The Team
Sam BrownChairman
A founding partner in M&CM, Sam has enjoyed a long and distinguished career in journalism, following the familiar route from provincial journalism to Fleet Street and subsequently to foreign assignments, including the Scandinavia bureau of the Financial Times and Economist. He has experience of working in other media; including a number of motoring titles. He was deputy editor of Autocar for five years and edited What Car? For two years. He also has experience in radio and television work and on the public relations side of the fence, as Public Relations Manager for Group Lotus.
Matthew SharpManaging Director
Matthew has spent almost 20 years at senior levels in public relations for the international motor industry. He started his career in British Leyland in the 1970s dealing with many tough industrial and business issues as well as product-related matters. As PR Manager for Land Rover, he helped build one of the world’s most famous brands before his appointment as Public Affairs Director of Citroen UK Ltd where he stayed for eight years before becoming a founding partner at M&CM.
Mike MizenEvacuee Services Manager
A former police officer, Mike wrote the contingency plans for the Norfolk Force, co-writing and exercising these plans with other agencies and businesses.
For the last five years of his service Mike was the Southern North Sea (SNS) Offshore Liaison Officer, working closely with the offshore industry in the management of their personnel in evacuation procedures, collating information regarding casualties and especially next-of-kin details, setting up Reception Centres and establishing control centres with other agencies including the Police, Fire Service and Local Authorities.
Mike manages M&CM’s evacuee support operation that includes the regular checking and updating of arrangements, client visits, Associate availability and recruitment.
Mike has been working as an Associate with M&CM for three years and is trained to Incident Manager level in the bp ICS.
Peter StewardCrisis Response Manager
Peter Steward trained as a journalist with Eastern Counties Newspapers (now Archant). After a stint with them as a general reporter on the Eastern Daily Press and Evening News and also on a number of weekly papers, he moved to Raymonds News Agency where he was in charge of the Nottingham office for two years.
He then returned to his native Norfolk firstly as a sub editor on the Norwich Mercury series of weekly papers and then as sports editor. In 1989 he became Norfolk Constabulary's first civilian Press and Public Relations Officer and subsequently Head of Media in which capacity he was the force's official Media spokesman on a number of high profile murders and cases. Peter also fulfilled the roles of E-Communications Manager and latterly Head of Marketing Operations for the police.
David RaesideCrisis Response Manager
David trained and served as a helicopter pilot with the Royal Navy before moving into journalism with Reed Business Publishing.
He held a number of senior appointments with various magazines covering technical subjects before joining General Motors Europe as Chief Press Officer, becoming Manager of Product and Consumer Affairs.
David joined Mazda Cars UK in June 1999 as Communications Director, tasked with developing a PR strategy that integrated operations in Japan, Europe and the UK and other Ford brands. This has given him extensive international experience.
David’s military training combined with his media experience gives him a unique understanding of combining operational incident management and the needs to communicate to the media.