I have worked in PR, communications and marketing in one shape or form for 35 years. With experience in pretty much every discipline, from branding to media relations, digital marketing and internal comms, I describe myself as a generalist.
This can be particularly helpful for small businesses; large businesses can afford to hire people with specialist skills, while smaller ones need people that offer a broader spectrum of experience.
My career to date enables me to take a helicopter view of a company’s needs. I’m good at spotting where things can be improved, but savvy enough to respect when change needs to be pitched and paced with sensitivity.
I’m sector agnostic and experienced in getting up to speed quickly with new subject matter — whatever the industry. Time spent in the big pharma and charity sectors gave me valuable insight into employee engagement during times of crisis or rapid change, but I have also worked extensively with small businesses – B2B, healthcare, software, recruitment and more.
My career spans agency, in-house, and interim roles, working with businesses at every stage, from startups to global corporates and charities. Having worked in and with multi-disciplinary leadership teams, I can see risk and opportunity from all angles.
I’ve adapted to all sorts of environments and learnt a lot along the way. While I can turn my hand to many briefs, I particularly enjoy working with founders and leadership teams who have identified the opportunity for comms and marketing to accelerate growth but lack the capacity to make it happen. I also relish the opportunity to work with very small businesses who struggle to make time for comms and marketing and need pragmatic advice on what to prioritise and when.
How I work
People who’ve worked with me say I am organised, empathetic, open and fun.
I work best in a collegiate environment where feedback flows openly in both directions. I welcome accountability and a shared purpose is important to me, but so is a degree of autonomy. I earn the right to this by delivering what I promise and building strong relationships.
I see every client brief as a collaboration. I become part of the team – a thinking partner. Clients often tell me they feel supported, understood, and energized by our work together.
Practical aspects
I spend a lot of time on Teams, Zoom or WhatsApp, but, as a people person at heart, I opt for face time over a call, when possible. I am based in London and happy to travel anywhere outside London if you are willing to cover my expenses.
When the weather allows, I am a big fan of a ‘walk and talk’ – it’s amazing how helpful it can be to escape the screen and have a free-range chat. Walking side-by-side in the fresh air helps the conversation flow – great for ideas, problem solving and getting to know people better.