Newington Communications, the UK’s fifth biggest public affairs consultancy, and SEC, Italy’s largest PR firm today (Tuesday) announced a formal partnership arrangement that brings the combined turnover of the recently AIM-listed group to more than £22million (€26 million).

Confirmation of the deal comes just over a month after SEC Group, which also has operations in Brussels, Germany and Spain, listed on the Alternative Investment Market.

In taking a 60% stake in Newington, which was formerly known as Bellenden, Fiorenzo Tagliabue, SEC Group’s founder and CEO, said his ambition to invest in a strong and growing consultancy in the UK market had been fulfilled.

He said: “We had wanted to invest in a British consultancy that combined a strong track record in the sector with a forward-looking approach when it comes to developing new integrated campaigning techniques, and that is on the front foot when it comes to transparency and ethics. 

“Newington met this criteria and we’re delighted it has joined our developing partnership across Europe, the US and Asia.”

SEC Group’s international headquarters will be based at Newington’s new London HQ as it plans to expand its reach in Europe in addition to expansion into the Americas and Asia.

Mark Glover, co-founder and CEO of Newington, said formally joining a developing partnership of independently-run communications consultancies opened the next chapter of growth for Newington.

Glover said:  “This partnership will provide Newington with the necessary scale to continue to build our integrated public affairs and corporate comms offer at a local, regional, national, European and international level.

“We will retain the values, culture and ethos that have been the foundation of our success to date.

“This is a new business model – a partnership of independently run consultancies which are encouraged to retain the unique qualities that set them apart from the competition.”

Phil Briscoe, Newington’s co-founder and Managing Director, added that the international partnership would enable a greater level of client service and delivery.

“Newington is already delivering results from integrated communications across audiences and platforms, but as part of the SEC family, we will now be able to offer a truly international reach to our clients.”

In a decade Newington has grown from two consultants in South London to more than 45 consultants operating from its new London HQ and from offices in Scotland, the North West, the Midlands and the East of England. Its specialist consultants work in a range of sectors including education, energy and environment, financial services, health, housing, justice and legal, as well as property development and transport.  

Naomi Harris will remain Managing Director of Newington’s Public Affairs division, working alongside Glover and Briscoe, who will also become members of SEC Group Management Committee. The Committee is chaired by Tom Parker, the Managing Director of Cambre, SEC Group’s Brussels agency.