A new year’s message from the king of the mountain

Opinion Rutherford Hall
A new year’s message from the king of the mountain

A behind-the-scenes look at the work of Rutherford Hall, critical
communications strategist
ROBERT SHRIMSLEY
© Financial Times
Rutherford Hall 16 HOURS AGO
From: Rutherford@monkwellstrategy.com
To: all@monkwellstrategy.com
Happy new year to everyone. I hope you managed to get a good break and spent it
doing something you love.
After a hectic travel schedule that played havoc with my cycling, I was thrilled to
get back on my bike, notch up a new personal best for the London/Brighton run
and reclaim my King of the Mountain for Sydenham Hill. And it was while I was
out defeating all-comers that I had a few thoughts for the year ahead.
I have to be honest, I did hesitate about a motivational cycling message. A certain
nameless senior partner (Stephen) told me to lay off the “self-aggrandising cycling
stories” this year. And this gave me cause to reflect. Do I perhaps overestimate your
interest? And then I thought “stuff that”. This is the new year newsletter and
Monkwell would not be Monkwell without thoughts from the saddle. In any case,
I’m still the king of this mountain!
And that, in a way, is my first message for the new year. Be single-minded. Chase
down those clients and be relentless. There are no prizes for still being in the
Peloton as you cross the finish line.
Talking of breaking for the line, a highlight of my year was meeting the great Mark
Cavendish. Cav did not know Monkwell but I like to think he recognised a fellow
competitive spirit. What other interpretation could be put on the inscription he
wrote in my copy of his book when I purchased it at Waterstones. “To Rutherford,
keep on peddling” — a subtle play on both my hobby and my profession. That’s the
kind of attention to detail that gets you to the top.
And there are always ways to bring your passion into your professional life —
depending of course on what your passion is. (Some of us overdid our political
activism last year. I respect your sincerity but we are communications
professionals here).
So I’ve looked within for an example of how to do it right. As you know our work in
Saudi Arabia has been a major boost to our bottom line this year and has the
potential to be an even bigger earner in the months ahead. I see particularly
important work around Saudi’s success in securing the 2034 World Cup, and
expect to reap dividends from our experience in assisting Qatar with its
tournament.
To that end I have just announced “Ticket to Riyadh”, a sponsored cycle around
every host city in the upcoming tournament to raise money for two children’s
hospitals, our own Great Ormond Street and the King Abdullah specialist
children’s centre in Riyadh. This is not only a great cause but hopefully also shows
our commitment to the Kingdom in ways that cannot but help deepen our
relationship. I’m keen to hear any other ideas you might have that demonstrate our
commitment to this vibrant and exciting new Arabian tiger. I know some of you
expressed reservations about our work for Qatar — see my point about political
activism — some of which caused a little embarrassment. This time, we are all in,
even while we retain our commitment to making sure Monkwell is the most diverse
and inclusive communications agency in town.
Elsewhere, Stephen and I see continued potential in steering clients through the
net zero agenda. The British government remains committed to this but we can see
a number of areas where the momentum is slowing. Shareholders are asking more
questions about the march from profitable fuels. Car manufacturers are already
pushing back on EV targets. We need to be there for our clients in maximising
returns, resisting impossible and burdensome regulatory demands, even while we
retain our commitment to making sure Monkwell is the greenest communications
agency in town.
We will keep building up our AI practice. I admit we were winging it a bit this year,
but this is a huge growth area for us as companies deal with the ramifications and
regulations of this game-changing technology. Everyone needs to get across the
issues in their sector and develop a basic understanding of generative AI. This will
be a year of leaders and laggards. Don’t be in the pack. Break for the line and let’s
make Monkwell the leader comms agency for AI strategy.
The great Dave Brailsford talked of the aggregation of marginal gains, constantly
seeking the next 1 per cent improvement. Let’s all keep reaching for that extra 1 per
cent, while never forgetting the extra 10 per cent, too.
Above all, as Cav said to me: keep on peddling.
Let’s have a great 2025
Rutherford:
Find me on Strava, KoM Sydenham Hill, London to Brighton 3 hrs 04m, Al

Jubailah/Bawdah Loop — 42 mins.
Help support two world-leading children’s hospitals:
gofundme.com/tickettoriyadh
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2025. All rights reserved.

A new year’s message from the king of the mountain

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

A new year’s message from the king of the mountain

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

A new year’s message from the king of the mountain

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Opinion Rutherford Hall

A new year’s message from the king of the mountain

Rutherford Hall 16 HOURS AGO

Above all, as Cav said to me: keep on peddling.

Let’s have a great 2025

Find me on Strava, KoM Sydenham Hill, London to Brighton 3 hrs 04m, Al

Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2025. All rights reserved.

You might also like