Lloyd Northover Citigate sheds seven in London

Lloyd Northover Citigate shed seven London staff on Friday including a board director and five designers.

LNC vice-chairman Jim Northover declines to comment on the nature of board director Hugh Oxborrow’s departure. “I believe I have been made redundant, although it’s yet to be confirmed,” says Oxborrow. He blames the job losses on “the major downturn in the London office caused by the paucity of management and new business performance”.

Oxborrow was a founder director of Citigate’s design arm in 1988. This was amalgamated with Lloyd Northover when the consultancy was acquired by PR company Citigate Communications in 1994.

The six others made redundant are Simon Dinnage, a design director, though not on the board; senior designer Rebecca Sargent; designer Louise You; junior designer Andrew Slatter; consultant Katia Bertani; and marketing manager Lisa Davidson.

“We are part of a bigger group now [with offices in Los Angeles and Asia] and have to react quickly to changes… We are having to run the business as a single profit centre,” says Northover.

LNC’s Asian office has, meanwhile, recruited eight people in the last six weeks. “That’s where the business is now coming from,” says Northover.

Major wins in the region include BAT China and KCR Land Transport Authority. “The forecast for the next six months is good,” he adds.

The 38-strong London office has recently been appointed to rebrand Christian Salvesen.

The lay-offs are unconnected with the planned integration of PR company Dewe Rogerson’s design arm following Citigate’s recent acquisition of the company.