Stonehaven Global Holdings Executive Chair, Peter Lyburn (left), and Public First CEO, Rachel Wolf (right)

• New public policy and economics group will expand across the US and Asia 

• Combined international client revenues are more than 50% 

• Creates a leading team of 150 consultants working across opinion research, policy, economics, strategic communications, advocacy and sustainability 

• Acquisition further deepens economics across the policy, regulatory and sustainability offerings at the group 

• First joint opinion research study published this week, exposing the hard trade-offs facing the Government if it wants to increase defence spending 

Public First has agreed to join Stonehaven Global Holdings ltd (‘SHGH’) to help turbocharge its international reach. 

The SHGH Group consists of policy, strategy, advocacy and communications firm Stonehaven; sustainability services firm Robertsbridge; and now Public First.  

Public First will open its new office in Washington, D.C. this spring, while Robertsbridge already operates across Asia from offices in Singapore and Jakarta. Stonehaven will continue to invest in market research and analytical tools in six European markets.  

Already, more than half of the group’s joint revenues come from international markets and this acquisition will help grow this figure significantly.  

Peter Lyburn, Executive Chair of SHGH said, “Both our businesses were set up on the same basis – using research to give straight advice that helps clients be much more effective in a volatile policy and regulatory ecosystem. Public First’s international growth means this deal is a no-brainer given our own increasing international footprint. 

“International and domestic clients alike trust us in consequential policy areas across infrastructure, sustainable growth, education and technology. We will build on that trust as we step up our capabilities and invest around changing client needs.”  

The founders and management will stay as part of the acquisition. Of the Public First co-founders, Rachel Wolf will remain CEO of Public First and join the SHGH Company Board, and James Frayne will remain as an adviser. The three firms will maintain their brands and teams, collaborate around client needs and compete internationally for cross-border economic, policy and research contracts. 

SHGH consulting teams now operate in more than two dozen markets around the world, with more than half of revenue coming from international work. 

Other developments include: 

• Public First will open an office in Washington D.C. this spring. 

• Stonehaven will further invest in sector capabilities across energy, infrastructure and technology. 

• Robertsbridge, acquired by SHGH in 2019, will see further investment in Singapore and Jakarta, from where it operates across Asia. 

• Together, the group will make significant investments in economics and accelerate the development of data and predictive tools. 

The first joint SHGH research, published this week, demonstrates the stark challenges facing governments today – and the trade-offs they will need to make if they are to increase defence spending, maintain other public sector investment and keep voters onside. The work shows how businesses will need to evolve the way they engage on economic regulation and on wider policy if they are to achieve the change they require to support growth and create wealth. 

Rachel Wolf, Public First CEO said, “We founded Public First to help clients make the best possible arguments. Many of us have spent time in government and we often didn’t get what we needed from the outside world. But delivering those arguments is becoming harder – politics is volatile, politicians face impossible choices – and our clients are under pressure in the middle.   

“With Stonehaven we can deepen our policy and data expertise, but we can also help our clients campaign to change policy. Increasingly, that is what they demand and need.”   

Brendan May, Robertsbridge Chairman, said, “The next decade of green growth is going to be about facing the real trade-offs, ducked over the last ten years. This means the business and policy case for driving forward sustainability needs economic underpinning and creative policymaking. With Public First now part of the SHGH group, we can enhance our support to clients in this highly challenging sustainable growth agenda.” 

Commenting on the SHGH growth strategy, Peter Lyburn said, “We are bringing together strategic advocacy capabilities and great people to become the consultancy known for turning client concepts into policy reality.  Our belief is integrated economics, original policy thinking, strategic communications and advocacy will enable clients to move beyond ‘navigating policy’ and toward positive real impact.”   

Press inquiries: Jacob Archbold 07759 110878 jarchbold@stonehaven.uk.com 

About Public First  

Public First is a policy, strategy and opinion research consultancy. We combine public opinion expertise with deep knowledge of the policy landscape to deliver data-rich, coherent policy arguments that are ready to implement and politically feasible. Public First is a company partner of the Market Research Society and a member of the British Polling Council 

About Stonehaven 

Stonehaven is a UK-based, globally-operating consultancy that is home to some of the best data & insight, policy, advocacy, sustainability, public affairs and communications specialists in the business. We bring together the capabilities, expertise and insight to make impactful policy ideas a reality for clients. Stonehaven has long-standing retained relationships with large scale enterprise clients and NGOs, working on critical transition issues requiring deep and significant trade-offs. To learn more visit www.stonehavenglobal.com or follow us on LinkedIn. 

About our joint research  

More details on our polling and findings can be found here.