Charles joined Merlin as a Director in 2010. He was previously Deputy Chairman of Bell Pottinger Corporate & Financial, part of the Chime Communications PLC group of companies, since its acquisition in 2005 of Grandfield Ltd. Charles had led the buyout of Grandfield from Saatchi & Saatchi in 1993.

After an initial career as an award-winning business journalist, Charles spent ten years in the international oil industry, principally with BP plc, the global oil major, where he was Head of Corporate Media Relations. He moved into financial and corporate public relations in 1989 when he became a Director of GRC Financial, then a subsidiary of Saatchi & Saatchi. Subsequently, he and his partners bought the firm and renamed it Grandfield. Charles is a graduate of both London University and INSEAD.