Protocol plans growth with new executive MD

Protocol, the Manchester-based marketing communications consultancy, has taken on a new executive managing director from the client side and is poised to expand beyond 70 staff.

Eva Eisenschimmel has joined the four-year-old consultancy from United Distillers, where her responsibilities included UD’s 130 whisky brands. Her previous positions include senior marketing roles at Häagen- Dazs and Mars.

Protocol, whose clients include Scottish Courage, Grand Met, ICL, Abbey National and Glaxo Wellcome, offers a range of services, from point-of-sale and packaging to CD-ROM and website design.

Around two-thirds of its 50 staff, including most of its 25 creatives, are based in Manchester, where the consultancy was founded by Kevin Murphy, who is now the chairman and still the majority shareholder. The rest of the staff, including a design team, are in an Edinburgh office opened last year.

Eisenschimmel says Protocol’s rate of growth has been phenomenal and is set to continue. Protocol currently has 22 vacancies, the posts ranging from junior to senior and including designers.

Although an office in or near London “is a possibility”, Protocol is more likely to open an international office first, says Eisenschimmel. “This is a very ambitious company – I wouldn’t have given up the career path I was on for this unusual step unless I was impressed and excited by what is here.”

Eisenschimmel anticipates growth from within but is not ruling out any acquisitions.