Jan 2017 – Apr 2021 · 4 yrs 3 mos · London, United Kingdom

• I started as Head of Media Relations in Jan 2017 before being promoted in Sept 2019 to Director. Principal lead on all external communications (proactive and reactive) activity. Day-to-day responsibility for handling contact with senior stakeholders from media, Westminster, academia and trade bodies.
• Chiefly responsible for managing the press office, social media channels and content planning.
• I attended and managed conference and events activities as well writing award entries. I worked closely with the marketing and brand managers. Supported the investor development team with their outputs in reaching investors.

Jul 2016 – Oct 2016 · 3 mos · London, United Kingdom

• Providing PR and marketing consultancy at the Google Campus to start-up tech projects including retail portal NearSt, business networking app turnleft and online exchange for students and recruiters called Magent.Me

May 2016 – Jul 2016 · 2 mos · London, United Kingdom

• Sitting in the Financial and Professsional team, delivered and executed international external communications plan for re-brand of confectionery and biscuits business Pladis, who own Godiva, United Biscuits and DeMets Candy amongst others.

Jul 2015 – Apr 2016 · 9 mos · London, Canary Wharf

• January 2016 - April 2016. Senior Media Relations Strategist across Ogilvy PR practices. Providing counsel to spread of practitioners and clients from consumer, technology and corporate teams.
• July 2015 - December 2015. Account Director in the Corporate practice based in Canary Wharf offices.

Mar 2015 – Jul 2015 · 4 mos · London, United Kingdom

• Freelance consultant working across financial services and corporate clients in the UK and globally.

Oct 2014 – Jan 2015 · 3 mos · London, United Kingdom

• Contract role: Managing attending government (Ministers, Ambassadors, Consul Generals) and media personnel from over 30 countries for 3-day WHUC conference (www.whuc.org) in December. Arranging and overseeing press conferences in Westminster Palace throughout December.

May 2014 – Sep 2014 · 4 mos · London Area, United Kingdom

• Contract role: Responsible for key PR campaigns supporting events, product launches and key thought leadership outputs.
• Responsible for working with the Director of New Markets to help set up PR support in new markets and liaison with strategic partners to aid new relationships.
• Manage regular PR calls with all global PR agencies/consultants and in-house communications experts to ensure consistency and alignment in strategy.

Oct 2013 – May 2014 · 7 mos · London, United Kingdom

• Contract role: clients include Friends Life and British Standards Institution amongst other projects.

Apr 2013 – Jun 2013 · 2 mos · London, United Kingdom

• Contract role in the External Affairs team. I was chiefly responsible for managing a busy press office involving: high-level media relations handling, ensuring delivery of accurate messaging and positioning of the CIPD, member enquiries, briefing research experts on media engagements, writing press releases and comment, proofing and editing articles, co-ordinating with conference/events teams, PR planning for surveys and report and managing ISDN line.

Feb 2012 – Apr 2013 · 1 yr 2 mos · London, United Kingdom

• Contract role: I was tasked with raising the media profile of this advisory and principal finance platform for investing in infrastructure in emerging markets. In addition to creating media meetings, I advised on and created presentation collateral and supported their investor meetings and roundtable events. I also managed their marketing collaterals copy and provided media training for spokespeople in India.
• I managed the global media activity behind the largest private equity transaction in the Indian power - USD 425 Million into Asian Genco from a consortium of global investors led by Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners and including General Atlantic LLC, Goldman Sachs Investment Management, Norwest Venture Partners, Everstone Capital and others.

Sep 2010 – Feb 2012 · 1 yr 5 mos · London, United Kingdom

• Provided lead PR and Marketing support to this independent research consultancy that provide technical analysis services for hedge fund managers and global asset managers – from Texas to Tokyo. This involved a range of responsibilities including maintaining the website copy, writing award-entries and creating marketing collateral. I was also responsible for the database (and outreach) to making new business introductions.
• I generated media attention (proactive PR) by reviewing and identifying media talking points from the MTS Global Markets Review – covering Commodities, Currencies, Bonds, Europe and Pacific / Emerging Markets.

Mar 2008 – Sep 2010 · 2 yrs 6 mos

• I represented a broad spectrum of clients undertaking a variety of roles ranging from (working both individually and in teams) at different levels developing and executing global / corporate strategic communications plans to counselling on media relations.
• My principal role in the financial services practice was lead media relations specialist. I was the lead day-to-day contact on most of my clients advising on corporate brand profile raising objectives to focussing specifically on business plans-led / product-focussed communications programmes.
• Given the global nature of Weber Shandwick, a lot of my work involved cross border campaigns so I regularly work alongside teams in our New York, Dubai, Johannesburg, Bahrain and Singapore offices specifically. Some clients also require cross-practice (Public Affairs / Consumer / Tech) support and so I liaised with key internal stakeholders as well.
• My client liaison involved working closely with Government officials and C-level executives to marketing managers and in-house PRs.
• I counselled clients in sectors including: banking (HSBC), private equity (Kingdom Zephyr – African PE firm), real estate (Limitless, part of Dubai World), wealth management (Barclays Wealth and JM Finn – private client investment managers), personal finance (Foresters Friendly– Mutual society and BuillionVault - online Gold exchange), offshore centres (Bahrain Economic Development Board, Isle of Man), law firms (Magisters – CEE-based firm).
• I took several training courses, both by internal and external, experts to develop my skills in: time management, people skills, client management and strategic planning. I developed a strong interest in Islamic finance with a good working knowledge of the sector.

Feb 2007 – Feb 2008 · 1 yr · London, United Kingdom

• Senior media relations responsibility with Institutional, HNW/Wealth Management and Business Finance media across national, regional and trade press as well as online and broadcast outlets. Clients included:
• JPMorgan Private Bank – Identifying and placing spokespeople in top tier media whilst raising visibility in the FT; in supplements such as Wealth Quarterly and Private Banking. Addressing subject matter focussing on: alternative investments, philanthropy, family offices and next-generation education.
• Fidelity International – Principal responsibility for executing Institutional PR plan; with specific focus on pensions and investment management press. Successfully campaigned and positioned Fidelity as the lead commentators on rescuing defined-benefit schemes.
• GE Commercial Finance – My responsibilities involved talking to regional directors and advising on PR-strategies on deals involving MBO’s, MBI’s, securitisation and re-finance.
• Duet Asset Management – Successfully executed the media launch of the Duet Victoire Africa Index Fund.
• Achievements: Developed strong networking and interpersonal skills in liaising between clients and the media and influencing press agendas. Arranged for Simon Targett (FT Associate Editor) to visit Lansons to provide an insight into how to target FT supplements. Developed project management approach to working on thought leadership initiatives, fund and product launches. This involved designing media plans to executing and evaluating targets. Proficient use of: Gorkana, Media Disk, Lexis Nexis and Media Plan.

Nov 2004 – Feb 2007 · 2 yrs 3 mos · London, United Kingdom

• This was my first PR role in a small B2B agency. I joined as an account executive learning my trade and progressed to account manager before I joined Lansons Communications.
• Towards the end of my time here, I was the chief day-to-day contact for my clients with notable responsibility for managing a team of freelancers for the clients’ European press agenda.
• My clients here included: Siemens Financial Services, KDB (Data Analysts for Wealth Managers), Pitney Bowes, Demica (Financial Technology), CDMS (Data Analysts).
• I led the research phase for qualitative and quantitative industry studies through a variety of research techniques focusing on topics such as: UK Wealth Analysis, UK & EU Banks profitability, UK Defection Rates in the UK Financial services sector and US/UK Trade Receivables Securitisation.
• Achievements: Gained knowledge of how journalists operate across a broad spectrum of the media. Developed a strong network of business, city and personal finance journalists.
• Proficient use of: FeaturesExec, Lexis Nexis, Magenta News, Lotus Notes, Microsoft Office (Outlook, Excel, Powerpoint and Word), Eudora Email Client and GoldMine database.

Mar 2003 – Oct 2004 · 1 yr 7 mos · London, United Kingdom

• DeHavilland Public Affairs (now an Emap company) provide parliamentary information for corporate clients, campaign groups and lobbyists.
• My role involved preparing briefing documents for clients in various industry and interest sectors. I also worked on ad-hoc projects for clients involving political party conferences.
• Achievements: Knowledge of parliamentary procedure; Built a network of people in the industry and developed writing skills.