CAMPAIGN PR FACES TO WATCH 2019 – GEORGE ALLEN, 28, ASSOCIATE PARTNER, INSTINCTIF PARTNERS MENA
Nominated by Samantha Bartel, managing partner, Instinctif Partners MENA
“George has had an exceptional career journey at Instinctif Partners MENA so far. In just five years he has transitioned from account executive to associate partner, which stands as a testament to his dedication and strategic capabilities. Julia Osseiran, investor relations officer at ENBD REIT, has commended George ever since he managed the communications for the trust’s IPO in 2017 and all subsequent PR work to date. George is a crucial partner for the investment trust’s success.”
“An excellent mentor to those in his team, George recognises key strengths and humbly shares his knowledge and success to uplift those around him. The reputation he has cultivated over the last five years speaks for itself as we are now attracting talented professionals to Instinctif Partners who desire to work alongside him.”
Career path
“I have been with the Instinctif Partners MENA team since Q4 2013, shortly after graduating from the University of Oxford, and not long after the office had been established. Having worked across sectors and practice areas, I am now associate partner with responsibility for Instinctif’s financial services and capital markets business in the Middle East. I lead a team whose focus is on investor relations consultancy, financial PR and transaction work throughout the Gulf – including M&As and IPOs.”
Guiding principles
To have the confidence and the courage to say ‘no’ – specifically to clients. Consultancies too often forget that they are being paid to ‘consult’ and not just to ‘execute’ – this means we have a duty to our clients to tell them when something is a bad idea or when they are getting something wrong. This is what we’re paid for, and nine times out of 10 it is appreciated – because they trust and value our counsel. I learned this from our managing partner, Samantha Bartel – to whom I owe a great deal of my career growth.
