How and why did you decide to go into communications?
I’m certainly one example of the many different backgrounds we have at JPES Partners! Fresh out of university with a bachelors’ degree in Economics and Finance I joined one of the major television networks in New Zealand. After three years I brought in several innovations including a ground-breaking Market Analysis Division, providing a unique market perspective. In terms of communications, my calling for this industry was my excitement for JPES’ business initiative developing a data & business intelligence division. I enjoy learning about the impact communications strategy has on the bottom line and business profile, and bridging this with data to enhance strategy.
How have you found the return to the office over the last few months?
I’m based very nearby to the office, meaning that luckily travel has never been an issue for me during the pandemic. Having expressed desire to not work from home, I was lucky to return to the office earlier than most this year and found this really helpful in separating my work life from my social life. I totally enjoyed the return of the team, and this definitely crystallised the shortcomings of virtual working – even if this is to play a significant role moving forwards.
What areas or trends interests you the most at this time?
From the daily dose of financial news headlines, I am very interested in ESG, particularly the issue of “greenwashing”. In my opinion, there is a lack of regulatory oversight on what markets do best: measurement. Until the day the financial, environmental, and social impact can be accurately measured, the inertia of greenwashing continues. I’m interested in how financial institutions will react or change their participation in the market after actions made (if any) by regulatory bodies.
What do you do in your spare time?
I’m a huge fan of travelling, which provides me with an opportunity to absorb a foreign culture and add amazing stories to my already full cache. My most recent trip was a road trip with my mate James from Riga Latvia to Gdansk Poland. Nearly 2000 kms over 6 days. Poland has many hidden gems of wonder and rich culture. Highlights were staying overnight in a castle 800 years old, Wolf’s Lair, and the food!
I also enjoy my commitment to following the US political landscape through news channels, twitter and TV shows.
Tell us about the last book you read or the last podcast you listened to?
Having quirky tastes, I got into the Radio Diaries (a.k.a Teenage Diaries) podcast which interviews interesting personalities in the 1990s. The first episode was on the daily life of a man named ‘Josh’ who suffers with tourette syndrome. I found it riveting and learned a huge amount about the struggles and silver linings of his condition.
Name one goal, professional or personal, you have set yourself for the next 12 months
One major goal of mine is to roll out a social media coverage program to enable JPES to monitor each client’s social media footprint. You cannot just rely on traditional media to assess a communications strategy. Everybody is on social media, but is it beneficial or is it detrimental to our client’s brand? Soon we will be able to measure the effectiveness of social media campaigns and engagement, and to augment this datapoint to our client’s overall strategy.
