The total remuneration package of Lord Bell, the head of PR and marketing services group Chime Communications, defied the economic downturn last year, increasing by nearly 20% to more than £1m.

Bell, who was Margaret Thatcher's PR guru and media strategist while she was prime minister, took home £1.15m last year, according to the company's annual report.

His total remuneration package, which includes basic salary, benefits, bonuses and pension contributions, increased by just under a fifth from £966,952 in 2007.

Piers Pottinger, the co-founder with Bell of PR firm Bell Potinger, now part of Chime, saw a small pay increase from £569,906 in 2007 to £611,642 last year.

Chris Satterthwaite, the chief executive of Chime, saw the biggest leap in total remuneration among the firm's executive directors, with a 33% year-on-year boost in his pay packet. Satterthwaite's total pay rose from £518,519 in 2007 to £691,017 for 2008.

Last month Chime posted an 18.7% year-on-year increase in pre-tax profits for 2008 to £16.3m.

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