Cato & Clive, Australian corporate communications firm, has announced its strategic shutdown after eight years of teaming up with a high-profile roster of clients. This week clients were informed of the shutdown due to a major career move by name partner Clive Mathieson.
The decision comes amid a shift in priorities from founding partner Sue Cato. Cato, who established the communications firm in 2018, named Cato & Clegg in its early days, has aimed to scale back her workload but will continue to offer her advisory services.
Both partners, Cato and Mathieson, acknowledged that this provided a much needed opportunity to step back and reassess after decades of an all-consuming workload.
Sue Cato, founding partner, has over three decades of experience advising organisations on major transactions and corporate affairs. She began her career in politics and co-founded a corporate affairs firm which was sold to multinational interests. Cato has represented a slew of high-profile clients, including hospitality group Merivale, and worked extensively with major media company, Fairfax Media. Cato founded the communications advisory firm initially as Cato Counsel in 2003, which evolved into Cato & Clive in late 2019.
Clive Mathieson has worked at the highest levels of government and media, bringing insight into communications and strategy. Formerly Mathieson was a senior business journalist in the UK and Australia, having spent a decade at The Australia as both business editor and then editor before his shift into politics.
In a letter to their clients the communications duo wrote “Clive has received a life-changing work offer. This created the perfect moment to stop and assess, and Cato has decided that she will rebalance and restructure her portfolio of interests.”
Although Mathieson’s next role is confidential at present, he added “our focus through to the end of February is to find the best possible landings for our people and our clients.”
