Company: Mmd Corporate, Public Affairs & Public Relations Consultants, Nicosia, Cyprus
Company Description: Mmd is a top corporate, PA and PR consultancy in 18 countries in regions of CEE, SEE, Russia and CIS. We develop pan-regional & global communications campaigns for both national & multinational organisations, including many Fortune 500 companies. Also, Mmd is a global strategic consultancy, which delivers global corporate & PA campaigns with focuses on Washington, New York, London & Brussels.
Nomination Category: Corporate Communications, Investor Relations, & Public Relations Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Best Public Relations Agency

Nomination Title: Mmd Corporate, Public Affairs & Public Relations Consultants

   1. Tell the story about what this nominated agency achieved in the past year (up to 500 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:

          Established in the UK in 1985, Mmd is an international communications
          consultancy which is skilled in delivering Corporate, Public Affairs and Public
          Relations support throughout its 18 markets across Central & Eastern Europe,
          South-East Europe and Eurasia. An organically-developed network, present in the
          region since 1993, Mmd combines global class standards with local insight and
          knowledge, ensuring that our clients – many of which are Fortune 500 companies –
           receive first-class levels of service.

          CEE, SEE and Eurasia collectively constitute one of the world’s most dynamic
          regions and Mmd’s own growth continues to mirror that of the region’s. Between
          April 2006 and April 2007 our client base grew by 29%, while within the same
          time period multi-country accounts (three countries or more) represented - on
          average - nearly 50% of our overall fee income.

          Our achievements over the past year have taken various forms, from impressive
          overall growth, client retention and account expansions, to industry awards,
          human resource investments & developments as well as the release of
          publications and thought pieces covering various industries and issues. Here is
          a sample of some of our key achievements:

          • Named Consumer PR Agency of the Year 2006-2007 in the Czech Republic by
          easyJet. In 2006 we extended our support to two new markets – Turkey and
          Croatia. The account has grown from two markets in 2004 to a current total of
          eight markets.

          • Global PR and IR co-ordination for Rosneft’s IPO, followed by post-IPO
          support (including strategies to maximise market capitalization and build
          relations with key external stakeholders, notably in Brussels);

          • Designed and managed an international seminar on tobacco taxation in
          the EU (Budapest, September 2006) on behalf of the Washington D.C.-based
          International Tax and Investment Center (ITIC). A genuine dialogue on this
          sensitive issue was held by key influencers and policymakers, setting a solid
          foundation for future discussions both on  a bilateral and multilateral basis;

           • Significantly raised Google’s profile in CEE through the creation and
          implementation of high-profile events for key members of Google’s Senior
          Management (including a regional visit for Vint Cerf, Senior Vice President
          and “father of the internet”);

          • Produced a report on the Russian blogosphere which has since been
          widely distributed both within Russia and internationally;

          • Awarded a Special Recognition prize by the Serbian PR Society for an
          Outstanding Communications Programme supporting a CSR Project. The prize
          related to a ‘Safe House’ campaign for victims of domestic violence in Serbia.

          • Appointed our first Polish General Manager to run our Warsaw office;

          • Established an Mmd Scholarship which will send successful candidates on
          secondments to sister agencies abroad, thus increasing the opportunities for
          our employees to develop professionally.

          As the PR arena becomes increasingly competitive and sophisticated in this
          region, Mmd successfully maintains its position at the forefront of the
          industry, demonstrating thought leadership and best practice, while at the same
          time growing in tandem with region itself.

   2. List hyperlinks to any online news stories, press releases, or other documents that support the claims made in the section above. IMPORTANT: Begin each link with http://, and enclose each link in square brackets; for example, [http://www.youraddress.com]:

          Various news items (including links to publications):

          http://www.mmdcee.com/index.php?c=&page=16&l=1
          http://www.mmdcee.com/serbia/

   3. Provide a brief (up to 100 words) biography about the leader of this nominated agency:

          Alistair McLeish, Mmd Chairman:

          Alistair founded Mmd in the UK in 1985, and became its Chairman and CEO. 
          Opening our first office in CEE (Prague) in 1993, Alistair has focused on
          expanding the business throughout the region.

          In growing the Mmd network, Alistair pioneered a matrix management approach in
          the region by combining international communications and management expertise
          and best practice with the best of local talent and social, political, economic
          & cultural understanding.

          Alistair is now primarily involved in developing the business in its
          geographical expansion and growth.  A corporate communications specialist he is
          particularly experienced in managing businesses in cross-border, multi-cultural
          situations.