People

Tom Buchanan

FOUNDER

Tom is one of the most experienced communications advisors in the UK, with a 30-year track record of helping businesses and institutions across Europe, the US, the Gulf States and Asia to build and protect their reputations.

After graduating from St Andrews in English literature, Tom spent three years at Price Waterhouse training as a Chartered Accountant. From there he went to Brunswick — first as the press clippings boy and joining the partnership six years later. During his 20 years at Brunswick, he established the agency’s first international office in New York, where he spent four years advising clients on US media relations, M&A and IPO projects. Subsequent management roles in other larger agencies convinced him that bigger isn’t necessarily better and that the established model was increasingly ill-equipped to look after smaller, fast-growing clients, and in 2019, alongside another former Brunswick colleague, he took the plunge and founded Paternoster.

Tom has led teams on more than 20 IPOs in various exchanges in the US and Europe, has completed numerous M&A projects and has acted as the strategic counsel to multiple listed Boards on ongoing communications matters. He has a strong reputation as a crisis advisor and has led teams on a number of high-profile mandates, including administrations, restructuring and capital raising, industrial accident and public health issues, cyber-attacks, and issues affecting personal reputation. Fluent in French, Tom has advised a number of French clients on significant transactions. Recent mandates include advising PE firms on a number of high-profile acquisitions, the sale of a large family-owned firm, major restructuring protects and helping a fast-growing technology company to develop its corporate brand.

An ordained priest, Tom is also a Canon at Ely Cathedral, where he sits on the board in a Non-Executive role. His first novel remains unpublished and he still dreams of becoming a blues guitarist.