Clarence Mitchell, a public relations veteran with more than 30 years’ experience, is joining the board of Bristol-headquartered national PR and parliamentary affairs firm JBP.
Clarence, whose career spans journalism, PR and government relations at the highest levels, takes up the role of director of client & media services.
He has provided strategic counsel to a wide range of governmental and corporate clients, including Microsoft, Bank of America, Lloyds Banking Group, Heineken and Hewlett Packard.
He was also director of the government’s Media Monitoring Unit, based within the Cabinet Office, leading a 30-strong team of information officers advising No 10 Downing Street and all of the major departments of State on how best to respond to the 24/7 news agenda.
He was seconded to the Foreign Office in 2007 to assist the McCann family with media handling following the disappearance of their daughter Madeleine in Portugal.
In a 20-year career with the BBC he was an on-air correspondent, royal correspondent, political correspondent and presenter.
At JBP he will be responsible for national media relations, reputation management and client services. He will also head a new media training unit at the company.
JBP managing director Chris Lawrance said: “Clarence’s appointment further strengthens our media and political offering at an exciting time for the company.”
Mitchell added: “I am thrilled to be joining JBP at a time when it has ambitious plans and a growing client portfolio. I look forward to helping JBP add value to its communications proposition and offer its clients the highest level of advice.”
Now in its 32nd year, JBP has offices in Westminster, Warwick, Cardiff and Manchester as well as its headquarters in Whiteladies Road.
It recently appeared at number 85 in industry magazine PR Week’s league table of the UK’s top 150 consultancies – making it the best-performing communications agency in the South West in terms of increase in revenues generated.
Pictured: Clarence Mitchell, right, with JBP director Chris Lawrance
