Speakeasy, one of the UK’s leading corporate communications media production companies, is delighted to announce the appointment of Sales & Marketing Director Jonathan Young as its new Managing Director. Jonathan will be taking over from Jim Adamson, who founded the company in Perthshire in 1993. Since then Jim has steered the company through two decades of continual growth, with a multi-million pound turnover and more than 35 staff in its production offices in Scotland and the South of England. The company’s roster of clients includes some of the UK’s most respected global players including Lloyds Banking Group, HSBC, BAE Systems, Deutsche Bank, Tesco, Pernod Ricard, Bank of New York, and the Co-operative Financial Services not to mention a host of major public sector and not for profit organisations including the Scottish Government, Jobcentre Plus, the Metropolitan Police and the British Red Cross.

Jim Adamson, Chairman, Speakeasy

Jim will remain on the board as executive chairman, and will continue to oversee the company’s strategy of continued expansion. “The last twenty years have been the best of my life. Seeing Speakeasy grow from a one-man outfit in a village in rural Perthshire to the major player it is today has been fantastic, and something that I will always find immensely satisfying.” As to why he has chosen to make the move now: “Speakeasy’s operational reach may be extensive, but unfortunately does not as yet cover too many of the sub-tropical climes – which is where I look forward to spending more time – especially in winter! But to be serious, the time is absolutely right to hand over the reins. Jonathan and the board have done a fantastic job over the last few years on expanding the company and broadening its horizons, and I’m fully confident that they have what it takes to continue the Speakeasy tradition of friendly service and astute communications know-how. ”

Jonathan Young, Managing Director, Speakeasy

Jonathan Young joined Speakeasy as Sales and Marketing Manager in 2005, and has played a key role in establishing the company as a dominant force in London and the South East. He has since managed the opening of Speakeasy’s prestigious production offices in Covent Garden. Last year Speakeasy acquired competitor Orchard Communications in Woking, Surrey. Under Jonathan’s lead the Orchard team has been successfully assimilated into the Covent Garden operation.

“I’m thrilled to be at the helm of what has got to be one of the UK’s most characterful and rapidly growing corporate production companies. Building on the success of our Covent Garden production base I’m looking forward to leading the company through continued expansion and further diversification into new and emerging communication channels. The last couple of years have been tough, but for those companies that have weathered the storm and are prepared to embrace new trends and technologies, the opportunities in the corporate communications sector are enormous. I believe that Speakeasy is now perfectly positioned to exploit these opportunities.”