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Cratus has signalled confidence in the economy by making two new permanent appointments. Nigel Murphy has joined the company as Associate Director and Head of Cratus Manchester, and Colm Howard-Lloyd has been appointed Director of Public Affairs.

Nigel MurphyNigel has gained an enormous amount of experience during his fifteen years as a councillor at Manchester City Council, ten of those years as a member of the cabinet and the last three as Deputy Leader.  During this time he has had political responsibility for areas including Communications, Community Safety, Housing, Planning, Licencing, Redevelopment, Corporate Property, Licensing, Work & Skills, Environmental Services and ICT.

Nigel also has experience of working on a regional level having chaired the largest Waste Disposal Authority in the country, the Police, Crime and Fire Panel and as a member of the regional Growth Board. He is a strong advocate for partnership working and has strong relationships across local government.

Colm Howard-Lloyd

Colm’s experience includes roles across the public, private and political sectors. In an early role at KPMG he supported their work for the Shadow Strategic Rail Authority, before moving to Andersen Consulting to be part of the team that oversaw its rebrand to Accenture. At the London Development Agency, as Head of Engagement and Research, he led on stakeholder engagement for major initiatives including The Thames Gateway, the Mayor’s Economic Development Strategy, and the Crystal Palace Park Masterplan.

In addition to periods working for a London MEP and for the European Commission, he is a trained Election Agent and Election Observer. He was also Campaign Director for a Regional Mayor candidate.

Away from public affairs Howard-Lloyd has also been part of founding teams behind two digital startups, including a social network that remains one of Apple’s most popular apps.

Commenting on the appointments, Chief Executive Nick Kilby noted:

“As the economy starts to recover I am delighted that we have expanded our team, and that Nigel and Colm have joined us.

Both bring a wealth of experience, and impressive track records across local government, politics, and the private sector that will benefit our clients greatly.”

Nigel said:

“I am really thrilled to be joining the expanding team at Cratus and heading their Manchester office. I have been impressed by their work with local government and commitment to community engagement. I'm looking forward to using my experience to grow the business in Manchester and the North of England.”

Colm added:

“Local government, and its interactions with national politics and the private sector, is key to making change in our world. 

I am excited to lead the public affairs practice helping clients from PLCs to parish councils, and couldn’t think of a better place to do so than at Cratus, a leading agency in this sector.”