PR Newswire

May 10, 1985, Friday

LENGTH: 495 words

DATELINE: WASHINGTON, May 10

WASHINGTON, May 10 /PRN/--Rafael D. Pagan Jr., president ofthe Nestle Coordination Center for Nutrition in Washington, Fridayannounced the formation of Pagan International (Pi), a public affairsand issue management firm. Pi offers primary services in international public affairs,business intelligence, strategic and tactical evaluation, counsel andimplementation. Pagan International is formed around the nucleus of publicaffairs specialists who formulated the strategy that successfullyresolved the Nestle infant formula controversy. Nestle was boycotted by more than 700 churches and activist groupsworldwide in protest over its marketing of infant formula indeveloping countries. When the boycott was called off in October of 1984, Nestle wascalled a "model for the industry," by the activist leader whoinstituted the boycott. Pagan, also chief executive officer of Pi, explained that the newfirm is independent of Nestle. Nestle and other national andinternational clients have already turned to Pi for expertise andhelp in understanding the impact of social issues on their business. "The strong influence public and social issues today have oncommercial operations has created a need for companies to evaluatecarefully national and international policy issues affectingbusiness," Pagan said. The core of Pi services is an internationalbusiness socio-political database which began with the informationacquired throughout the 10-year Nestle controversy and subsequentlywas expanded to cover a range of developing issues. Pagan said thatthis system enables Pi to advise clients on national andinternational trends and movements that can adversely affectcorporations. This gives the companies an opportunity to enter intopublic discussions and help define the parameters of debate early on,rather than just react to agendas thrust upon them by activists andother groups. Pagan stated that "this unique team is experienced in themanagement of crisis and serious political problems faced bycorporations partly as a result of their experience in the Nestlecontroversy, and more recently through managing similar issues forother companies."

Joining Pagan in Pi will be: James Armstrong, former presidentof the National Council of Churches; John O. Mongoven, vice presidentof Nestle Coordination Center for Nutrition and former assistantsecretary of the U.S. Treasury; Arion N. Pattakos, a strategy,research, analysis and business intelligence/security specialist;Robert H. Resnick, a political, legislative and businesscorrespondent and presidential speech writer; and Norge W. Jerome,a pioneer in the development of Nutritional Anthropology, publichealth, and currently directory of the Division of Community Healthat the University of Kansas School of Medicine.

CONTACT -- Jack Mongoven of Pagan International, 202-822-8289