Stephenson Mohl: Cutting through the noise
Politics impacts all aspects of life. From local level planning determinations to national policy and legislation, politics is at the crux of all decision making, not least across the private sector. And helping firms better understand the landscape – and shape its agenda – is leading public affairs consultancy Stephenson-Mohl Group. Here, Steven Hugill speaks to founder and managing director Mark Stephenson about its expert support and the power of information and strong relationships as the country embarks on national political change and the North East begins a new devolved future.
July 16, 2024
From town hall to Whitehall, British politics and its overlap of laws, legislation and lexicon can be, for many, an indecipherable knot of complexity.
Relief then for public affairs consultancy Stephenson-Mohl Group.
Connecting organisations with decision-makers at all levels across the UK, it helps clients shape local decision-making and the legislative agenda, raises awareness of key issues and helps them navigate regulatory hurdles.
Led by founder and managing director Mark Stephenson, the business – whose name takes inspiration from Mark’s regional roots, which date back to the German sword-making Mohl family that settled in Shotley Bridge in the 17th century – is dedicated to generating great incision for clients.
Launched seven years ago, the Newcastle-based business, which will soon open a second office in Westminster, has supported numerous multi-sector and charity projects from Devon to the Scottish borders, which have created thousands of jobs and delivered around £4.5 billion in GVA to the North East alone.
Mark says: “It’s one thing being heard but it’s another thing being listened to.
“We create as much incision as possible, working from national parliaments to local authorities, to ensure organisations are listened to and ensure their own commercial decision making is as informed and complete as it can be.”
“And there is no company like us in the North East,” adds Mark of Stephenson-Mohl Group, which works with firms across sectors including housebuilding, advanced manufacturing, education, health and renewable energy, and is on track to double growth for a second consecutive year.
That distinction is borne out by the collective expertise of its team, with former North East Chamber of Commerce policy expert Mark, head of public affairs Chris McHugh, public affairs managers Alex Kirkup and Georgia Jamieson, head of communications Rebecca Johnson and former council leader and head of policy Simon Henig representing a formidable line-up.
Mark says: “Politics is a blind spot for many companies, which can’t be overcome by a quick Google search.
“We act as advocates, building levels of understanding that supports a company or a project from the earliest possible point, using relations from parish to Westminster level, to add honesty and clarity to the process.”
“Public affairs is as much an art as it is science – and we’re good at balancing the development of softer relationships over the long term and providing detailed quantitative evidence to support clients to accompany that,” says Mark.
He adds: “We understand the political landscape and have solid working relationships with many of the political figures that shape it, whether at cabinet level or elsewhere.
“This means we’re able to guide clients through a complex policy and regulatory framework, and a political landscape that is fraught with risk.”
And such knowledge, says Mark, will be vital as the region’s commercial sands shift against tides of national political change, headline devolution moves and investments into key sectors such as advanced manufacturing, energy, defence and education.
He says: “There are opportunities everywhere you look, and they’re all shaped by politics.
“The $3 trillion global renewable energy sector has decided the North East is the best place to do business, so we’re in a wonderful position to generate growth from that sector.
“Then there’s defence; the Government, prior to the election, said it wanted to increase defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP – and you can fully expect Labour to back that up, which equates to an extra £75 billion a year.
“That will mean the region’s rivers and coastlines are once again going to get very busy, with companies creating more jobs. It’s hugely exciting.
“We also know Labour wants more devolved powers, around areas such as planning, inward investment and maybe even health, to provide more authority for the country’s metro mayors.”
Mark adds: “Make no mistake, change is coming.
“And, as a business, we have the knowledge, expertise and relationships, both locally and nationally, to ensure organisations can navigate that evolving landscape in the best possible way.
“Long gone are the days of needing expertise from outside the region to help your organisation manage political risk and lever political processes to forge new opportunities.
“We have the expertise, and our track record speaks for itself.”
July 16, 2024
- Promoted