Following the acquisition of Woking-based Orchard Communications, Speakeasy Productions welcomes onboard Andy Zanelli-King as Head of Client Development to bolster the company’s sales operation and play a key role in its continued growth strategy.

Andy, formerly of The Edge Picture Company, said “I am excited to be joining such a fast growing, forward thinking organisation. Speakeasy’s success is based upon the recognition that clients need partners that can collaborate on a range of different communication challenges – with a range of different budget levels! That flexibility is key within the present economic climate”.

Andy’s appointment consolidates what has been Speakeasy’s best ever year, with a raft of new clients, including Tesco and the recently merged Co-operative Financial Services, adding to a long standing roster which includes Deutsche Bank, BAE Systems, NM Rothschild & Son, Metropolitan Police, the Department of Health and the COI.

Speakeasy’s 35-strong in-house team offers a wide range of business communication services, including events, video, webcasting and disc-based interactive applications.

“I have worked extensively in video production but it’s increasingly clear that agencies with all-round expertise offer a more attractive proposition to clients,” says Andy. “Speakeasy not only has the best in-house post-production facilities I have ever seen at an agency, it also has a broad range of production expertise across different media. It’s this cross-discipline experience and the new opportunities it offers that really attracted me”.

Bringing Orchard Communications into the Group in the summer of 2009 was a major step forward in bolstering Speakeasy’s production base in the South of England, complementing the existing office in central London and the company’s Scottish HQ in Perth.

Speakeasy Sales and Marketing Director Jonathan Young said “Orchard had a great reputation for producing quality work and we were keen to retain the goodwill attached to the name. In fact, it wasn’t just the name that was retained – the entire production team remained in place”.

Jonathan added – “this has been a fantastic year for Speakeasy, one in which we have continued to buck the trend. We’re delighted to welcome Andy to the team and are confident that, with his help, we will maintain our position as the UK’s fastest growing communications production company”.