Park Street Partners started up on 1 March 2018.  But it’s only really today, 4 May 2018, that we have really opened our doors for business.

Today is the day we have announced the appointment of ten expert partners to form the basis of our network of experts that will support clients, providing genuinely impactful advice based on deep knowledge and long experience.

It has long been clear to me that clients value two things in agencies: relatively junior (but still talented and creative) folk available as a draw down resource to do the research, manage the event, provide the press office; and senior advice and a sounding board from people who really know what they’re talking about and what they’re doing.

What they’re less interested in is paying for mid-level support.  Don’t get me wrong, there is a place for Account Directors and Associate Directors in terms of client relationships and project management.  But a lot of what is done at this level in agency can more efficiently be delivered in-house, so clients end up paying for duplication of effort that they really don’t appreciate.  And agencies tend to have far too many people at this level, who all have to be put onto client teams and eat up the available fees.

Clients also don’t want to pay for an expensive, senior-weighted, team month after month after month, whether all of those senior skills are needed or not.  They want to bring in the right people at the right time – and not to have them involved when they don’t need them.

That’s where the idea of a network of experts comes from.  A curated group of really high quality and talented practitioners, able to deliver advice and support, not just in terms of communications but in wider business too.  Which is why Park Street Partners draws on a wide mix of skills, in comms and far beyond.

I am delighted to be working with such a great group of professionals – and friends.  I want to thank them for their support.  And I’m looking forward to us working together to deliver great things for our clients.