Stephen Day joins FTI Consulting as Senior Managing Director

17 October 2018 Consultancy.uk

A former adviser to the Conservative Party has been appointed as Senior Managing Director by FTI Consulting. A public relations specialist, during his two-decade-long career, Stephen Day has also been a Managing Director and CEO at two leading PR firms.

With digital avenues opening up new routes for customers to interact with a growing number of products, the concept of brand loyalty has arguably never counted for less. Brands and firms can no longer simply rely on their name and prior success to deliver repeat customers, as they come under pressure from vibrant and agile rivals looking to eat into their market share. In that context, marketing has reached an apex of importance for businesses, with an effective communications strategy being increasingly seen as essential to surviving and thriving.

While this has seen consulting firms make inroads into the marketing industry, buying up smaller advertising and design firms in order to cater to client demand in the area, it is not just a trend consultancies can look to benefit from, but one they must also adhere to themselves. High growth consulting firms – which see average yearly growth of at least 20% – are most likely to boast specialisation across strategy and client offerings, as well as a heavier investment in marketing.

Stephen Day Joins FTI Consulting as Senior Managing Director

As FTI Consulting looks to consolidate its positioning in both respects, the firm has announced that it has appointed Stephen Day as a Senior Managing Director in its Strategic Communications segment. He will be based in London, while reporting to John Waples, Vice Chairman of Europe, the Middle East and Africa at FTI Consulting, and will lead a new cross-disciplinary team. This will see him focus on campaigns and issues management, with an emphasis on major international mandates, a growing area of demand for the firm’s clients.

Day joins from Burson-Marsteller, where he spent the past four years. During this time, Day worked to build the firm’s London Public and Corporate Affairs Division, while leading a number of the firm’s major London-based and international public and corporate affairs clients. In addition to these responsibilities, he was promoted to Deputy Head of the EMEA Public Affairs Practice in 2015, Chief Operating Officer in 2016 and finally its London Chief Executive Officer in 2017.

Prior to this, Day worked as a Managing Director with PR firm Portcullis Public Affairs, in another four-year stay. Before that, his career consisted of a number of similar PR deployments, with the most notable case coming in 2000, when he was enlisted to advise the Conservative Front Bench Trade and Industry Team. While those efforts ultimately did not prevent a further humbling for the party at the polls during the 2001 General Election, Day has also served as an elected local government councillor.

He was listed in the PR Week UK Power Book Top Ten Industry Figures in Public Affairs and Political Communications from 2016-2018, and in 2017 was listed in the Financial Times’ “Outstanding” list of top 100 LGBTQ executives. Day also remains a Board Member of the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA), the UK-based PR and communications membership body.

Commenting on the new hire, John Waples said, “It is an exciting period of growth for our business. Stephen brings a flair of originality, deep client experience and an understanding of new demands in our industry. We are delighted he has joined as we continue to enhance our international footprint.”