WASHINGTON – U.S. federal lobbying disclosures for the third quarter of 2022 have been released, showing that PPHC firms continue to thrive. Forbes Tate Partners, Crossroads Strategies, and Alpine Group Partners have once again all cracked the top 20 rankings. The three firms’ revenue combined has PPHC leading the pack in the number one spot.
Read the full revenue rankings list from POLITICO here.
A leading firm in Sacramento becomes the newest addition to PPHC; first since IPO
Today, we announce the acquisition of KP Public Affairs, a leading California lobbying, government affairs, and public relations firm. This is our first acquisition as a publicly listed business and complements our strategy to build and acquire lobbying and strategic communications assets in key state markets, as outlined in our IPO.
California is the largest individual state economy in the US and is at the forefront of major issues including climate change, privacy, and labor regulations. KP has been ranked as one of the largest lobbying firms in California for more than 20 years, with current clients including many Fortune 500 corporations, industry associations, local governments, and small businesses.
“The firm’s Managing Partners, Jonathan Ross, Michael Burns, Ed Manning, Patrick George, Alison MacLeod, Jeff Sickenger and their stellar team have long been one of the largest practices in California. More importantly, their deep policy expertise and longstanding commitments to clients promises to make KP a strong addition. We have a proven track record of integrating outstanding, entrepreneurial businesses, and I look forward to working closely with the team.” -Stewart Hall, CEO, PPHC
Following completion of the acquisition, KP will continue operating under its existing brand and with its longstanding and incentivized management team and staff, as a wholly owned subsidiary of PPHC.
Read more about KP Public Affairs here.
PPHC interim results for the six months ended 30 June 2022
Strong performance driven by organic revenue growth, high client retention, increased demand for new capabilities and expertise
Washington DC, US, 22 September 2022, Public Policy Holding Company (AIM: PPHC), a leading bi-partisan, full-service US government affairs business, today announces its interim results for the six months ended 30 June 2022, which show continued organic growth and strong trading momentum into the second half.
Financial highlights
* Strong financial performance, driven by increased activity levels from new and existing clients, with organic revenue growth of 9.6% to $51.7m
* Underlying EBITDA of $14.4m with underlying EBITDA margin of 27.9%
* High client retention during the period as PPHC continues to see a high level of mandate from its blue-chip client base for its offerings of public affairs, crisis management, lobbying and issue advocacy, research, and media management services
* Increased investment in notable new hires across the holding and operating companies following IPO, in line with management’s expectations
* Strong cash generation with an increase in net cash of 35.2% to $17.9m
* Interim dividend of $0.045 per Common Share, in line with the Group’s dividend policy stated at the time of IPO
| HY22 | HY21 | Change | |
| Group revenue | $51.7m | $47.2 | +9.6% |
| Underlying EBITDA1 | $14.4m | $14.5m | -0.6% |
| Underlying EBITDA margin | 27.9% | 30.8% | -2.9ppts |
| Underlying profit before tax1 | $14.4m | $14.4m | -0.5% |
| Net Cash2 | $17.9m | $13.2m | +35.2% |
| Interim dividend per Common Share | $0.045 | N/A | N/A |
| 1 | Underlying EBITDA and underlying profit before tax are stated prior to non-cash items of amortisation of customer intangibles, LTIP expense and ASC 718-10-S99-2 share-based accounting charge. For the prior period both measures are presented on a normalised, illustrative basis and calculated on the basis that 25% of pre-bonus EBITDA is paid as bonus in line with the Group’s policy post IPO. See the Financial Review below for further detail. |
| 2 | Net cash excludes long term operating lease liability |
Read the full results statement here.
WASHINGTON- Seven Letter, a full-service strategic communications firm with offices in Washington and Boston, has announced the addition of Drew O’Brien to their leadership team. O’Brien will be taking on the position of partner at Seven Letter’s Boston, MA location.
O’Brien brings with him an extensive background working in both the private and public sectors. His most recent role was at Burson Cohn & Wolfe (BCW), where O’Brien led the firm’s business throughout the Northeast region as executive vice president and managing director. O’Brien also served as president of Direct Impact, BCW’s grassroots communications and advocacy practice.
Prior to entering the private sector in 2016, O’Brien’s public sector experience included work in the US State Department as Secretary John Kerry’s special representative for global partnerships. Throughout his tenure at the State Department, O’Brien dealt with outreach to private companies and NGOs as the Office of Global Partnerships played a key role in the US Water Partnership, the Secretary’s Our Oceans Conference, the Global Entrepreneurship Summit and the US response to the Ebola crisis in West Africa in 2014.
“As far as strategic communications advisors go, there is no one better than Drew O’Brien,” said Seven Letter’s founding partner and CEO Erik Smith. “Drew’s background in the private and public sectors, and his intimate knowledge of the integral elements of communications and advocacy strategy make him a tremendous asset to both the clients with whom we partner and our internal team. Many of us have known Drew for decades and now we are thrilled to welcome him as a teammate and colleague.”
Seven Letter is a member company of PPHC, the Public Policy Holding Company.
Read more about this story in PR Week and POLITICO Influence.
WASHINGTON- Roel Smits joined Public Policy Holding Company, Inc. (PPHC) in May 2022 as Deputy Chief Financial Officer. Roel brings with him extensive financial leadership and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) experience – most recently at Kantar, the global market research leader co-owned by WPP and Bain Capital. There, he served as the Chief Financial Officer of their Americas division and oversaw all aspects of financial management and corporate management. Prior to that, Roel performed corporate development and M&A focused roles at WPP and in private equity.
In his new role at PPHC, Roel will be partnering with the rest of the executive leadership team in overseeing the company’s capital structure, optimizing financial management processes and strategies, analyzing investment opportunities, and integrating mergers and acquisitions.
Roel is originally from the Netherlands and currently resides in Westchester County, New York with his wife and 4 children.
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Previously, Mathias was Chief of External Affairs at the National Park Foundation. At NPF he was responsible for the government relations, marketing and communications functions; and was also responsible for the Foundation’s advocacy, advertising, marketing and PR programming, including digital strategy and brand development. Mathias also served in various roles at Ogilvy from 1995 – 2017, including CEO of Ogilvy PR North America. In addition, Mathias was founder and president of Channel Rock Strategic Advisory.
Forbes Tate Partners is a bipartisan, integrated full-service public affairs consultancy specializing in government relations, traditional and digital communications, grassroots advocacy and third-party coordination, insights and polling, coalition management, and business development. FTP Is a wholly owned subsidiary of Public Policy Holding Company, Inc. (PPHC)
Financial highlights include:
Operation highlights include:
Events post year-end include:
“The Group has a well-defined growth strategy and a strong foundation of blue-chip clients on which to build and we look forward to the future with confidence.“
Stewart Hall, CEO
Stewart Hall, CEO, PPHC commented: “2021 was a milestone year for PPHC culminating in our successful admission to AIM in December 2021. The Group’s strong financial performance throughout 2021 reflects the hard work and dedication of our teams, combined with PPHC’s resilient and scalable model. Despite the challenges of COVID-19, the Company exceeded management’s expectations, has continued to attract high quality new talent and advance an exciting pipeline of acquisition opportunities. PPHC started its first year as a listed business in a strong position, with the momentum achieved in 2021 continuing into this financial year. We expect organic initiatives and M&A to broaden and deepen the Group’s leading capability, drive further market share gains and revenue growth into the coming financial year. The Group has a well-defined growth strategy and a strong foundation of blue-chip clients on which to build and we look forward to the future with confidence.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Forbes Tate Partners (FTP), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Public Policy Holding Company, Inc. (PPHC.L), today announced the addition of Shanita Penny as Senior Vice President to its public affairs and cannabis practices. Penny brings extensive experience working as a cannabis professional, small business advocate, and an entrepreneur who has played a crucial role in helping reform cannabis laws and advance equitable policies. She will continue as a Senior Advisor to the Coalition for Cannabis Policy, Education, and Regulation (CPEAR), which represents issue experts and a vast group of stakeholders from regulated industries committed to establishing a responsible and equitable federal regulatory framework for cannabis in the United States.
“I can’t think of a better time to welcome a supply chain expert and small business advocate like Shanita Penny to the Forbes Tate team,” said Founding Partner Jeff Forbes. “Her vast knowledge on emerging markets, consumer safety, and competition policy is a boon to our clients as they navigate today’s rapidly changing economic environment. I’m also looking forward to the work she will continue to do on reforming cannabis at the federal level and advancing FTP as a thoughtful leader in this space.”
“I’m excited to be joining Forbes Tate’s accomplished team during an explosion of support for cannabis reform at both the state and federal level,” said Shanita Penny. “As conversations about federal cannabis regulation progress, I’m eager to provide our clients the counsel necessary to successfully navigate this dynamic landscape. I also look forward to broadening the firm’s reach and shaping responsible policies for businesses and consumers alike.”
Before joining FTP, Penny served as President of the Minority Cannabis Business Association (MCBA) where she advocated for social equity policies in the industry, such as increasing diversity, expanding equal access, and promoting economic empowerment in communities most impacted by the war on drugs. She has lobbied on Capitol Hill with the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) to help reform federal cannabis laws. She founded a boutique cannabis consultancy, Budding Solutions, to help clients establish and scale compliant, successful cannabis businesses. She also co-founded DocHouse, a craft cannabis cultivator and manufacturer acquired by Ayr Wellness. Penny currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Alliance for Sensible Markets and on the Advisory Board of Regennabis, and Shoki Beverages.
Shanita Penny is internationally recognized for her prowess in management consulting, having spent over a decade assisting Fortune 500 companies improve business performance. She holds an M.B.A. from the University of Baltimore and Towson University where she was a Wright Global Scholar. She earned her B.S. in Transportation and Logistics Management at North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University.
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Forbes Tate Partners is a bipartisan, integrated full-service public affairs consultancy specializing in government relations, traditional and digital communications, grassroots advocacy and third-party coordination, insights and polling, coalition management, and business development. FTP Is a wholly owned subsidiary of Public Policy Holding Company, Inc. (PPHC)
WASHINGTON – Forbes Tate Partners (FTP), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Public Policy Holding Company, Inc. (PPHC.L), announced today the addition of Dr. Christy Gamble as Senior Vice President to lead the firm’s Research and Policy Analysis department. Dr. Gamble brings tremendous experience in strategic policy research to Forbes Tate and has done extensive work on Capitol Hill and across the country to reduce health and economic disparities for marginalized communities.
“We are thrilled to have Dr. Gamble’s insights and expertise, and we welcome her to the team,” said FTP Founding Partner Jeff Forbes. “Our research department is an integral part of our team, providing the latest information we and our clients need to successfully advance important policy objectives. She is a strong leader who brings with her the tools needed to provide our clients every advantage possible in a very complicated legislative landscape.”
“I’m looking forward to joining the talented team at Forbes Tate Partners in their Government Relations practice and leading the firm’s Research and Policy Analysis division,” said Dr. Gamble. “Advancing our client’s policy priorities requires creative solutions and an exceptional understanding of the political and policy dynamics impacting not just Capitol Hill and the administration, but also statehouses across the country. That’s why I’m excited to contribute my unique background and experiences to support and amplify the strategic goals of our clients in today’s political environment.”
Prior to joining Forbes Tate Partners, Dr. Gamble served as the Director of Research, Policy, and Practice at HUED, a startup focused on connecting marginalized patients of color to culturally competent medical providers in their communities. Dr. Gamble also worked as the Head of Policy and Strategy for two non-profits aimed at advancing health equity for marginalized communities. She has served as the Democratic Health Counsel for the then Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
She was also selected as a National Minority Quality Forum’s 40 Under 40 Leader in Health, deemed an expert with the Allies for Reaching Community Health Equity Expert Network, and named the Duquesne University School of Law 2016 Recent Graduate of the year. Additionally, Dr. Gamble has written several op-eds that were featured in U.S. News and World Report, ABC News, The Hill, Rewire, and TruthOut.
Dr. Gamble earned her JD from Duquesne University School of Law; she also holds a DrPH in epidemiology from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health and an MPH in epidemiology and biostatistics from Eastern Virginia Medical School. She received a BS in microbiology from North Carolina State University.
