Matthew Beard Email and Phone Number
I help organisations deliver on their goals by engaging with the media. As a former journalist, I have a decade of experience in corporate communications, and am confident advising C-level leaders. I have also accumulated extensive contacts in national and international business media both in the UK and on the European mainland. From previous roles I have experience in:Stakeholder relations, engaging with local and national governments.Campaigning, running major behaviour change projects in rail, and developing and delivering a high-profile sports legacy campaign for the Evening StandardFinancial communications, including award-winning financial reporting for Abellio UK.Leading and motivating teams , including in times of crisis.Copywriting and speechwriting.Employee communications, leading on major corporate announcements. Also, I was a news correspondent/editor covering in order the following specialisms: business, education, politics, the London Olympics - for which I won an industry award - transport and infrastructure. My MBA dissertation is on coping strategies leading to resilience of London bus drivers during the pandemic.I am a fluent German speaker and have been able to use this professionally, working on major international news stories or events in Germany.Early career summary:Senior News Correspondent, The Independent Freelance reporter, The Times and the Daily TelegraphBusiness and Education Correspondent, The Western MailPolitical Reporter, United Press International in Bonn
-
Director - Media Relations - Dp World EuropeDp World Oct 2023 - PresentDubai, Jebel Ali, AeI work with top-level media across Europe to promote the activities of DP World and protect the reputation of a global company that is frequently in the news. I lead media relations in the major markets of UK, Germany, Benelux and eastern Europe and I have delivered unprecedented positive coverage in national and international media. This has been achieved as I have expanded my network of trusted journalists and agency contacts across Europe, working in both German and English. In a fast-growing company, I have shown leadership by setting out the principles of media relations.
-
Interim Press And Social Media ManagerWestminster City Council May 2023 - Sep 2023London, GbManaging London and national media -
Group Head Of MediaAbellio Group Dec 2019 - Apr 2023London, London, Gb• Responsible for media relations, with a focus on national business media, at one of the UK’s largest transport groups• Award-winning financial communications Achievements:• Led an integrated communications programme enabling Abellio’s smooth exit from ScotRail in a highly challenging political environment.• During the pandemic, coordinated crisis communications across six Abellio operating companies -
Head Of MediaGtr (Govia Thameslink Railway) Aug 2017 - Dec 2019London, Gb• Led a five-strong media relations team at the UK’s largest rail company, responsible for an area spanning five television regions• Responsible for protecting the company’s reputation across four separate rail brands, in a highly challenging stakeholder environment• Overseeing GTR’s digital channels with a combined social media following of 500,000 across four B2C brands.Achievements • Achieved a measurable improvement in GTR’s reputation in the regional and national media following the Southern Rail strike and again after the 2018 timetable crisis• Implemented a data-led approach to tracking of the brands’ reputation• Introduced social media ‘listening’ tools to respond more quickly to potential issues• Promoted GTR’s role in the Department for Transport’s £11bn Thameslink modernisation programme, including a national media campaign for the introduction of the UK’s first self-driving train fleet -
Associate DirectorFour Communications Feb 2015 - Jul 2017London, Gb• Responsible for advising clients including Etihad Airways, B2B communications for FTSE-listed logistics firm and numerous government agencies• Led new business pitches and assisted in winning new clients in the transport sector• Acted as chief copywriter producing speeches and corporate publications.Achievements• Helped to win the agency’s marquee client, the global airline Etihad Airways• As media relations adviser, helped a social media company through a crisis leading to their retained business -
Transport & Infrastructure EditorEvening Standard Sep 2012 - Jan 2015London, Gb• Working in one of the key specialist roles for the Standard, responsible for daily coverage of a wide range of transport issues and their political, environmental and economic implications • Holding the London Mayor Boris Johnson and Transport for London to account for transport policy and service provision Achievements• Regular front-page exclusives and in-depth coverage on the major issues including Heathrow airport’s third runway proposals, Tube strikes, the construction of Crossrail and new cycling infrastructure. -
Olympics EditorEvening Standard May 2007 - Sep 2012London, Gb• Responsible for hard-hitting coverage of the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics from bid, to handover in Beijing, to closing ceremony for the capital’s market-leading newspaper• Scrutinising the £12bn taxpayer-funded project, with a focus on the sports and regeneration legacy for London• Managed editorial team and reported on assignments from several Olympics in foreign capitals.Achievements• Agenda-setting coverage established the Standard as the brand leader in Olympic coverage, which contributed to the newspaper's profit • Journalist of the Year, London Transport Awards (see below)
-
Sports News CorrespondentEvening Standard May 2007 - May 2008London, Gb
-
Senior News CorrespondentThe Independent May 2001 - May 2007London, England, Gb• Graduated from night news to general news and then specialist reporter assigned to major international events as part of team that won Newspaper of the Year. -
Visiting ReporterVerlag Der Tagesspiegel Gmbh Feb 2005 - Jun 2005The George Weidenfeld Bursary gives British and German journalists the opportunity to gain work experience in the other country.
Matthew Beard Education Details
-
Nottingham University Business SchoolExecutive Mba -
University Of ExeterGerman
-
Cipr QualificationsPr Professional Diploma
-
Chartered Management InstituteGeneral
Frequently Asked Questions about Matthew Beard
What company does Matthew Beard work for?
Matthew Beard works for Dp World
What is Matthew Beard's role at the current company?
Matthew Beard's current role is Corporate communications | Award-winning journalist | MBA.
What schools did Matthew Beard attend?
Matthew Beard attended Nottingham University Business School, University Of Exeter, Cipr Qualifications, Chartered Management Institute.
Free Chrome Extension
Find emails, phones & company data instantly
Aero Online
Your AI prospecting assistant
Select data to include:
0 records × $0.02 per record
Download 750 million emails and 100 million phone numbers
Access emails and phone numbers of over 750 million business users. Instantly download verified profiles using 20+ filters, including location, job title, company, function, and industry.
Start your free trial