a time of such opportunity and growth potential”.

Anthony Payne, Founder and Group CEO of Peregrine said: “We are thrilled to have someone with Chris’ experience on board, to help us navigate the challenges ahead. With our expansion into New York underway; with our expansion into Private Equity underway; and with more opportunities opening up virtually every day, it will be good to have someone of Chris’ track record and perspective to help us direct our energies most profitably”.

Chris was formerly Chairman of Engine Business, the forerunner of today’s MHP, he was Managing Partner of Hogarth Partnership, the top ten financial and corporate communications consultancy he founded and grew from a single client and he was Chief Executive of Shandwick Consultants, which doubled in size and quadrupled in profits to become the biggest communications firm of its kind in Europe under his stewardship.

Chris has worked at Board level with prestigious and demanding financial sector clients, including Hermes Fund Managers, Barclays PLC, Leopold Joseph Private Bank, SandAire multi-family office, Nationwide Building Society, the Prudential Policyholder Advocate and numerous businesses – from FTSE-100, private firms, and mutual enterprises – outside of the financial arena.

“With our expansion into New York underway; with our expansion into Private Equity underway; and with more opportunities opening up virtually every day, it will be good to have someone of Chris’ experience and perspective to help us direct our energies most profitably.”

Privatisations are an area where Chris has considerable expertise, having run the communications aspects of privatisations of the UK railway (OPRAF, ROSCO’s and with another firm, advising the Department of Transport on the overall process); UK power generation (National Power and Powergen); Northern Ireland Electricity; South West Water. Chris also ran the communications programme for the Polish Mass State Privatisation Programme.

Chris has also undertaken communications for numerous IPO’s and of agreed and contested M&A deals – he won an award for his work in the latter area.

In the area of pension funds, Chris worked for the Trustees of major funds dealing with highly contentious issues, including Royal Mail, Cadbury, ICI, and Sainsbury’s.

Chris has undertaken crisis communications for household-name clients facing significant challenges, including Barclays, Nationwide, Clarks, and “routine” crises for many others.

Originally with Arthur Andersen, Chris transferred into the world of marketing communications, initially as Finance Director of Grass Roots, he then moved to the quoted, full-service, international firm Valin Pollen, where he learned how to be a PR operator from what were some of the very best people in the business.

This appointment was featured in PR Week and can be read here.