Anthony Thompson
Managing Partner
Former lobbyist and corporate affairs director, now helping clients tell their stories and influence change
I’ve spent more than 20 years working with CEOs, Boards and their companies across a broad range of media, lobbying and public policy campaigns in the UK, Europe and Australia – a journey that’s given me incredible experience and insight into the world of business, politics and the ever-changing media landscape.
I was lucky to start my career working at the CBI during New Labour’s stint in power for 8 years, influencing a lot of new employment and pensions policy coming out of Brussels and Westminster, as well as running a number of the CBI’s parliamentary campaigns across a huge range of business issues, before going to lead the CBI’s EU lobbying in Brussels and member state capitals as the head of the CBI’s Brussels office.
I then skipped into financial services just before the financial crisis and spent almost 12 frantic but hugely enjoyable years leading public affairs and communications for big banks and insurance companies in the UK and Europe, where I got introduced to a complex and fascinating world of State Aid cases, IPOs and bank failures, resolutions, mergers and acquisitions, working alongside CEOs and executives across finance, investor relations and risk.
When John and I set up 56° North, our ambition was to take everything we’d learnt in our careers and offer that experience back to clients with practical advice, based on real-world experience – between us, there really aren’t many business or reputational issues we haven’t come across.
As well as leading much of our client work across public affairs and strategic communications, I’m incredibly proud to work alongside John leading the amazing 56 team we’ve attracted into the business and guiding them on their own career journeys in communications and public affairs.
And… I was the North Tyneside Under-8 Chess Champion in 1983 and I was once followed by the Russian secret service. Though I don’t think those two facts are related.
