September 2022

Echo Research, global reputation research specialists, today announced the appointment of global communications leader Nick Archer to its Advisory Board. Additionally, Echo welcomes three new hires: Debi Lofthouse as Management Accountant, Alisha Bains as Account Executive and Elisha Bentley as Research Assistant.

Nick Archer was previously acting Chief Communications Officer at FTSE 5 miner, Rio Tinto Plc, and is currently interim Vice President of Corporate Communications for Lone Star’s MBCC Group, headquartered in Germany. Nick began his working life in British politics as a parliamentary researcher and speech-writer, and went onto lead Edelman’s Crisis Management team in New York. As a media and government relations expert with deep experience of crisis management and corporate repositioning, Nick will be available to support Echo clients notably on their risk and issues management studies.  Echo’s 15-strong Advisory Board, brings together senior specialists with expertise in specific sectors, geographies or strategic communications areas such as crisis, ESG, investor activism and major change to work alongside Echo’s specialist research groups in delivering practical advice and research-based insights to clients.

Sandra Macleod, CEO of Echo Research said, “Businesses are dealing with economic circumstances that have not been seen for decades. Dramatically rising inflation, slowing growth, market shifts, climate change and geopolitics are combining with new challenges to globalisation and what many would perceive as the normal business order. As a result, insight has become the imperative to ensuring resilience and future relevance in an increasingly troubled and turbulent market.  Echo’s core team, combined with the direct experience of our Advisory Board members offers that insight through research-based senior counsel – as we have done for over 30 years.”

Echo also appoints Debi Lofthouse as Management Accountant.  CIMA qualified, Debi was the former Financial Controller at Checkit UK Limited.  Alisha Bains joins Echo having graduated from the University of Surrey where she studied Business Management and Marketing. Assisting Echo’s market research projects, Alisha is also supporting Echo’s efforts towards its B Corp certification.  Meanwhile, Elisha Bentley joins Echo on her placement year as part of her University of Surrey Criminology and Sociology degree.

“As Echo’s Expert Witness status as independent ‘auditors’ of corporate reputation and trust is in increasing demand, we are continuously growing our research team and advisory capabilities to meet the many varied insight requirements of our clients during this exceptional time of fast-paced change, opportunity and challenge.  We are delighted to welcome our new joiners in our work ‘aiming for better’,” said Neil Sherlock CBE, Chair of Echo Research.

Echo Research is a full-service and integrated reputation research firm and runs Britain’s Most Admired Companies study, the longest-running corporate reputation survey in the country.