As many of our clients and friends will know, Tavistock was founded three decades ago. During this time, our partners and staff have operated through some astonishing economic shocks that have redefined financial markets and economies, bringing us valuable insight.

Like many businesses, we have taken the responsible step to advise our team to work from home, an approach made possible with the remote systems we put in place several years ago. This is not the first time we have been forced to work remotely. In 1993, our Dashwood House offices in Old Broad Street were left devasted following the Bishopsgate IRA bomb. Fortunately, that bombing took place on a Saturday, so no staff were injured, but it did mean we had 48 hours to put the appropriate measures in place to maintain business continuity and bring the high level of service that our clients have come to know us by.

We are fortunate to have a team that brings wide ranging communications skills – from entrepreneurs that have built their own PR businesses, to former senior journalists and in-house communications directors. Over the past 30, years we have advised on some of the highest profile corporate situations which include the collapse of Barings Bank and the largest hostile takeover in corporate history. We continue to assist our clients through these challenging conditions, recognising that the media itself is covering a pandemic that creates new headlines by the hour.

The COVID 19 outbreak has brought significant disruption across the board including the worst trading day on the FTSE100 index since ‘Black Monday’ in 1987. We do not know how long this situation will continue to impact the world’s economies, but we do know that maintaining a presence in the marketplace is fundamental and evidence shows that the worst days are often followed by some of the best days as markets recover and confidence returns. Our contacts in China tell us that businesses are now back at +70% with restaurants once again busy providing a glimmer of the normality that we hope awaits us.

Clearly this pandemic comes with a human cost and we wish everyone and their families well during this difficult period.

Very best wishes from us all at Tavistock.