Positive Change Group appoints former PwC partner Coolin Desai as Senior Board Adviser

Building on a longstanding relationship that helped shape the Group’s vision

Positive Change Group has appointed former PwC partner Coolin Desai as a Senior Board Adviser as it looks to grow its connected stakeholder engagement offer to more clients and markets.

Desai will work with the Board and Group CEO Helen Bennett on the Group’s growth strategy, advising on international expansion and opportunities to add capabilities through acquisitions, partnerships or strategic hires.

David Christopherson, Group Executive Chairman of Positive Change Group, said: “Coolin worked with us through PwC as we developed our plans for Positive Change Group, so he knows the business and the vision behind it. We want to build a leading international stakeholder advisory and engagement business, and I’m looking forward to working with him and drawing on his experience as we pursue that goal.”

Desai spent 30 years at PwC, including 18 years as a partner leading strategic and M&A advisory work for clients in the Business and Professional Services sector. He also served on the executive leadership team of its Lead Advisory business.

Helen Bennett, Group CEO of Positive Change Group, said: “Our clients’ challenges increasingly cut across employees, investors, customers and wider society. They need advice and communications that connect those perspectives, and we have a strong foundation of specialist expertise and trusted relationships to build on. 

Our ambition is to bring more of that expertise together and invest in capabilities that allow us to address a broader range of client needs. Coolin will help us focus our growth plans and identify where investment and acquisitions can make the greatest difference.”

Desai’s appointment follows key hires across the Group this year, including Bennett’s arrival as Group CEO in June and the recent appointment of Leighton Barnish as Director of Stakeholder Advisory, expanding the Group’s expertise in strategic communications, reputation and sustainability.

Coolin Desai said: “What attracts me to Positive Change Group is the strength of its businesses and the relationships they have with their clients around the world. Having worked with the Group for several years, I’ve seen the quality of its work and the people behind it first-hand. I believe there’s considerable potential in what those businesses can achieve together, and I’m looking forward to working with David, Helen and the Board on the next stage of the Group’s growth.”

About Positive Change Group

Positive Change Group is a global stakeholder engagement business comprising Black Sun Global, People Made and Stratton Craig. Our specialist agencies work as one, bringing together reporting, culture, communications and sustainability through a connected model that helps organisations understand different stakeholder needs, bring people with them and build confidence in their direction.

Headquartered in London, with an international network across Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and South Africa, Positive Change Group supports over 100 multinational organisations at C-suite and board level.