Public Affairs
H/Advisors Cicero is a leading public affairs agency, having provided award-winning services to clients across the UK and Europe for over two decades.
Public Affairs Campaigns & Thought Leadership
Our campaigns are expertly crafted to navigate the complex landscape of government relations. We design strategies and insight-led thought leadership to elevate your voice in policy debates, ensuring your concerns and positions are heard by key decision-makers. Our campaigns are tailored to build robust relationships with policymakers and influencers, providing a platform to advocate effectively for your interests.
Political Engagement
Specialising in political engagement, we support you in developing longstanding relationships with relevant policymakers. Our approach focuses on building strong networks and facilitating dialogues that place your interests at the centre of the discussion. We expertly navigate the political landscape to ensure your voice resonates with the right people at the right time.
Political & Policy Advisory
Our advisory services offer unparalleled insights and strategic guidance on political trends and policy developments. We provide in-depth analysis and expert advice to assist in decision-making and strategy formulation that aligns with your objectives in the political and policy sphere.
Political Polling & Insight
Our polling & insight services deliver precise data and analysis on public opinions, electoral trends, and policy issues. This service equips you with valuable information to shape strategies, messages, and campaigns, ensuring they resonate with your target audience.
Political & Policy Monitoring
Our political and policy monitoring service, Cicero Pulse, keeps you informed of the latest developments in the political arena. Via an easy-to-use portal, Pulse provides access to political and regulatory updates covering six regions (UK, Europe, USA, Supranational, Asia/Pacific, and Rest of World) offering a repository of information that can be tailored to your specific needs. Covering thousands of sources across the globe, we track legislative changes, policy debates, and government initiatives.
Political & Policy Risk
Understanding political risk is crucial in today’s dynamic environment. We provide detailed assessments of political climates, identifying potential policy risks and opportunities for your organisation. This service is essential for making informed decisions and safeguarding your interests against the unpredictable nature of politics.
Political & Policy Analysis
Our analysis offers deep insights into political events and trends. We analyse the implications of political and policy decisions and movements, providing you with a clear understanding of how these elements impact your organisation and sector. This information is vital for strategic planning and risk management.
Select Committee Training
Our select committee training prepares you and your team for appearances before Parliamentary committees. We provide comprehensive coaching on presentation techniques, questioning strategies, and effective communication, ensuring you present your case confidently and effectively.
Speak to an expert
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Helena Walsh
Senior Partner & Eu Consulting Lead
helena.walsh@h-advisors.global
https://twitter.com/ciceroglobal
https://www.linkedin.com/in/helena-walsh-8b09a09/
Helena leads H/Advisors Cicero's European team and is a member of the Executive team. She has twenty years’ experience working on Government and EU policy issues – financial services, digital, environmental, energy and trade. Before joining H/Advisors Cicero, Helena was a Political Functionnaire on the European Parliament Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee. She also headed up the EU department at the Irish Industrial Development Agency (IDA Ireland). She began her career in the European Commission.
Helena provides senior counsel to clients – FTSE, scale ups and trade associations - on technical policy issues in addition to multi-country campaign strategy and planning on the EU legislative processes. She has worked hand in hand with client teams winning amendments that lead to significant economic, social and commercial gains for clients and their customers/stakeholders.
She has won awards: voted European Consultant of the Year at the European Public Affairs Awards and has been listed as one of the Top 40 Rising Stars of the Trading and Technology Industry by Financial News (2014).
She holds a Master’s degree in European Social Policy Analysis and has previously lived in Denmark and Japan. -
John Rowland
Senior Partner & UK Consulting Lead
john.rowland@h-advisors.global
https://twitter.com/ciceroglobal
https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-rowland-a52a3414/
John leads the UK Public Affairs team at H/Advisors Cicero. A strategic communications consultant with 17 years’ experience working in London and Washington D.C., he has advised clients in financial and professional services, technology, global hospitality, defence and mining industries. He is known for his work on complex issues in highly regulated markets. He was named 2023 Public Affairs Professional of the Year in the PR Week UK Corporate, City and Public Affairs Awards. At the time of his award, PR Week said “the respected agency figure has built a formidable reputation, reflected in the value that clients place on his insightful and strategic counsel and proactive, enthusiastic style.”
He is a member of the Executive Committee of the PRCA Public Affairs Board and is a freeman of the Company of Communicators, the City of London livery company for PR professionals. John is a non-executive director of Churches Mutual, a workplace credit union for employees and trustees of Britain’s churches. He is member of the Advisory Board of the Managing Partners Forum, which promotes management excellence in the professional services sector. He is a keen BBQ chef, aviation enthusiast, husband to Marie and dad to two young boys.
Starting at the firm in 2006 as a graduate, John has been instrumental building his team into one of top-rated in London (#2 in 2022 PR Week rankings and finalist for Public Affairs Agency of the Year in the 2023 PR Week CCPA awards). He is an engaging and entertaining speaker, who regularly contributes to industry conferences and webinars. He has degrees from the London School of Economics and University College London. -
Aideen Ginnell
Partner & Health Sector Lead
aideen.ginnell@h-advisors.global
https://twitter.com/ciceroglobal
https://www.linkedin.com/in/aideenginnell/
Aideen is a communications specialist with experience in corporate, commercial and government communications management. With a B.A in European Studies and M.A in Political Communications, she has over eight years of professional experience in public affairs and communications.
Before joining H/Advisors Cicero, Aideen worked as a Senior Consultant with Hanover Communications and previously Cullen Communications where she managed accounts for multi-national clients’ providing detailed public relations, government and industry consultancy. -
Tom Wilkins
Partner & Energy and Infrastructure Sector Lead
tom.wilkins@h-advisors.global
https://twitter.com/ciceroglobal
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomwilkins31/
Tom leads the multi-sector public affairs practice at H/Advisors Cicero, with a focus on energy, tech, transport, and sustainability. Having been at H/Advisors for eight years, Tom has successfully led client accounts including LinkedIn, Uber, Legal and General, and Meat and Livestock Australia. Tom is a founding member of Havas Genus, an integrated global network of sustainability experts.
Tom is an active member of Westminster North Conservatives and currently provides pro bono strategic advice to New Horizon Youth Centre, a charity focused on tackling youth homelessness.
Prior to joining H/Advisors Cicero, Tom worked in the City where he lobbied for legislative and regulatory developments in international insurance markets. Tom has worked for several public affairs consultancies focused on renewables and green finance, lobbying successfully on the Energy Act 2011 and on Electricity Market Reform for renewable energy clients.
Tom graduated in Philosophy from the University of Southampton and holds an MSc in International Conflict and an LLB from the College of Law in London. -
Simon Fitzpatrick
Partner
simon.fitzpatrick@h-advisors.global
https://twitter.com/ciceroglobal
https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-fitzpatrick-632b787a/
Simon is a Partner in the UK Public Affairs team at H/Advisors Cicero. He joined the business in October 2010 and now serves as part of the senior leadership team. Simon has particular specialisms in pensions and retirement, asset management and insurance having worked with the likes of AXA, Fidelity, Just Group, NOW: Pensions and the BT Pension Scheme. Outside of financial services, he has worked with a diverse array of clients which includes DHL, the Health Food Manufacturers’ Association, the APPG for Connected and Automated Vehicles and Royal Mail.
Simon takes a strong interest in the politics of the Labour Party and has written a number of reports on the party’s policy development and internal dynamics during his time at Cicero. He is a longstanding member of Labour in the City and has previously served on its management committee. Simon’s other core interests include Scottish politics, having led Cicero’s analysis for clients during the 2014 independence referendum, and electoral politics and polling, having served as Editor of our Cicero Elections microsite during two General Elections and the EU Referendum.
Prior to joining H/Advisors Cicero, Simon worked for a senior Scottish Labour MP. He holds a Masters degree in Political Communication from the University of Glasgow. Simon is a frequent writer for political and financial media, currently writing a regular politics column for Money Marketing, and having also written for Huffington Post, LabourList, Economia and CityWire. He is also a qualified mental health first aider with Mental Health First Aid England and has been a mentor as part of the 30% Club. -
Sir David Lidington
Strategic Counsel
david.lidington@h-advisors.global
https://twitter.com/ciceroglobal
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cicero-group
Rt Hon Sir David Lidington works as Strategic Counsel within H/Advisors Cicero’s public affairs team.
Lidington was first elected as a Member of Parliament for Aylesbury in 1992. He served the Conservative Party front bench for more than 20 years, including as Minister for European Affairs, Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the Council, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, where he acted as Deputy to the Prime Minister. He stood down from government in July 2019 and did not stand as an MP at the 2019 General Election.
In September 2019 he was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath for political and public service. He is Chair of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), British Co-Chair of the Konigswinter Conference (UK/Germany) and Aurora Forum (UK/Nordics and Baltics) and Honorary President of the Great Britain China Centre.
Sir David works as a client counsel and is not involved in any lobbying capacity. -
Elizabeth Tomlin
Partner & UK Public Affairs Team Lead
elizabeth.tomlin@h-advisors.global
https://twitter.com/ciceroglobal
https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-tomlin-33834533/
Lizzy is a Partner and UK Public Affairs Team Lead at H/Advisors where she ensures clients are serviced to a high quality and the correct team structures are in place to deliver a market-leading offer. Alongside this role, Lizzy assists several FTSE250 clients across legislative affairs, financial services policy and consumer policy. Her clients have included Barclays UK, American Express, Klarna, Santander UK and AXA UK. As part of the H/Advisors Exchange Programme, Lizzy spent four weeks in Washington D.C. with H/Advisors Abernathy working on U.S. Public Affairs and building relationships across the pond.
Lizzy is an active campaigner on diversity and inclusion in public affairs and is Chief Operating Officer on the Executive Committee of the Women in Public Affairs (WiPA) Network. As part of this role, Lizzy leads Executive Committee meetings and leads the Committee’s engagement with over 2,000 members. Lizzy is also active in the Liberal Democrats and campaigns locally in south west London.
Lizzy started her career working for two Liberal Democrat MPs – Paul Burstow MP and Adrian Sanders MP - in Westminster during the Coalition Government. Prior to joining H/Advisors Cicero, Lizzy worked for a political consultancy firm specialising in local government and planning. Here she worked on various planning applications across the UK on behalf of large-scale residential developers, whilst circumnavigating local politics. -
Sonia Khan
Partner
sonia.khan@h-advisors.global
https://twitter.com/ciceroglobal
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonia-khan-189920203/
Sonia is a Partner in H/Advisors Cicero’s UK Public Affairs team. She has widespread sector experience, working with clients across financial services, tech, management consultancy and transport. Sonia also provides political counsel to senior stakeholders, drawing on her 10 years’ experience in politics. She oversees work on cross sector domestic political risk tracking and manages the delivery of political products including political advisor mapping. Her clients have included Accenture, Barclays UK, BlackRock, Funding Circle and the Oversight Board.
Sonia is passionate about animal welfare and volunteers at Battersea Dogs & Cats Home as a member of their Global Advancement Board where she promotes Battersea’s capabilities abroad. She is also keen on expanding access to politics to minority groups and has written about this as a regular commentator in British newspapers such as the Times and on broadcast television. Sonia was recognised as ‘One to Watch’ by Women in Westminster 2021 and one of the most influential PR professionals in Britain in the PR Week PowerBook in 2021 and 2022.
Sonia started her career in local campaigning for the Conservative Party before working as a Grassroots Coordinator at the thinktank, The TaxPayers’ Alliance. Sonia then joined the Government in press office roles from 2014 – 2018 including at the Department for Work and Pensions and the Home Office. She was then Press Secretary for Liam Fox where she worked with embassies across the world covering the USA, Singapore, and Hong Kong. Sonia has also worked at No10 Downing Street in a bespoke campaigns team set up by David Cameron to launch the National Living Wage campaign. Sonia has also worked as a special adviser in the Treasury to former Chancellors, Philip Hammond and Sajid Javid and oversaw their engagement with the media. -
Rhoda Macdonald
Senior Counsel
rhoda.macdonald@h-advisors.global
https://twitter.com/RhodaMacdonald
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cicero-group
Rhoda joined H/Advisors Cicero as Senior Counsel from WA Communications where she was a Partner from 2021 – 2023. Previously she was Senior Director at Hanover Communications from 2012 – 2020.
Over the course of her career, she has won the PR Week PA Campaign of the Year and the Public Affairs News Freelancer of the Year Award. Former clients include Airbus, RWE, Tata Steel, Saab, Danone Baby Nutrition, Heineken, HSBC and BAE Systems.
Before moving into agency, she worked as a special advisor to the Secretary of State for Scotland during the last Labour Government and spent nearly 20 years in the media in Scotland, as a programme presenter, journalist and producer. In that time, she won numerous awards, including a Bafta for Best Documentary. -
Alen Hristov
Associate Partner & Tech Sector Lead
alen.hristov@h-advisors.global
https://twitter.com/ciceroglobal
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alen-hristov-a706a1121/
Alen is an Associate Partner in our Brussels office and leads the Tech Sector team. Over the past five years, Alen has been advising a wide range of clients in the tech space, including manufacturers, software providers, online platforms, cybersecurity firms, telecom & tower companies, and cloud providers, amongst others. His previous experience includes positions in foreign policy and national politics as well as think tank and research roles, focusing on technological developments, emerging trends, public policy, and EU politics, amongst others.
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Alexandros Nikolaidis
Associate Partner & EU Public Affairs Team Lead
alexandros.nikolaidis@h-advisors.global
https://twitter.com/ciceroglobal
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-nikolaidis/
Alex is an Associate Partner & EU Public Affairs Team Lead at H/Advisors Cicero. He joined the company in 2019 and has since advised clients on European political and regulatory risks. His work has also included the development and implementation of European and Member State legislative engagement campaigns. His clients have included Abrdn, Funding Circle, IHG, Index Ventures, Legal & General, MarketAxess, Onfido, PIMFA, Plus500, Rio Tinto, thyssenkrupp Steel and Worldpay (FIS).
Alex is actively involved in the startup ecosystem, with a strong focus on ESG and renewables. He advises on ESG issues and supports in ongoing assessments of the UK and European funding landscape for cleantech startups.
Previously, Alex worked as Acting Legal Advisor for the Bristol-based startup Perceptual Robotics. Prior to this role, Alex worked in a number of Athens-based law firms on issues pertaining to project financing – with a particular focus on the shipping finance space. Alex holds both an LLB in Laws as well as an MSc in Political Economy of Europe from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
