Aspect Consulting

Richard’s 24 year track record in public relations and communications consultancy has encompassed senior executive roles in multi-national agencies such as Weber Shandwick, Fleishman-Hillard and Ketchum as well running his own specialist agency, Carrot Communications.

A corporate communications specialist, he has developed and directed international campaigns for companies and organisations as diverse as Atos Origin, Dell Computer, Dowe Chemicals, Coutts bank, Ordnance Survey, Omniture, Siemens, and TNT Express (in 42 countries).

A former Chairman of the UK’s Public Relations Consultants Association, Richard is the current President of the International Communications Consultancy Organization, which represents 1,500 public relations agencies across 28 countries.

Toby is one of Europe’s leading travel, transport and aviation communication specialists with an award-winning career spanning over 15 years.

After spending two years as a travel journalist, Toby spent five years in a leading London PR agency, working with BMI British Midland and IBM’s Travel & Transportation team.

In 1999 Toby joined easyJet, then a small Luton-based airline, and was part of the management team which, over the next ten years, increased the size of the airline to almost 200 aircraft; increased revenues 10 fold; turned it into the UK’s biggest airline by passenger numbers, and a household name across Europe.

Toby’s particular areas of expertise are in media relations, reputation & issues management; lobbying and environmental affairs.

Erika joined Aspect in March 2010 with over three years' experience in local and national PR campaigns and political strategy as well as experience of having worked in the European Parliament. In her previous job, she was managing projects for a number of high profile companies, including Tesco, Npower and BIC.

Erika has also managed projects involving complex internal and external communications strategies for multinational companies, often involving information of highly sensitive nature.

At Aspect, Erika works on projects for Medela Healthcare, Akzo Nobel and Karolinska Hospital in Stockholm - combining Media Relations with Public Affairs. 

Ben McCarthy is a former television journalist who spent 15 years working in network news as a correspondent for international news organisations including BBC News, ITN and Sky News. He moved into communications in 2004 working for a global PR agency before joining Aspect in 2008.

From his experience in front of the camera Ben has an excellent knowledge of how newsrooms work, and how companies can best present themselves in both good times and bad.

Ben’s clients have included AkzoNobel, British Airways, DSM and Hewlett Packard. He is a specialist in media relations, media training, crisis communications and crisis management.

Oliver Cann is based in Aspect’s London office and is usually in the thick of the action when it comes to liaising with the media. A former publishing entrepreneur, Oliver’s three years at Aspect have seen him advise clients on a wide range of activities, from multi-billion dollar corporate acquisitions to international political crises.

As well as playing a key role in media relations campaigns, Oliver provides strategic corporate communications advice to an international client base that are typically in the fields of sustainability, chemicals, life sciences, biotechnology, telecommunications and entertainment.

As a former editor, publisher and conference organiser, Oliver also often takes the lead when it comes to generating original and innovative content for our clients across all media platforms, from marketing communications to video animation.