Lord Bell

Chairman of Chime Communications plc

Lord Bell is the Chairman of Chime Communications plc. He is one of the best known figures in the UK communications industry.

He began his career in 1959 at advertising agency Colman Prentis and Varley. In 1970 he helped found Saatchi & Saatchi; by 1981, as Chief Executive and later as International Chairman, he had led Saatchi & Saatchi to become the biggest advertising agency network in the world.

In 1985 he left to become Deputy Chairman of the Lowe Group and subsequently bought out the communications division, Lowe Bell Communications, in 1989. Lowe Bell later became Bell Pottinger Communications and, in 1994, Chime Communications Plc floated on the London Stock Exchange, with Lord Bell as Chairman. Chime Communications acts as the holding company for market leading agencies such as top UK public relations group Bell Pottinger, advertising agency VCCP, Opinion Leader Research and Fast Track sports marketing group.

Lord Bell was Political Advisor to Lady Thatcher from 1976 to 1990. He successfully ran election campaigns for the Conservative Party in 1979, 1983 and in 1987.  He has served as a political advisor to F. W. de Klerk, Ronald Reagan, Boris Yeltsin, Jacques Chiraq and Thaksin Shinawatra, among many others.

He currently advises the Chairmen and Chief Executives of many of Britain’s leading companies and organisations, as well as foreign heads of state and international business and political leaders all over the world.