Ex-Downing Street comms chief joins agency

Mace | 9th July 2026 | Moves

James Lyons, the former director of strategic communications at No. 10, has joined Penta Group.

James Lyons has joined Penta Group as senior partner in London, where he will lead work across public affairs, corporate reputation and special situations, the agency said. At Downing Street, Lyons shared the director of communications role with Steph Driver, with Lyons leading communications strategy and Driver overseeing delivery. Both departed last September as part of a communications reshuffle that saw Tim Allan, founder of Portland Communications, return to the top communications role at No. 10. Lyons said: “Governments move faster, regulators are more assertive, and the media landscape is more unpredictable than at any point in my career. What drew me to Penta is the ability to navigate those challenges for our clients, powered by an intelligence platform that can detect signals in real time.” Lyons began his career in journalism, serving as deputy political editor at both the Sunday Mirror and The Sunday Times. He moved into communications in 2017 as head of media and publ...

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