Gareth Headon Email & Phone Number

I sit on NS&I’s Board and Executive Committee and lead five high-performing functional areas: Strategy, Insight & Analysis, Internal Communications, Corporate Affairs/Media and Marketing.My team deliver an integrated digital-first communications strategy across corporate communications, stakeholder relations, consumer PR, social media, marketing and employee engagement.Alongside my core role, I also led NS&I’s HR and Workplace functions for 18 months – navigating the pandemic, securing a new London office, and developing a compelling employee brand and employee value proposition.Steered NS&I through reputation challenges, including operational failures and product closures.

I led four functional areas: Strategy, Insight & Analysis, Internal Communications, and Corporate Affairs/Media. Designed NS&I’s five-year business strategy, Inspire & Invest, re-inventing core products and successfully attracting a new younger customer-base. Created a new mission, vision and values for NS&I. Developed and led the communications strategy for the best-selling savings product in modern British history. Transformed NS&I’s paper-based market research function into a data/digital-first ‘insight-to-action’ team.

I was brought in to build and lead a new high-performing Communications function. Protected and enhanced NS&I’s reputation during the UK financial crisis. In a period of unprecedented challenge and risk, NS&I remained one of the most trusted financial brands in the UK.Advised and prepared CEO and Board members for appearances before House of Commons Select Committees. Managed NS&I’s stakeholder relationships, including consumer groups and trade bodies. Key spokesperson across broadcast, print and digital media. Produced and hosted employee events ranging from small scale CEO-employee meetings to large-scale two-day staff events. Drove high levels of employee engagement and satisfaction.

Led corporate affairs activity for the launch of Eurostar services on the UK’s first high speed rail line. This included running a 50-date ‘town hall’ briefing tour for stakeholders/media across the UK in advance of the launch which drove customer demand in new regional markets. Established Eurostar’s first dedicated public affairs team. Implemented an environmental strategy that successfully placed Eurostar’s positive environmental impact at the heart of the business’ corporate strategy. Secured the first partnership between Friends of the Earth and a transport business. Crisis management: security alerts, channel tunnel fire, major travel disruption, corporate financial difficulties, and strike action.Managed PR agencies and devised and implemented strategic PR campaigns covering corporate communications, consumer PR and public affairs. Principal Eurostar corporate writer - wrote speeches for the CEO and other Board Directors, corporate reports and briefings for government/stakeholders. Eurostar spokesperson in print and on TV/radio.

Devised and implemented media relations campaigns across the retail, communications and healthcare sectors.Led media crisis management following various incidents, including: a major security breach on a Which? website. Resulting media coverage, whilst critical of the security lapse, praised Which?’s openness and swift response to the incident.Delivered brand-led PR campaigns to promote Holiday Which? magazine and Which?'s emerging digital offering, Which? Online.

Developed and managed four pan-European tech sector accounts with a combined budget of over £250,000 pa. Line-managed, mentored and coached a team of Account Executives.Pitched for and won new accounts for the agency.

Management Acceleration Programme

Ba (Hons.) 1St Class, English Language And Literature