Portfolio of top clients
Q4 Public Relations founders Jackie Gallagher and Martin Mackin have held senior positions within Fianna Fáil and in government while Gerry O’Sullivan was director of corporate affairs at Eircom in the run up to, and after its IPO in 1999.
The trio are regarded as big hitters who would not have launched a fully-fledged PR business without having lined up a number of key corporate clients as a foundation for their business.
Q4 director of public affairs Martin Mackin said the trio are equal shareholders in a self-financed venture which is headquartered on St Stephen’s Green, Dublin within yards of the departments of justice and foreign affairs.
Mr Mackin said that it is hoped a number of high-profile clients will be named in the coming weeks.
He is a former general secretary of Fianna Fáil and a former senator, positions which give him access to private areas of Leinster House and Oireachtas member areas, a key advantage for any political lobbyist.
Most recently, Mr Mackin was a fellow at the Kennedy School of Government in Harvard, Boston.
Former Irish Times journalist Jackie Gallagher was one of the co-founders of Gallagher & Kelly PR which was bought for close to 11m just a year after it was founded by Cordiant Communications.
It is understood Mr Gallagher received close to 50% of the sale price which was paid in Cordiant shares and a future earnings-related bonus of €5m.
Mr Gallagher, who will head-up Q4’s corporate relations was a special advisor to Taoiseach Bertie Ahern both in and out of government.
Following the acquisition of Gallagher and Kelly, since renamed Financial Dynamics, Mr Gallagher has been bound by non-compete clauses which have now expired.
Gerry O’Sullivan will be director of corporate and financial affairs at Q4 which takes it name from the final quarter of the financial year when public relations practioners are in most demand by financial and other institutions.
Mr O’Sullivan played a pivotal role in the biggest IPO in the history of the state as director of corporate affairs at Eircom, a post he held for 10 years. he was also a member of the executive board of Eircom.
