Simon Donohue joins SEC Newgate UK leading the Manchester office

SEC Newgate has appointed Simon Donohue as the Associate Director of its Manchester office.

He will lead a team based in Manchester and delivering strategic communications and local advocacy across the North.

A strategic communications professional, former journalist and editor, Simon joins SEC Newgate from Transport for Greater Manchester, where he supported the rollout of the transformational Bee Network – GM’s vision for a fully integrated ‘London-style’ transport network - and led communications for the revised Greater Manchester Clean Air Plan.

Simon has worked in public and private sector communications for more than a decade, including serving as Greater Manchester Content Curator on behalf of the Greater Manchester Local Enterprise Partnership (now Greater Manchester Business Board) at Marketing Manchester, part of the Growth Company. He was previously part of the senior management team at independent Manchester-based PR consultancy Intelligent Conversation, with clients including United Utilities, EMIS Group, Pharmacy2U and Manchester Metropolitan University.

An NCTJ-qualified journalist and editor, Simon worked at the Manchester Evening News for 15 years, with stints on the business and features desks. He edited the MEN’s award-winning standalone business magazine, Greater Manchester Business Week. As a freelance journalist, he wrote for titles including Place North West, North West Business, Insider, Property Week, Estates Gazette and The Big Issue The North.

SEC Newgate is an insights and research-driven strategic communications and advocacy group with consultants working across six regional offices in the UK, combining global expertise with local market knowledge and execution. It has in-depth expertise across the energy, property, transport and infrastructure sectors.

Perry Miller, Head of Advocacy Local, SEC Newgate UK, said: “We are delighted to have Simon join us as Head of our Northern Office. He brings a wealth of experience, rooted in the north west, which will boost our ability to deliver positive change for our clients across the region.

“Fresh insight and analysis are at the core of our offer and Simon knows Greater Manchester like no one else. Our growing team, based in the heart of Manchester, is shaping the debates that affect our clients and the communities in which they work.”

Simon Donohue said: “It’s a great privilege to have been appointed to lead SEC Newgate’s Northern office. It enables me to draw on my extensive local knowledge and experience as part of a network of advocacy and strategic communication specialists who support the most recognised UK and international businesses in navigating the challenging political, regulatory and media landscape.

“It’s clear that SEC Newgate understands the challenges facing its clients and offers insight and advice that makes a real difference in shaping positive outcomes - doing things in the right way for clients and colleagues, the communities it works with and the wider environment. ​

“I’m proud to have championed Greater Manchester and the North throughout my career, initially as a journalist and more recently as a strategic communications professional. I look forward to continuing that work at SEC Newgate.”