Managing Transport for London’s (TfL) communications must be one of the toughest assignments in the business. It certainly forms an essential part of what TfL does on a day to day level and, as an organisation, TfL can’t really manage without it.

So when Transport Commissioner Bob Kiley lost his Managing Director of Communications in summer 2004, he had a problem. Which is where LCA came in. LCA director Luke Blair had worked closely with Bob on London’s congestion charging scheme and so it was perhaps not surprising that Luke took the call.

Luke was drafted in initially to handle the departure of the outgoing MD, but it soon became clear that there was a bigger job to be done, and Luke eventually ended up seconded into the organisation for three days a week.

As interim MD, his job was to lead TfL’s 50-strong media relations and public affairs teams through a busy and challenging period, involving major structural change, re-focusing of priorities and the departure of three of the department’s most senior personnel.

Luke was also one of TfL’s seven Chief Officers, so attended Board meetings to represent communications, developed a close working relationship with TfL’s ‘inner cabinet’ of officials and managed the significant budget which TfL spends on media and public affairs each year.

The teams led by Luke also helped launch the groundbreaking issue of public bonds by TfL – the first time a major local authority organisation has ever used the capital markets to raise finance in this way. The £10 billion expected to be raised over the next five years promises to provide the biggest investment in public transport in London for decades – and was heralded as such by one of TfL’s sternest critics, the Evening Standard.

Luke’s secondment ended in February 2005 though he and members of the LCA team continue to work for TfL on a variety of other projects.