Whitehorn takes Next Fifteen post as new chairman

PR Week UK 04-Dec-03

Richard Branson’s official spokesman Will Whitehorn was this week confirmed as chairman of Next Fifteen Communications.

Whitehorn, who is director of brand development and corporate affairs at Virgin, will take up the post on New Year’s Day and will be working with Next Fifteen chief

executive Tim Dyson.

‘Next Fifteen have managed an internal portfolio of companies through the difficult times and, since the dot com bubble and 9/11, have managed to grow the business internationally. This is a good time to be reinvesting in tech PR,’ said Whitehorn.

Whitehorn replaces Tom Lewis at Next Fifteen, which owns Text 100, August.One Communications and Bite Communications. Lewis has stepped down but will stay

on the board as a non-exec

director.

Whitehorn has worked for Virgin for 17 years since joining the company as media relations manager. He sits on the board of Virgin Mobile UK and Virgin Rail.

In October, Next Fifteen’s preliminary results posted a pre tax profit of £1.64m up £0.94m on the previous year.