- Reporting to the Chief People Officer, establishing the global function to provide internal communications and change counsel, strategy and tactical delivery to the Executive Committee and business leaders- Working within People Practice and alongside wider business colleagues to drive and deliver strategic initiatives across the firm including developing and embedding new culture and values, ESG, EDI and wellbeing agendas (such as ways to support colleagues through Covid and the transition back to a new hybrid working approach), and technology transformation to SharePoint and Salesforce.- Deliver and analyse annual staff engagement survey, making strategic recommendations to leadership and tracking performance- Key advisor to Employee Network Groups and co-lead of Pride Network- Organised and imaginative storyteller, writer and editor, advising colleagues to craft campaigns and content for channels including SharePoint intranet, townhalls, email/newsletters, digital signage, poster points and video.

Managing three colleagues with an internal audience of 450 people in London and Manchester, I counselled the C-suite through a significant change and transformation programme. Communications projects included the move to new premises, a new operating model and new technology to support business activity, as well as embedding a new corporate strategy, vision and values through roundtables and events. My work contributed to our staff engagement score increasing by 8 points.I delivered the change communications strategy for a two-phase restructure and collective consultation and business-as-usual activity that included townhalls, drop-ins and segmented e-marketing, as well as writing speeches, blogs and articles to see leadership visibility rise 45 points.I developed campaigns to celebrate our 50th anniversary, improve awareness of equality, diversity and inclusion issues, and drive a 78% response rate for the staff survey. I created an Engagement Champions Group to support communications: identifying colleagues who could also act as change advocates to canvas and inform colleague opinion. I designed opportunities for my CEO to engage with a senior management group (24 staff) on strategic priorities, alongside weekly meetings and scripts for managers to cascade consistent information to frontline staff.I led the annual Staff Event including agenda development with Executive and staff, logistics, external speaker liaison and the creation of categories for the Staff Awards and internal promotion to drive nominations. Surveyed after the event, 86% of staff found it worthwhile.I drove a 16-point increase in intranet readership by writing blogs, interviews and articles, and creating interactive content such as polls, comments and forums, as well as scripting and edited video content. I brought my experience in crisis communications to bear at PHSO too, advising on the approach to take following Manchester Arena bombing and developing crisis communication protocols.

I managed four colleagues worldwide to support Kuoni’s two business-to-business units, which together turnover GBP 2.1bn annually.I led change communications surrounding the merger of GTA into the Kuoni Group. I successfully shifted attitudes towards a major digital transformation project, increasing staff understanding of project benefits by 27 points.I drove a 26-point increase in staff engagement by developing a strategy following a global communications audit. Subsequent internal activity included a CEO forum to develop channels and content (intranet articles and blogs, webinars, quarterly financial results cascade and conference calls, townhalls, etc). I filmed and edited regular videos with, on average, 76% of staff viewing them.I created the first global integrated external communications and stakeholder relations function, including thought leadership, media training/scripts, news gathering process and grid, editorial calendar and localised toolkits. I worked with Group to develop a new brand and messaging for business units, applying them to new websites and embedding them among colleagues worldwide. Through this - and by developing the skills of country managers and other stakeholders - in two years I increased coverage by 270% to generate 80 million opportunities to see mention of brands, an eight-fold rise.Supporting organisation-wide business continuity management, I created crisis communications protocols and implemented them following a gas explosion at London Hyatt Regency and when one of the company’s coaches crashed overseas.I was also responsible for delivering Kuoni’s corporate, social and environmental responsibility ambitions. Designing a four-pronged approach, I influenced CEOs to support annual volunteering; developing links with local charities and encouraging 11% of London staff to participate in first year. I established global giving committees in seven core offices to raise £20k and negotiated match-funding from the company.

Part of the senior management team reporting to the President of this think-tank and lobbying membership organisation. Managing three colleagues, I created the first PESO (paid, earned, social, owned channels) communications strategy, including content management and formalising relationships with commercial media partners worth US$4.1 million.After ten years without change, I refreshed the WTTC brand, running the RFP and pitch process to appoint a new creative agency. Evolving the logo and brand identity, I rebuilt the corporate website and created social media channels.I developed a stakeholder communications plan to engage with members – the chairs and CEOs of international travel and hospitality companies - by building relationships with marketing and communications peers and creating a new leadership bulletin that generated a 75% open rate.Leading communications and media relations ahead of and during the Global Travel & Tourism Summit in Beijing, I helped attract 1,200 delegates and 200 international, particularly Asian, media.

An incredible period of time delivering communications and PR campaigns and handling international news and business media during unprecedented crises - foot-and-mouth, 9/11, 7/7 - and the UK's bid for the Olympic Games. Lead spokesman for British tourism and Tourism Industry Emergency Response group; giving interviews and quotes to global print and broadcasters. Generated 175 print, broadcast and online items a month and, in UK print publications alone, £625,000 EAV and 35 million opportunities to see mention of the brand and its work.Worked with Chair and CEO to raise our profile during the Comprehensive Spending Review by delivering a long-range 'Powering Global Growth' reputation campaign through business and news media, owned channels, corporate events and publications like the Annual Report. Domestic campaigns included Enjoy England, Storybook England, Outdoor England and the ‘staycation’ boom. Built reputation by developing PR partnerships with Google, Royal Mail and Harper Collins, as well as being an authority on issues like visas, film and royal tourism.Organised 2010 Travel Writers’ Awards in New York: hosted reception for 80 consumer journalists, prepared judges’ materials, wrote speeches and created video stings. Other events organised include annual lunch for parliamentary journalists and promotional activities for British Tourism Week to build political and SME interest. Motivated PR agencies GCI, Weber Shandwick, Fleishman-Hillard and Maitland.Developed internal change communications and stakeholder relations programme for rebrand of British Tourist Authority to VisitBritain and, later, for the change of status for the English Tourism Council / VisitEngland. Worked with HR and leadership team in confidential discussions about the impact of restructures on staff and our approach to delivering news as positively and sensitively as possible. Anticipated likely questions and formulated answers to support managers in conversations with their teams.

Responsible for Tourism, Major Events, Parks & Countryside, Museums & Galleries, Sport, Music, Community Arts and Venues. Includes sandwich year placement and final semester of degree course managing PR for Breeze 98 and the Leeds International Film FestivalManaged media and hospitality at major events such as Party in the Park, preparing and distributing media materials, reactive enquiries, engaging with elected members to arrange broadcast interviews and comment. Liaised with designer and printer to prepare LIFF programme and promotional materials, promoted films, collated and evaluated coverage and wrote reports to internal stakeholders. Created an events database and developed a What’s On guide.