OUR TEAM

Our consultants have varied backgrounds in the worlds of business, media and regulation. Together we have the skills and experience to advise you on any issue, no matter how unusual, controversial or challenging it seems.

Tim Toulmin

Managing Director

Tim Toulmin

Managing Director

Tim has worked in the media for 20 years, and founded Alder (previously Alder Media) in 2010. Before that he was Director of the Press Complaints Commission. He has been involved in some of the highest-profile media stories in the last decade, has a wide network of contacts throughout the media and the law, and now personally represents a number of leading businesses, charities, schools and individuals.

He has an MA in History from Cambridge University and an MBA from Cranfield School of Management.

Sallie Ryle

Specialist Partner

Sallie Ryle

Specialist Partner, Strategic Communications

Sallie’s long career in communications includes working for ITV plc for thirty years in a variety of senior roles. She has successfully handled numerous crisis situations, advising many famous household names in British television, and now advises individuals and businesses from a variety of different sectors.

Anthony Longden

Specialist Partner

Anthony Longden

Specialist Partner for Crisis Communications

Anthony was a newspaper editor for 20 years until 2012, and has a total of 30 years’ experience as a journalist, editor and senior editorial executive in the regional press. He is a consultant to the Society of Editors, and is uniquely well placed to advise our clients on a wide range of public relations issues: how best to craft messages at times of crisis; how to build good relations with key editorial figures; how to minimise the risks of bad publicity; and how to draw up and implement robust PR plans.

Tayo Salami

Specialist Partner

Tayo Salami

Specialist Partner - Strategy and Research

Tayo specialises in organisational effectiveness and has extensive experience in strategic planning, change management, project implementation, operations management, research, internal audit and impact evaluation across services, retail and charity sectors.

With a keen interest in managing complex situations and commitment to ongoing improvement in organisations, Tayo has a visionary and clear thinking approach that quickly brings radical and creative insights to achieving organisational goals and managing the change process.

Tayo is a chartered Management Accountant and MBA graduate from Cranfield School of Management.

Alison Brace

Specialist Partner

Alison Brace

Specialist Partner for Proactive Education PR

Alison has more than 20 years’ experience covering all aspects of education for print and broadcast media. She has served as education correspondent for national and local newspapers, worked on the BBC’s first education consumer programme and was a feature writer and columnist on the Times Educational Supplement. With her extensive knowledge of schools, she is well placed to help clients build a positive profile.

Steve Double

Strategic Partner

Steve Double

Strategic Partner

Steve has extensive experience in both the corporate and consultancy worlds, having held senior communications positions at British Airways, Cable & Wireless and The Football Association as well as a decade spent at one of the world’s leading international consultancies. Equally at home advising businesses or individuals on reputational issues, he has provided high-level strategic counsel and communications services to major clients including Airbus, BAE Systems, Emirates, English Heritage, Panasonic, major law firms and high net worth individuals, including members of overseas Royal families, members of the House of Lords and senior MPs.

Carrie Birmigham

Specialist Partner

Carrie Birmingham

Specialist Partner for Crisis HR and cultural transformation

Carrie has held senior HR and management positions in a variety of sectors, and was most recently HR Director at News UK. She is our specialist partner in Crisis HR management, helping organisations put their people at the heart of their crisis response and helping them unearth cultural hotspots that lead to reputational damage.

Comfortable with challenging environments and handling crises, Carrie helps leaders develop so they can motivate others and engage with staff during difficult periods.

She has a Master’s degree in organisational and people development; is a qualified coach, facilitator & gestalt practitioner; and is CIPD registered and an NLP practitioner.

Alison Hastings

Specialist Partner

Alison Hastings

Specialist Partner for Training and Media Relations

Alison has unrivalled experience across a number of media sectors. A former newspaper editor, she was a member of the BBC Trust between 2006-2014 where – as Trustee for England – she helped manage some of the most significant issues the corporation has ever faced. She is currently Vice-President of the British Board of Film Classification, a member of the Gambling Commission and a Member of the Council at Durham University. She is also a renowned media trainer, and an expert in strategic issues management.

Durell Barnes

Specialist Partner

Durell Barnes

Specialist Education Partner

Durell advises on governance, compliance and issues management.. He works mostly with governing bodies especially in the areas of inspection readiness, effective governance and safeguarding. He is governor of both independent and maintained schools and has worked in both charity and for profit sectors of independent education. Previously as a school leader he specialised in curriculum development, appraisal, performance management, professional development and strategic planning.