Holmes Report 24 Jan 2011 // 12:00AM GMT
By Arun Sudhaman
LONDON: Capital MSL has been selected to lead global PR for Taqa, (the Abu Dhabi National Energy Company), following a keenly-contested review that featured some of the biggest agencies in the corporate and financial sector.
Capital takes charge of a seven-figure global brief that expands on its current mandate to manage investor relations for the energy conglomerate. The firm will head an offering that draws on resources from the wider MSLGroup of agencies to service the account in key locations such as Abu Dhabi, London, Canada and the Netherlands.
Capital MSL MD Steffan Williams told the Holmes Report that the mandate will include corporate communications, internal comms and brand development, in addition to investor relations – which his firm has serviced for the past three years.
As a global energy firm with interests in such areas as oil and gas, power generation and water desalinisation, Williams added that Taqa’s objectives would revolve around “that classic thing of acting and behaving as you would expect from a company of that size and stature.”
“The stakeholders that matter to them are everbody from the man on the street in Abu Dhabi through to investors holding bonds or equity, through to local government in Holland or Canada, and employees,” added Williams. “This is one of those sectors where there is a huge dearth of talent around the world – so the whole talent piece alone will be a big thing.”
The account will be led by two Capital MSL senior executives: London-based director Nick Bastin who already oversees the firm’s existing Taqa business, and MENA MD Kate Delahunty, who is based in Dubai.
Founded in 2005, Taqa is listed on the Abu Dhabi stock market, and now operates in 13 markets worldwide. According to its website, it owns a combined total of $23.4 billion in global assets.