Matthew Beard Email & Phone Number

Dubai, Jebel Ali, AE

I 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.

London, GB

Managing London and national media

London, 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

London, 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

London, 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

London, 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.

London, 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)

London, GB

London, 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.

The George Weidenfeld Bursary gives British and German journalists the opportunity to gain work experience in the other country.

Executive Mba

Bachelor Of Arts (B.A.), German

Pr Professional Diploma

Diploma Level 7 Strategic Management & Leadership Practice, Business Administration And Management, General