After surviving for 30 years in the business of Public Relations, Abel Hadden freely confesses that he is a "stickler for detail", priding himself on his thoroughness and accountability, traits reinforced by his training as a chartered accountant. Bell Pottinger Co-founder Lord Bell once described him as "frighteningly efficient" - so he must be doing something right.
In case you think Hadden is merely a "time-and-motion" accountant type in the old mould, bear in mind that he regularly hurtles down the Cresta Run in St Moritz, his face inches from the ice, at speeds surely inadvisable for a fifty-something PR man.
"I suppose I’m a man of contradictions," Hadden observes, pointing out his equally passionate loves of croquet and fly fishing.
A PR career that began in 1975 has developed to encompass managing and protecting the reputations of organisations as diverse as GEC, Thomas Cook, HarperCollins, Fortnum & Mason and the Royal Albert Hall, as well as celebrated individuals, including His Majesty the Sultan of Brunei, Baroness Thatcher and Lord Lloyd-Webber. Whilst admitting expertise in media relations, Hadden is keen not to be pigeonholed, citing skills in complex client communications, internal and external programme planning and project co-ordination.
One of Hadden’s proudest recent achievements was gaining due recognition for RJ Mitchell, the designer of the Battle of Britain icon, the Spitfire, on behalf of the late US drinks billionaire Sidney Frank.
"Words on a page soon translated into a statue of Mitchell in the Science Museum, a long-running exhibition, an English Heritage blue plaque and a written question in the House of Commons, as well as a mass of media coverage."
Describing himself as a "connector", he is proud of a contacts database containing over 2,000 names. "I can usually suggest two or three people who could help on any project," he says. "Many journalists I took to lunch 30 years ago are editors now - I know most of them."
Hadden also has first-hand business experience. In the Nineties, he transformed Edelman’s London office from a £250,000 loss to one making annual profits of over £1 million. "I understand money in and money out. I also believe in showing clients exactly what they are getting for their money, and in measuring performance."
Hadden also enjoys pro-bono charitable work for organisations such as the Jill Dando Fund, Comic Relief and the Mental Health Foundation. Divorced with two children, London-born Hadden also confesses to a love of Chelsea football club.
"The thing that makes me spring out of bed in the morning is the almost certain knowledge that the day will be hijacked by something completely unscheduled. I love it - it's an absolutely fascinating job," he says.
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