Grayling and The Global Consulting Group Merge

LONDON and NEW YORK, March 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Huntsworth Plc LSE: HNT announced that, effective immediately, it has merged two of its international subsidiaries, Grayling and The Global Consulting Group (Global), Inc. to create a new consultancy focused on public affairs, public relations, investor relations and event management. The new firm, Grayling Global, will be headquartered in London. It will have over 200 employees with approximately $35 million in fees, making it a leading international consultancy.

Nigel Kennedy, Group Chief Executive of Grayling, has been appointed CEO of Grayling Global. Richard J. Wolff, the founding Chief Executive Officer of Global, will step back from his existing day-to-day executive and managerial responsibilities and will become a Vice Chairman of Grayling Global. In addition to serving as Vice Chairman, Wolff will assume a new Huntsworth role as Managing Director, US Capital Markets. Alison Clarke, Huntsworth's Group Development Director, also becomes a Vice Chairman, and David Atterbury Thomas, Grayling's current Finance Director, becomes CFO.

Lord Chadlington, Chief Executive of Huntsworth Plc, said, "I am delighted to announce that, after very constructive internal discussion, we have decided to merge Grayling and The Global Consulting Group, creating an international firm with a major presence in Europe, the US, and Asia. Grayling Global will complement the existing major brands that we have already built up within our Group. I am convinced that this merger is in the best interests of our shareholders, our staff, and our clients. I am also pleased that Rich Wolff has agreed to take on the role of MD, US Capital Markets, in order to assist in developing Huntsworth's US shareholder base."

About Huntsworth

Huntsworth is a world class communications group with public relations at its core, global in scale but rooted in domestic excellence. We house some of the world's leading PR agencies and offer expertise across a number of sectors including: consumer, finance, public affairs and technology together with an integrated healthcare offer. For more information, visit our website www.huntsworth.com.

About Grayling Global

Grayling Global, a subsidiary of Huntsworth PLC LSE: HNT, is headquartered in London, with offices in New York, Brussels, Bangkok, Singapore, Madrid, Moscow, Tel Aviv, Shanghai, Istanbul, Los Angeles, Sacramento, Dublin, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Bristol, and Birmingham. The firm has over 200 consultants, focusing on first class delivery in public affairs, public relations, investor relations and events management.