Cello Chairman Kevin Steeds Dies

Cello has announced that Group Executive Chairman Kevin Steeds died last night, after a four month battle with cancer.

Group CEO Mark Scott said today that Steeds will be deeply missed by his friends and colleagues.

In September, the UK-based MR and consulting group announced that Steeds would be stepping down from his duties and that Scott would be taking over his executive responsibilities.

A qualified chartered accountant, Steeds began his career in the marketing services industry with Addison Consultancy Group before becoming a Founding Director of Citigate Group. Here he played an integral part in the firm's development from a start-up in 1988, through to its takeover by Incepta, and its conversion into an international marketing and communications group employing more than 2,000 staff.

He relinquished the role of Group Finance Director there in 1999, when he took on responsibility for the Group's UK public relations, design, branding and research divisions. Steeds left Incepta in September 2001, and for the next two years, he was Non-Executive Chairman of marcoms group Media Square (which acquired Incepta in 2005), where he oversaw a major turnaround of the business. He joined Cello as an Executive Director in 2004.

Scott commented: 'Kevin was a founding inspiration behind the formation of Cello four years ago and its emergence as a successful group of professionals. We intend to honour his memory by ensuring Cello is a continued and enduring success.'

'Our thoughts are with Kevin's family at this very sad time', Scott added.

Steeds, aged 50, leaves behind a wife and three young children. A memorial service is planned for mid January for his friends, work colleagues and associates.

Cello - which owns various market research agencies, including Insight, Leapfrog, and TMI - is online at www.cellogroup.co.uk .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.