Partners
John Hume - Founding Partner
John has over fourteen years experience working with the European Union institutions and specialises in managing pan-European media and political campaigns.
Prior to co-founding HBC, John served in Brussels as Deputy Director General of Airports Council International (ACI) Europe, the representative body for the European airports industry from 1999 to 2005, where he played an instrumental role in achieving success for the airports industry on many crucial political issues. During this time, John built an expert lobbying team from across Europe and successfully changed the strategic focus of the organisation to deal with modern political challenges.
Previously, John was Director of European Public Relations for the International Duty Free Confederation / Focus 99, a consortium of airports, ferry companies, and consumer goods companies, where he developed and rolled out the highly successful consumer awareness programme in 15 EU member states. John also worked as an adviser to the European transport trade union federation on press and political affairs and began his career as a management consultant with Deloitte and Touche.
Eoin Brophy - Founding Partner
Eoin is a leading strategic communications consultant to the European financial services industry. Since co-founding Hume Brophy, Eoin has been advising clients from across the traditional asset management, hedge fund, banking, mortgage, legal and insurance sectors.
Prior to co-founding Hume Brophy, Eoin was responsible for institutional and alternative communications at Gartmore Investment Management in London.
During this time, Eoin helped to re-position Gartmore as a leading global high alpha and alternative investment manager. Eoin was also involved in the strategic communications around Gartmore's acquisition of Govett Investments from Allied Irish Banks plc in 2003; and the sale of Gartmore's cash management business to Morgan Stanley, also in 2003.
Eoin spent eight years working as a senior lobbyist in Brussels, having started his career at the European Commission. He also holds a first class postgraduate diploma in print and broadcast journalism from the London School of Journalism.
Conor Foley - Partner EU
Conor is a senior public and regulatory affairs consultant and experienced communications professional.
Prior to joining Hume Brophy in 2006, Conor founded and managed an independent Brussels-based public affairs company, advising leading multinationals in the oil and gas, financial services and security sectors on EU policy, competition, regulatory and communications issues.
Previously, Conor worked in the European Commission's DG External Relations and was a consultant with the European public affairs practice of a top-tier consultancy where he worked for government clients and major multinationals including Microsoft, ExxonMobil, Dow Chemical and Volvo.
Conor began his public affairs career in Washington with the Intellibridge Corporation (now Eurasia Group) and has worked as a management consultant with Diageo and as a consultant for United Press International. He began his career as a research analyst with the International Crisis Group.
Conor received his undergraduate degree from Trinity College Dublin, specialising in European politics. He received his Masters degree from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service in Washington, DC. He speaks French and some Arabic.
Karl Brophy - Partner Ireland
Karl Brophy joined Hume Brophy Communications in October 2007 and now heads up our Irish Corporate Communications business.
Karl has unique experience both as an expert strategic communicator and as newspaper executive and publisher at the very highest level both in Ireland and abroad. He acted as the press spokesman and media planner for dozens of politicians including the Taoiseach, Cabinet Ministers, TDs, Senators and candidates for the Presidency of Ireland. Karl has organised, developed and implemented the media strategy for several successful election campaigns.
Karl has worked for the London Daily Mirror and has further experience in the Dail where he was a political correspondent for the Irish Examiner before being headhunted to join the Irish Independent.
In 2002, Independent Newspapers appointed Karl as the Associate Editor of the Cape Argus in South Africa. In 2004, he convinced the senior management of the multinational group, which has 180 individual newspapers to launch from scratch its first ever English language daily without joint venture support, the Daily Voice.
Karl was appointed Editor of the title in March 2005 and brought the paper to profit within 24 months. The title is now one of the biggest selling in South Africa.
Karl retains superb contacts in the Irish media, at all levels, and within the political sphere in Ireland.
+44 (0) 20 7499 8736
