Chris Matthews
Mandate Director & Hogarth Chairman
Chris Matthews is a Director of Mandate and founder and Chairman of Hogarth, with over 25 years’ experience in crisis work and financial and corporate PR.
In working with quoted and unquoted entities, Government bodies and international businesses, Chris deals with an enormous range of communications issues, including: privatisations and IPO’s; demergers, agreed and hostile M&A activity; Competition Commission, OFT and other regulatory referrals; crisis management; corporate positioning and reputation management; IR, and private shareholder communications.
Name one thing few people know about you?
I love motorcycles
What did you want to want to be when you were growing up?
An accountant – I know, I know; it doesn’t have the cachet of train driver.
Who has most inspired you?
It’s not one individual, but the many old soldiers, airmen and naval personnel that you will read about in the broadsheets, who achieved so much – usually from humble beginnings – in the most difficult circumstances.
What would you do if you became Prime Minister?
Now that’s not a job I would ever want. But to answer the question: bringing peace, love and understanding to all. Seems straightforward enough compared to solving the world’s current economic problems…
Do you have one unfulfilled ambition?
As soon as an ambition is met, the desire springs up to do it again – better, quicker – and again and again.
What is your favourite book?
Ulysses. If I keep reading it often enough, one day I’ll get through it properly.
PR at a high level, especially crisis work, is about considered thought, measured action, applying experience, contacts and creativity, to get the right result.