BBB is essentially a content creation event agency that is engaged in everything from running small, high level strategy days to large industry events. We also help organisations get clarity on their point of view and point of difference - developing content (events, reports, white papers, books) which amplifies that.Over the past 21 years, BBB has run events for Associated Newspapers, Barclays, Cadbury Schweppes, Capital Radio Group, Centaur Media, Evening Standard, GCap Media, Hedge Fund Research, The Home Office, InterContinental Hotels, Post Office, Vodafone, WARC and Williams F1.As importantly, BBB has worked on thought leadership projects where the content builds clients propositions or points of view - MRS and Kantar - the Intelligence Capital Report, Kantar - What women want, MSQ Partners - Connecting the Disconnected, RocketRoute, Been there Done that, Spencer Stuart, Strategic Partnering - The Enduring Strategic Brand.Event creation projects include - Kantar - CMO Benchmarking Network), PWC – The Biopharmaceutical Conference in Europe, IPA - EffWeek, IAA - Global Brand Think Tank, Haymarket - BrandMax, Quantum Business Media - Media 360 Conference, Vantage Conferences - mobilemarketing conference & awards, Market Research Society - Impact Week Open House Series.

When the first lockdown came and the rule that there were to be no physical business events, I wondered what I might do instead. With time to spend understanding markets and categories better, I took the opportunity to start a portfolio of new investments. This in turn led me into angel investing with SAIC - a southern based private investor club and I have been an active member involved with selection panels and follow-up groups looking at opportunities. It's been fascinating - using my entrepeneurial know how but also learning from others with experiences that I didn't have. In September 2022, I became a Director of SAIC Limited having joined the leadership team earlier in the year. Here are some businesses that I've invested in:

Star is a global consulting firm which practices Endgame Thinking - a methodology that the Founders have refined over 15 years with a track record of creating commercial success and transformative products and solutions for more than 900 enterprises and startups. Its holistic approach has enabled leaders within healthtech, fintech, adtech and the automotive & mobility sectors to transform their ambitions into actionable plans with tangible results. It is predicated on the integration of strategic foresight with effective implementation, encouraging leaders to think beyond immediate challenges to foresee and plan for future scenarios.My career has been focused on getting under the bonnet of what makes some businesses more successful than others. Over three decades, I have curated events for c-suite executives showcasing the best-in-class strategies of those over-performing or challenging in a range of sectors. It was therefore a pleasure to work with the leadership team as they reviewed and updated their communications and content creation plans.

When I attended a stained glass course at West Dean College in the Spring of 2021, I had no idea that it would become such a passion. Further, I certainly didn't imagine that I would quickly become so concerned about the decline of the Craft that I would become a Council Member for the leading Society representing the few accredited artists still operating at a professional level!My aim was to use my thought leadership and marketing experience to kick start a renaissance in the commissioning of stained glass with homeowners aswell as architects and professional specifiers. In May 2023, following a submission on the decline of the craft, Heritage Crafts awarded endangered status to traditional stained glass window making in the UK. In February 2024, I followed this by creating a Symposium with HC to bring together the key stakeholders within the sector to agree a three year plan for change.

I was delighted to be part of the team as WACL looked to celebrate our 100th anniversary. Having been a member since 1996, I'm proud of what the Club has achieved but even more interested in the role that it can play now in supporting young women and achieving gender equality.The focus of the committee that I served on was the 50% CEO campaign - looking at gender parity across business. Thank you to all of the companies that contributed to the Handbook that we published.

2018 was a special year for women in the UK, as it marked the centenary of the 1918 Suffrage, when (some) women were granted the vote for the first time. Arguably, it was the beginning of a new era, when women were treated as individuals (rather than represented by their fathers or husbands), able to think for themselves. Brands started to see women as consumers in their own right. In that year, we therefore celebrated the brands who had tried to portray women in a positive manner with a special exhibition - https://www.whatwomenwant.uk.com/.In 2019 for phase 2 of the movement, we were delighted to be joined in our efforts by an amazing group of individuals who make up our steerco - https://www.whatwomenwant.uk.com/steering-commitee/. With their help, we put a spotlight on what good looks like in brand communications today on numerous platforms and started an industry conversation about what organisational changes are required to achieve progressive gender portrayal going forward.In 2020, we collated a library of best-in-class case studies showing that change makes great business sense too - with brands seeing significant ROI on their focus. In 2021, Kantar are supporting the newly formed UK Chapter of the UN unsterotyping Alliance to amplify messages around progressive marketing.

My Special Advisor role at Kantar developed over 8 years to include responsibility for the CMO Benchmarking Network which was run alongside our Partner - ISBA. The Network met to discuss best practice across marketing taking a lead from International Studies - Marketing2020 and Insights2020, which both offered valuable learning for brands who were looking to out-perform in their categories. M2020 was the subject of a special Harvard Business Review feature that you might like to read: https://hbr.org/2014/07/the-ultimate-marketing-machinehttps://hbr.org/2016/09/building-an-insights-engineKantar combine strategy consulting and marketing practitioner expertise to create a “whole-brain” advisory offer for clients in the areas of Segmentation, Brand Ideal, Organization, Excellence and Valuation.

In 2016, I worked on an ambitious initiative for the marketing sector - Effectiveness Week.Instigated by the IPA - the initiative had cross-industry support with collaborators including the BCMA, CMA, CIMA, DMA, IAB, ISBA, Marketing Society, MRS, PRCA, ESA, AMEC and the WFA.. We were supported by an impressive client advisory board who guided the scope of the event which showcased best-in-class examples of evidence-based, decision-making in marketing globally at BAFTA (1 & 2 November 2016).

I was an investor in the Future Foundation from the buy-out from Experian in December 2009 to January 2018. From 2009-2016, I was also a Non-Executive Director of the business - helping with a range of marketing projects.Since its inception, Future Foundation has driven client's shareholder value through the application of consumer insight. Our core expertise comes from understanding and forecasting social and consumer trends and analysing the extent and nature of their impact on markets, services, brands and products.

Headcount (now Smollen Headcount) was part of the WPP group when I was a NED. They are specialists in field marketing services - working with leading brands.

I am still an investor in Richmond Events - having been part of the MBO team that took the business out of EMAP PLC in 1992. Between 1991 and 2002, I was responsible for launching and running the infamous event brand - the Marketing forum in the UK, Italy, USA and Europe. I also launched the communication directors’ forum over this period, so have a wealth of experience in marcomms.My Business Unit responsibilities grew over time to include forums in the HR, Corporate Travel, Logistics & Finance industries. As such, I have a broad understanding of many functions and sectors.