Remembering Fred Banning, Campaigner and Communications Professional

Key Highlights :

1. Fred Banning was a communications professional who was diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer shortly before lockdown. Despite being told his diagnosis was terminal, with a life expectancy of nine months without urgent medical intervention, he survived more than three years.

2. Fred was well-liked at Reading, where he was a keen footballer and amateur musician. He began his career at the communications agency Kysen, where he swiftly emerged as a highly promising public relations professional.

3. Fred moved in-house to join a London law firm, Lovells, now Hogan Lovells, where he made a positive impression at a formative time for the firm. He quickly established himself as a valued team member, including during the firm’s May 2010 merger with Hogan & Hartson, described by The Lawyer as the “transatlantic merger that set the standard for others to achieve”.

4. Fred met Lesley, his wife, when he was best man at his brother’s wedding in Strathpeffer. In his eulogy – written before his death, for he was ever one to want to shape a message – he spoke sincerely about his love for her, one of the main factors which drew him back to Scotland and Glasgow, which she called home.

5. Fred joined McGrigors as a communications manager, his work was inextricably linked with the firm’s development; he then helped steer that firm’s merger with Pinsent Masons in 2012 and its later expansion nationally and internationally, being promoted, first to head of PR, then later, director of communications.

6. Fred’s success as a communications professional was recognised with the award of an MBE in the 2012 Queen’s Birthday Honours.

     Fred Banning, campaigner and communications professional, died on 19 May 2023, aged 40, following a lengthy battle with illness. Born in Northumberland in 1982, the youngest of three boys, Fred was an ambitious and driven individual who seized the opportunities life gave him. He studied History at Reading University, obtaining a First and distinction, and began his career at the communications agency Kysen, where he quickly emerged as a highly promising public relations professional.

     Fred moved in-house to join a London law firm, Lovells, now Hogan Lovells, specialising in dispute resolution, one of the firm’s flagship business areas. He met Lesley, his wife, when he was best man at his brother’s wedding in Strathpeffer, and later moved to Glasgow with her and their two sons. Joining McGrigors as a communications manager, his work was inextricably linked with the firm’s development; he then helped steer that firm’s merger with Pinsent Masons in 2012 and its later expansion nationally and internationally, being promoted, first to head of PR, then later, director of communications.

     Banning and Pinsent Masons flourished together. Fred’s ability to refine the firm’s thinking, guide senior management and energise junior staff was exceptional. A statement from the firm said: “Fred played an integral role in developing Pinsent Masons’ communications function, pioneering the use of brand and reputation as a strategic driver of change, and reimagining our digital strategy culminating in a progressive new website. Successive leadership teams considered him a trusted adviser, and his expertise was regularly sought on matters far beyond reputation.”

     Despite being diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer shortly before lockdown, Fred was determined to make the most of his life. He used the time left to enjoy family moments in East Renfrewshire, and spearheaded a campaign to prioritise Covid vaccination for those undergoing palliative care to maximise their time with loved ones. His work garnered widespread media coverage and significant political lobbying, and afterwards, he founded Fifth Day, a charity that allows business services professionals working in the law to support pro bono and volunteering projects as quickly as lawyers currently do via their bodies.

     Fred’s passing was met with warm and generous tributes from many legal and business journalists across the UK. His eulogy, written before his death, spoke sincerely about his love for his wife, and his legacy flows from a life of service and was respected as such at his funeral, attended by his family and many friends, at Hurlet Crematorium on 5 June. Fred Banning is survived by his wife, Lesley, sons Ollie and Charlie, brothers Robin and Alex, and parents Helen and Jeff.

Continue Reading at Source : scotsman