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Former Aston Martin Formula 1 communications chief Matt Bishop is launching a new agency named Diagonal Communications.
Bishop is managing director of the new communications, content, PR and strategy firm, which is backed by London-based sports and esports acquisition, development and project management company Kimura Performance.
Originally a journalist and editor, Bishop first moved into communications with the McLaren F1 team in the late 2000s.
He was the communications director of W Series when it launched, before returning to F1 for a lead communications role at Aston Martin. He was also a founding ambassador of motorsport LGBTQ+ group Racing Pride, winner of Most Inspiring Campaign at The Race Media Awards last year.
Bishop will be be joined by Joe Downes, former communications manager at W Series, as business director.
The hugely experienced Ann Bradshaw – whose CV includes leading William F1’s communications through its greatest seasons as while as a long stint with BMW and running the British Grand Prix’s media office – is a motorsport consultant for Diagonal, with Tim Holmes in the same role on the automotive side.
“Having worked in Formula 1 and other motorsport media, comms, PR, content and strategy roles since well before the current Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen was born, I have long harboured an ambition to form a communications/content/PR/strategy agency,” said Bishop.
“Now, with the active support of Kimura Performance and the tremendous assistance of Joe Downes, Ann Bradshaw and Tim Holmes, together we have been able to do just that.
“Diagonal Communications will supply its clients with strategic communications; brand building services; reputation management; media coverage generation; crisis communications advice; content creation; activation planning; digital and social media management; media monitoring; media training; copywriting; speech writing; thought leadership counsel; and diversity, equity and inclusion counsel and leadership.
“Founded on its principals’ unrivalled experience in general sport, motorsport and automotive, Diagonal Communications will provide strategic, sophisticated, authentic, effective, media-savvy, no-nonsense comms based on peerless knowledge and a passionate commitment to understand, and deliver against, our clients’ challenges and objectives.”
