Stuart Darroch Email & Phone Number

Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom

Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom

Group Communications Manager for the UK’s fourth largest housing group. Wheatley – Scotland’s leading housing, care and property-management group – owns or manages over 93,700 homes and delivers award-winning services to over 210,000 people across 19 local authority areas. I manage the delivery of a full internal and external communications service across Wheatley and its subsidiaries, including Scotland’s largest social landlord.Wheatley, which has annual turnover of £370m, has over 2840 staff based across the central belt and the Borders.I lead the team which provides award-winning communications tailored to individual customers’ needs. This includes a large suite of printed publications, a staff intranet, 10 customer-facing websites, 17 social media accounts, print and broadcast media, and community events. In addition, I lead the effective management of media services to enhance Wheatley’s public reputation. My role includes managing a 24-hour (proactive and reactive) media service and providing expert advice, support and guidance to senior management and internal teams on media issues.I work with the Director of Corporate Affairs and Communications to develop communications strategies and ensure Wheatley’s corporate objectives are communicated clearly and effectively to a range of audiences.My role also includes delivering regular communications with board members, Wheatley’s Executive Team and subsidiary Managing Directors.I manage a team of seven professionals in the Communications Team, based in Glasgow and the Borders, and ensure they are supported and encouraged at every step to enhance their learning and development.I also work closely with the Group Marketing Manager to ensure the demands on the communications and marketing teams are closely aligned, delivered on time and to the highest of standards, and provide value for money.

Glasgow, United Kingdom

Appointed to develop the content for 10 new custom-built, customer-friendly websites for Wheatley Group and its subsidiaries and then, post-launch, manage the content, analytics and support.With an increased emphasis on the importance, scope and quality of our digital services and digital communications, I managed this stream of work, both on a day-to-day basis and strategically in conjunction with the Communications and Marketing Manager. The newly-created role included shaping initial structure of content; generating, writing and developing content; refreshing content, including multi-media and campaigns; and measuring, monitoring and reporting on performance of our digital channels. I also led on the development and management of our award-winning social media platforms. This included developing regular tailored content across all platforms, monitoring and sharing analytics and insight. Key skills in this role included:• demonstrating management and strong organisational skills;• an ability to find creative solutions to problems and barriers; • being a strategic thinker with ability to grasp wider organisational context and deliver most appropriate communications solutions; and• taking responsibility for managing excellent performance results.

Glasgow, United Kingdom

Senior Communications Officer - and the former Acting Communications Manager - for the UK’s Best In-house Communications Team of the Year and the three-time Scottish Communications Team of the Year. I played a key role in a small team which delivered a full media, digital and communications service to four social landlords, a care organisation, two commercial subsidiaries and for the parent group.In 2014, I was promoted to Acting Communications Manager to run the department and build on the services to tenants, factored homeowners, care users, staff, Executive Team members, Board members and key stakeholders.I handled a number of high-profile communication projects, including, in late 2014, implementing the successful internal and external communications campaign of Wheatley Group’s £300million public bond on the capital markets.I also planned and successfully delivered ministerial photocalls for former First Minister Alex Salmond, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, former Scottish Labour Party Leader Johann Lamont and Scottish Conservative Leader Ruth Davidson.I was in charge of the group’s award-winning social media sites. I built from scratch one of the UK’s biggest Facebook sites for social housing providers. GHA’s Facebook page had around 10,000 followers and transformed the way the organisation engaged with younger customers who are traditionally hard to reach. I ran five Facebook sites and two Twitter accounts, dealing directly with customer complaints and producing and posting engaging content.I also worked side-by-side with my director to deliver full-day media training for senior management. I worked on a broad range of content management systems and on our award-winning staff intranet site.

Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom

Day-to-day editor of GHA’s award-winning tenant magazine ‘the Key’. I also edited and wrote for an array of other customer magazines and newsletters. A key part of my role included dealing with media requests from journalists across the UK and beyond. I helped GHA gain positive media coverage in national and international newspapers, online and on television, including Reporting Scotland, STV News, Sunday Politics, Newsnight and The One Show for our welfare benefits projects and demolition programme.

Glasgow

Senior Journalist for Scotland’s biggest freelance newspaper agency. I generated news and sport stories for Britain’s broadsheet and tabloid newspapers. I worked regularly for up to six titles on the same day, meeting all deadlines. I also worked on Europe’s leading football website, uefa.com

Glasgow, United Kingdom

Sub-editor within the sports department.

Award-winning Chief Sports Journalist for Scotland’s biggest-selling daily broadsheet newspaper. Front and back page local and national exclusives. I was also a sub-editor on the sports department, designing pages, subbing copy and writing headlines.

Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Youngest Editor in the publishing company’s history. My duties included being responsible for the editorial content for monthly sporting title ‘fitba’.

Bachelor Of Arts (Ba), Journalism

Higher National Certificate, Communication Studies

Education record