Ex-Fine Gael TD is following in the footsteps of Enda Kenny, Leo Varadkar and Simon Coveney
A former Fine Gael TD who was later an independent, Mr Naughten served as minister for communications, climate action and environment from 2016 to 2018. He left politics before the last general election.
He joins a long line of former senior politicians, many from Fine Gael, who have become advisers to public-affairs and communications consultancies. They include two former Taoisigh – Enda Kenny is on the board of Heneghan PR, while Leo Varadkar is an adviser to the American firm Penta.
Simon Coveney, the former tánaiste, is a consultant to EY Ireland’s geopolitical strategy unit while earlier this year Frances Fitzgerald took a seat on the advisory board of Teneo.
Other former Fine Gael TDs who have taken such roles include Brendan Griffin, who is a public affairs adviser with Hanover Communications, and David Stanton, a consultant at Alice PR. Noel Rock recently stepped down as director of public affairs for Red Flag.
The consultancy, which is run by husband-and-wife Deirdre Grant and Karl Brophy, said Mr Naughten will advise its clients across a range of industries, including tech, energy and health and others. The senior adviser role, which is part-time, will be focused on companies based in Ireland and the EU.
“We are delighted to add Denis Naughten to our team of expert consultants,” said Red Flag managing director Deirdre Grant. “He brings a depth of knowledge and experience from his time in Leinster House, in Brussels and on the global stage which will be of huge value to our clients.
“The political and regulatory environment is ever changing and we are looking forward to having Denis on board to assist our clients navigate an increasingly volatile world.”
Founded in 2013, the Dublin headquartered Red Flag was sold earlier this year to Ankura Consulting Group, a New York-based global management consulting firm. While the financial terms of the transaction were never revealed, industry sources reckoned the deal was worth about €45m.
Mr Brophy, the CEO of Red Flag, said: “I’ve known Denis Naughten personally for many years, since before he first entered politics in the 1990s. He brings with him a wealth of experience and political savvy that will not only benefit our clients but the wider Ankura offering, which has more than 2,000 consultants working for 3,000 clients across 55 countries.”