How and why did you decide to go into communications?

My interest in communications and the media probably goes all the way back to when I was at school and uni. One of the areas I spent a lot of time studying was political history and it always struck me how different groups utilised various forms of communication to get their messages out and influence their audiences. Throw in a strong interest in literature and writing and it feels pretty inevitable that I ended up working in communications.

My route into financial services was a little less obvious. I originally worked in advertising and consumer PR but struggled to engage with those areas intellectually. Eventually I moved teams in the PR agency I was working at, and immediately knew that it was a much better fit. I believe very strongly that you are only going to be successful and effective in your job if you have a genuine interest in and enthusiasm for the underlying subject matter. I think I’ve benefitted from that and it’s a big reason why I’ve focused on a particular area – investment – over the course of my career.

Describe your working pattern of the course of an average week and how you find a work-life balance.

I don’t think there is such a thing as an average week in communications. Yes, admittedly there are some tasks that you have to do with regularity, but the nature of the work and differing needs of the companies I engage with means that my week is pretty varied. Alongside working with clients on day-to-day communications, I also lead our Consultancy business and that brings with it some very wide-ranging projects. Over the course of a day I could go from speaking to a journalist, to advising a fund manager on how to present their investment strategy, to interviewing an investor for a client perception audit, to working with a CEO on their company’s corporate messaging.

In that sense, I think one thing that has benefitted those working in communications generally is that there has definitely been a blurring of the lines across different disciplines. I actually dislike the term ‘PR’ because it really is only one facet of what communications professionals do. Today, you need to be as comfortable talking about marketing, social media, messaging, sales and business development strategy as you do about different media outlets or journalist interests.

The work-life balance is an interesting question. The introduction of hybrid working has definitely had an impact, mostly I think for the better and people are much more conscious about the importance of having a good balance in order to be professionally and personally successful. That said, I much prefer coming into the office – it helps me to focus whilst drawing a clearer dividing line between ‘work’ and ‘home’. I’m quite a big advocate for office working as I believe it offers a means to engage, learn and come up with new ideas, and foster a strong culture within a team that benefits everyone.

What areas or trends interest you the most at this time?

One topic I find really interesting and am seeing more from a work perspective is how companies navigate the different agendas and priorities across the various markets they are working in. The last decade has seen a huge shift to the right of the political spectrum, with individual markets increasingly been driven by domestic agendas. A ‘one size fits all’ approach to business development has never worked and successful companies will tailor their offerings to meet the needs of specific stakeholders. This said, there are some substantial cross-border issues being impacted by today’s political agenda. For companies with international ambitions, striking the right balance between appealing to specific regional audiences and being consistent in how they address topics of global importance – such as climate change – will be a real challenge.

What do you do in your spare time?

Sport is a big part of life outside of work, whether playing or (increasingly!) watching. I’ve been very lucky to meet a lot of my friends through sports over the years so weekends in particular are frequently about catching up with them around that. I’m also a big music fan and try to  attend gigs as often as possible with a few already lined up for next year.

Tell us about the last book you read or the last podcast you listened to?

I’m sure this will horrify my colleagues but I’m not actually a big follower of podcasts! Simply out of personal preference I always prefer to read, be it to get news or simply as a means of relaxing. I’ve no idea why but I just find I pay more attention! I’m a big fan of crime books and have been working my way through the Michael Connelly series (the author behind The Lincoln Lawyer) but actually at the moment I am re-reading my favourite book which is To Kill A Mockingbird. It’s a stunning piece of literature that I first read at school and I still go back to it every couple of years.

Name one goal, professional or personal, you have set yourself for the next 12 months

Definitely to travel more next year. I used to a lot prior to COVID but got a bit lax immediately following lockdown and only properly got back to it in the last year. I’m really interested in seeing different countries and learning about their cultures, so that has to be top of the list.