My role focuses on AXA’s commercial operations and interacts closely with the public affairs team. I’m one of a team of four media relations professionals based in our busy London office.

My role focused on AXA Health’s digital transformation and an exciting array of projects including the AXA Health Plan, launched in May 2023.

This was a newly-created role to take the College into its 20th anniversary year in 2021. I was responsible for internal and external communications, building on the membership base and raising the profile of the College in the media.

I led a team of four press officers across two sites with responsibility for all PR and social media activity. MSV runs five of the UK’s top race circuits and hosts national and international motorsport at the highest level. I wrote web copy, programme features and press releases, liaised with international media, hosted celebrity visits, advised the management team on crisis communications and devised PR campaigns. Key achievements:• Completely restructured a demoralised PR department and introduced tools such as Vuelio and Sprout Social which streamlined processes and dramatically improved media interaction• Built relationships with TV, radio and print journalists that significantly increased media coverage, including regular TV slots, and raised the company’s profile• Changed the management and senior colleagues’ perception of PR and encouraged more use of social media as an effective marketing and PR tool

I managed the press office at the Freight Transport Association, one of the UK’s biggest trade organisations, writing press releases and magazine features, monitoring the daily news for media opportunities, training senior staff for media interviews, managing relationships with journalists and key influencers and running all social media accounts.Key achievements:• Significantly increased FTA’s social media presence and achieved top 10 Twitter trending for a major event• Created a successful internal communications strategy that won praise from senior management• Devised a quirky Twitter campaign during the London mayoral elections that was highlighted by a leading publication• Filmed video in Calais during the migrant crisis that was shown on news bulletins across the world

I was head-hunted for this role after working with Jermain when he was ambassador of a children’s charity. He wanted to launch his own charity and improve his media image, and I was selected because of my experience and contacts. I managed the charity, ran all social media accounts and answered all correspondence.Key achievements:• Launched Jermain’s charity and focused media attention on his charity work – just three years later he was awarded an OBE for The Jermain Defoe Foundation • Coordinated an episode ITV’s ‘Sports Life Stories’, with filming in the UK and St Lucia, which further highlighted his charity work• Organised a successful fund-raising dinner for the charity in London, attracting high-profile celebrity guests and raising thousands of pounds

This role for a newly-created child safety charity involved high-level liaison with MPs and government departments, looking after celebrity ambassadors, managing an office of five staff and all media and PR activities. Key achievements: • Engaged Jermain Defoe as an ambassador for the charity, immediately raising its profile• Enlisted the support of senior members of the police and fire service, who supported and funded use of the charity’s child safety programmes in their local schools• Organised large-scale events such as gala dinners and press launches, which attracted much media attention

I set up my own agency to supply news stories to local papers and radio/TV stations. I also worked as a freelance business PR consultant for a variety of companies ranging from a legal firm to a national waste management company. I was successful in raising the profile of the businesses through good local media contacts and a keen eye for a story.

I worked as a reporter and news producer, reading news bulletins and reporting across the county. This role involved on-the-spot decision making in a fast-paced environment. Technical ability was also important as journalists edited their own tapes and had to ‘drive’ the desk during news bulletins. I covered a variety of stories ranging from a hotel fire and murdered teenager to council planning rows and light-hearted news. My role as producer involved planning features, writing scripts for presenters and ‘prepping’ guests.

I was employed as a research assistant to the council, preparing background briefings for meetings, writing press releases and liaising with the media. The post was abolished following the May 1992 election and I was made redundant.

I completed my journalism training here after my college course, becoming the newspaper’s first chief reporter for a decade and leading a team of 10 in a hectic newsroom. This was a busy bi-weekly paper covering the whole of the Medway towns. I reported on everything from court stories and inquests to school events and light-hearted news.