Lansons strengthens public affairs offering by acquiring Foresight Consulting

Lansons Communications has acquired public affairs agency Foresight Consulting. Foresight, led by Mark Adams OBE, will be merged with Lansons’ existing Public Affairs team as Lansons Public Affairs and Regulatory Consulting.

The acquisition takes fees at Lansons Public Affairs and Regulatory Consulting to around £1million with 10 consultants. Lansons established public affairs in 2005 and expanded into Regulatory Consulting with the recruitment of former Beachcroft LLP specialists Richard Hobbs and Mark Penton earlier this year. Mark Adams joins the main Lansons Board alongside Richard and Mark Penton – and fellow public affairs specialists Ralph Jackson and Ben Abbotts.

Tony Langham, chief executive at Lansons Communications, comments:
“We believe that the public affairs and regulatory environment is becoming increasingly important for clients across all business areas. We have seen a tremendous period of change in the political and regulatory arena over the last six months, affecting businesses in a multitude of ways. We have every intention to strengthen our current position in the public affairs industry and to become a major player in the public policy space.

“Mark and his team have an impressive track record and they bring a wealth of new specialist skills and sector experience to Lansons, including public sector procurement. We believe their experience, together with the skills of our existing team, will offer existing and new clients a compelling public affairs and regulatory consultancy proposition.”

Foresight was founded in 2001 by Mark Adams OBE, a former Private Secretary to Prime Ministers John Major and Tony Blair. Mark was a senior civil servant for thirteen years, including six years in Downing Street.  Mark has an extensive understanding of Whitehall and Westminster and is the most senior former civil servant in public affairs consultancy.  Mark is also the Deputy Chairman of the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The Foresight team has extensive experience in a wide range of sectors, including energy, transport, defence and ICT.  The team has worked with many companies to develop their public sector business and has a detailed understanding of the public sector procurement process.

Commenting on the acquisition, Mark Adams said: “Combining Foresight’s public affairs expertise with the broad range of skills at Lansons ensures that Lansons offers an industry-leading range of public affairs services.  The requirements of clients in the current challenging business and political climate require exactly the kind of sophisticated approach that we can offer.

“I am delighted to play a role in building on the huge success of Lansons by expanding our public affairs portfolio into a broader range of sectors.  Collectively we offer genuine understanding of the public policy process, of the broader political environment that drives policy and of the most effective ways to make an organisation’s voice be heard.”

Key contacts in Lansons Public Affairs and Regulatory Consulting:
Mark Adams:  marka@lansons.com (0)20 7566 9741
Ralph Jackson: ralphj@lansons.com (0)20 7294 3667
Richard Hobbs: richardh@lansons.com (0)20 7294 3664
Mark Penton: markp@lansons.com (0)20 7294 3616

For further information please contact:
Anna Schirmer, Lansons Communications on 020 7294 3605 or annas@lansons.com
Sarah Tye, Lansons Communications on 020 7294 3633 or saraht@lansons.com