Providing marketing and communications planning services across the media spectrum, on-line and off line, producing both strategic and tactical routes to market, along with the creative public expositions of these strategies. Clients fall across many sectors, including Financial Services, Insurance, Recruitment, Automotive, IT, The Arts, Nutritional Health and many more.

Applying my marketing communications planning and campaign management skills to the world of publishing, by introducing an agency infrastructure to this in-house resource: From a fledgling client/account servicing department to the operational, administrative and creative development functions required of an efficient and effective marcomms organisation. In addition, through the team I led on the Jaguar Cars account, I heightened the messages that needed to be communicated and refocused material on the appealing values of the brand:

• Implemented systems of ‘best practice’ to further the needs of this new division, including development of a positioning/communications strategy for future growth
• Created HCM Intelligence - an in-house knowledge bank - as a credible resource and ultimately a strong brand, recognising that all divisions of the Group can benefit from consolidating information and in deploying that knowledge to best effect
• Met strategic and tactical needs of blue chip clients, while cognisant of the greater objectives of their respective businesses
• Managed a team to provide the creative requirements and account handling services demanded by such clients, principal amongst which was Jaguar Cars
• Heightened Jaguar brand values, principally through CRM, by total ‘brand immersion’ in the planning and direction of primary brand communications for Jaguar, as well as those of individual name plates

6 month contract undertaking a strategic review of the Royal Albert Hall brand, thoroughly immersing myself in its business, its communications, the market and context within which it operates:

• I conducted an exploration of current and potential constituents, via qualitative research 'internally' and the supervising of group discussions in an 'external' study, having prepared the brief and offered it up for tender to the most appropriate agency
• Performed one-to-one discussions with a wide spectrum of people from Chief Executive and Council Members, to Front of House personnel and all levels in between, some 26 discussions in total
• I developed a communications strategy for the Brand, highlighting issues and suggesting solutions that would provide a public exposition of strategy, analysing likely impact on Royal Albert Hall 'business'

Managed Agency business, latterly Fidelity Investments (pan-European) and previously, The Woolwich, reporting to Senior Board Directors on day to day running of accounts, providing an on-going contribution to the strategic planning process.
Swedish Match also added to this wealth of experience:
• I took virtually unknown brands into Russia, China, Taiwan
• Entered into full immersion programmes into the culture and environment of the brand experience, prior to constructing a communications platform
• These visits to markets involved significant qualitative research and cultural interrogation of consumers, to ascertain how brands might be positioned
• After initiating and developing required stages of NPD, (taste tests, pack design), communication checks and total offer tests, creative brief developed and campaign created, a product launch followed.

Accounts: Fidelity Investments; The Woolwich – Bank; Swedish Match – Tobacco house; MFI – Market leading UK furniture retailer; Tefal – Electrical appliance manufacturer; General Accident – Iinsurer

In 1994 I was offered the opportunity to take my communications experience into the new, but related field of Business Television Production, communicating with clients’ employees and business partners, giving the optimum environment for vital messages to be heard and acted upon by key protagonists in business distribution chains. Responsibilities included....

• Client liaison
• Programme themes and structure
• Briefing scriptwriters
• Editing
• Full production co-ordination through to final broadcast

Invaluable experience was gained at Visage, dealing with senior level Clients (Managing Director and above). It also provided an appreciation of the full range of issues affecting their business and those affecting the TV production process.

Accounts: Prudential; PIA; Scottish Amicable; Scottish Equitable; Renault; BMW.

Building on financial services communications experience....
• Working on key Agency business
• Reporting to Board Directors on day to day account progress
• Contributing to strategic communications planning, including NPD

Accounts: Commercial Union; Clerical Medical; Swiss Life; Britannia B. Soc. (NPD).

Joined AAP Ketchum after college. Working closely with the Client Services Director, quickly becoming responsible for specific accounts and involved in new business development.

Following acquisition of AAP Ketchum by Grey, I continued to work with AAP Ketchum clients and took on additional assignments. During this time my efforts were rewarded, I was promoted to Account Supervisor.

Accounts: Swan National Car Rentals; Clerical Medical; National Dairy Council (Fresh Cream); BWIA; Hertz (Europe); Mars Petfoods; Rothmans