Disgraced CEO whisperer Declan Kelly — who has pegged his return from exile on the horns of the GOAT — has a steep hill to climb to completely rehabilitate his picture after his spectacular downfall as boss of public relations large Teneo, individuals near the PR whiz advised The Publish.
The previous Clinton fixer and adviser to Fortune 500 titans resigned as Teneo’s CEO over sexual misconduct final yr.
He had gotten drunk at a VIP fund-raiser thrown by anti-poverty charity International Citizen in Los Angeles on Might 2, 2021, and, according to sources, inappropriately touched as many as six employees on the star-filled gala.
Kelly, 54, acknowledged the incident as an “inadvertent, public and embarrassing mistake” and added he “apologized to these instantly affected, in addition to [to] my colleagues and shoppers” however he nonetheless left the agency he based in 2011.
He returned to his native Eire for a number of months and hung out with household, a supply with data advised The Publish.
“He fled the nation, he was so embarrassed in regards to the Teneo ouster,” the supply added.

By July, he arrange his subsequent enterprise, The Consello Group, in keeping with public filings. He has since returned to the US and final month made a splash with the announcement that seven-time Tremendous Bowl winner Tom Brady, the NFL’s Best Of All Time, will be a part of his nascent consulting agency as a associate.
Bringing in Brady
Individuals who know Kelly say they aren’t shocked he would goal somebody with main star energy like Brady to guide his comeback, given Kelly’s playbook is to recruit eye-popping names to his agency.
In accordance with a supply, Kelly emphasised his new enterprise would deal with crypto — one among Brady’s predominant pursuits. Brady and supermodel spouse Gisele Bündchen personal a stake in crypto buying and selling behemoth FTX; Brady additionally began NFT platform Autograph.
“Kelly is the most effective at determining what individuals need to hear and exploiting it. He can lure anybody in,” a supply who used to work with Kelly advised The Publish.
A spokesperson for Brady declined remark.

Embittered ex-employees
Regardless of the addition of Brady, Kelly’s former staff warn his habits when he first began Teneo could come again to hang-out him.
“Within the early days of Teneo, he inspired sure staff to name him daddy,” one former staffer advised The Publish.
“He guidelines by concern,” one other former worker stated. This supply provides Kelly advised drivers to not communicate to him.
Kelly would additionally try to venture a persona of somebody who had pulled himself up from his personal bootstraps — and relied on anecdotes he believed staff would discover compelling, sources stated.
“In any respect workers shows, he would use a black-and-white inventory pictures of a pair in entrance of a burned down home and say they have been an image of his dad and mom,” a supply stated.
One other supply famous he would speak about his impoverished dad and mom and share odd particulars — he claimed his dad and mom used an outhouse and that his father couldn’t learn till he was 40.
“I spoke with individuals who knew Declan in Eire they usually all knew him to be solidly center class,” one other supply provides. “However Declan didn’t let reality get in the best way.”
Kelly refused requests for remark from The Publish.

Cash Strikes
Kelly, who had deep political ties and was capable of nab Invoice Clinton and former Prime Minister Tony Blair for his Teneo board, beforehand peddled entry to necessary political figures as a part of the rationale he might cost prime greenback for his providers. He was even appointed Particular Financial Envoy to Northern Eire by Hillary Clinton in 2009.
The rationale he’s having to deliver on athletes, the previous staff added, is as a result of he’s alienated lots of his longtime political allies.
“He pissed the Clintons off,” a former Kelly confidante stated. “They felt used and haven’t spoken in years.”
Neither Invoice nor Hillary Clinton responded to a request for remark.
His connections allowed him to cost extraordinary charges within the business.
Dow Chemical doled out thousands and thousands, together with a multi-million success payment one yr when firm CEO Andrew Liveris acquired three entrance web page covers within the Wall Avenue Journal.
“One yr, Declan put Andrew with Obama 13 instances on stage… that’s the way you get these large charges,” a supply stated.
One PR business skilled advised The Publish: “Purchasers paid for pixie mud. I can see how Dow would worth Invoice Clinton getting [Liveris] a gathering however Tom Brady can’t try this,”
What’s stunning business insiders — maybe much more than a celebrity quarterback approaching board — is that Kelly hasn’t been sued by personal fairness agency CVC that purchased his stake when he was dumped by Teneo.
When he left, Kelly signed a non-compete clause that prohibited him from opening a agency too just like Teneo, sources advised The Publish.
Some sources word Kelly is cozy with CVC administration. These sources recommend Kelly should have a stake in Teneo and will nonetheless be shifting puppet strings behind the scenes.
“He was very strategic about constructing relationships with CEOs and people CEOs will solely work with him and never Teneo,” a supply stated.

CVC is privately owned and doesn’t disclose financials and wouldn’t touch upon whether or not Kelly nonetheless retains a stake in Teneo. Folks near CVC advised The Publish that Teneo’s valuation was roughly $700 million.
Whereas it’s unclear simply why CVC has thus far chosen to not pursue authorized motion in opposition to Kelly’s new agency, some sources advised The Publish it could possibly be a sign CVC and Kelly need to be a part of forces down the road.
CVC declined to remark.
Kelly has additionally added a few of his prime shoppers at Teneo to bolster the Consello crew. Steve Mollenkopf, former chief government officer at Qualcomm — an organization that labored extensively with Teneo — is a associate on the agency, in keeping with the corporate’s web site.
Kelly Kramer, former chief monetary officer at Cisco — one other longtime Kelly consumer — is a senior advisor.
His outdated agency nonetheless maintains a powerhouse roster, together with Common Electrical and Coca Cola, however the firm is struggling after Kelly’s departure given most prime canines had a relationship with him and never the agency, sources add.
Some individuals near the corporate even speculate the consulting agency could not be capable to survive for much longer. Ursula Burns — the longtime Xerox CEO who took the helm after Kelly left — is “checked out,” insiders say, and extra centered on an upcoming transfer than bringing in additional shoppers.
“She did a city corridor assembly with workers who’re involved about departures of shoppers and fellow staff,” a supply advised The Publish. “As an alternative of addressing the problems at hand she talked about her transfer to Florida and incapability to get furnishings attributable to provide chain,” one supply griped.
A supply conversant in Teneo’s inside workings rejected these claims.
“Ursula doesn’t do something lower than 100%. She’s been very lively working with Teneo shoppers and staff.”