Communications for missions that matter
A good communications strategy enables you and your company to say the right thing, in the right place, at the right time, in the right way, to the right people. The impact of that is… impact. Whether that’s boosting brand awareness, increasing uptake of a new product, making a rebrand smooth, recruiting candidates, training users, or increasing incoming enquiries.
And that’s what I’m about. Not just the impact of my work on your business, but the impact of your business on our society.
It’s important to me to work with companies that have a net benefit on the world - getting healthcare into the hands of the people that need it, making public services more efficient, or ensuring every human is treated with respect and dignity. This is a thread that’s run through my whole career and I can’t imagine doing anything else.
Accurx
I led the communications function of this high-growth, high potential healthtech company. Leading a team of three, I established the company’s communications strategy and key messages in preparation for expansion into the secondary care market, following primary care success.
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Strategy
Designed the communications strategy for the whole business, focusing on growth in secondary care and aligning with business and product strategy.
Designed Accurx’s go-to-market strategy for secondary care, managing all elements from audience insight to direct targeting, drawing across teams including Executive, Sales, Marketing, and Communications.
Devised a series of roundtable and learning events for target senior NHS leaders, aiming to showcase Accurx’s impact in secondary care and drive deeper relationships and a more efficient sales cycle.
Key asset production
Produced key messaged on elective recovery for use by sales, communications, marketing, and commercial teams.
Events
Managed and led a 50-strong team of “AccuFolk” at NHS ConfedExpo (the Glastonbury Festival of the NHS), generating over 300 leads for the business, coordinating 12+ talks, organising key stakeholder meetings for the CEO, and facilitating stand visits from the Secretary of State for Health and the Chief Executive of NHS England.
Milestone communications
Led a senior multidisciplinary team and worked with the senior leadership team at Induction Health in planning and executing the communications around the acquisition of Induction Switch as part of Accurx’s mission to integrate NHS communications.
Crisis management - including planning and delivery. Coordinating with different teams where relevant, including legal, data and security, clinical.
Infinity Health
One of the best jobs I’ve ever had! I led the comms for this digital health company for three years, seeing through a tenfold increase in customers, a rebrand, and evolution of the product from a handover app to a full task management platform in use across the country.
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Significantly increased visibility of the brand and projects
Grew organic search volume for Infinity Health by 250%
Delivered 173% increase in LinkedIn followers and 74% increase in Twitter followers
Rebuilt the website, and delivered a 250% year-on-year growth in web traffic
Doubled the website click rate, indicating greater interest and relevance
Launched email marketing campaign with 42% average open rate, double the health industry average; and 11.2% click rate, almost three times the health industry average
Won 55+ pieces of press coverage and 7 podcast appearances including a top 10 European podcast
Wrote applications that have won the company four awards (including a prestigious HSJ Award) and five award shortlistings (including three HSJ Awards and a Patient Safety Award)
40,000 Infinity users have been trained using materials I developed and produced.
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Strategy
Developed and executed communications and marketing strategies in support of business objectives, managing a team of in-house staff and contractors including digital marketing and SEO
Advisory
Advised the Board and Senior Leadership team on brand, communications, and PR, including crisis management, staff engagement, and user training
PR and events
Conceptualised, wrote, and pitched thought leadership articles, podcasts, speaking engagements and events on behalf of Senior Leadership to industry influencers, as well as placing on our own site
Managed all press and media relations including creating content, pitching stories, fielding queries
Developed and protected the brand, including managing its relaunch in 2021 and acting as gatekeeper
Diversity, equality, and inclusion
I was the diversity and equality lead for the business, advising and leading strategies to ensure equality in product development, project management and delivery.
DigitalHealth.London
Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust
I led the comms at this world-leading digital health startup accelerator, focused on supporting companies with ambitions to work in the UK’s NHS. My time was split between programme communications and providing communications consultancy to the 20-30 companies taking part each year.
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Led communications strategy for this innovative startup accelerator, working collaboratively with the senior leadership team on strategic planning and budget management
Provided strategic communications advice to a cohort of 20-30 companies, partners, and board and advisory members, including the Mayor of London’s office and NHS England
Designed and delivered multi-channel communications strategies for new campaigns: boosting the organisation’s reach to increase the number of London applications in the first year by 15%, in the second year by 45%, and the total number of applications for five accelerators by 57%
Led on strategic stakeholder engagement and event design, including an annual launch event for 250 high-profile attendees, shaping the concept, agenda, and speaker management
Developed communications strategy for four new digital health accelerators, advised local communications teams on digital and social media strategy and conceptualisation and delivery of promotional materials including video and print
Led on media and PR - securing coverage in industry publications and outlets including CNN, Forbes, the Guardian, City A.M., Evening Standard, HealthTech News, the British Journal of Healthcare Computing, and DigitalHealth.Net; and producing printed brochures and flyers
Led on digital and social media strategy and delivery, including website, digital mailing, and managing third party agency contracts.
I supported over 100 companies, companies including:
ChitChat
Formerly Zazu
I am working with this African fintech company which is in on a mission to bring financial services to all of Africa - no small feat given that more than 50% of the population doesn’t have a bank account. The project involves coordinating with the executive team, product team, designer, and performance marketer to communicate a significant rebrand and product change benefitting to over 15,000 users in several phases.
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Strategy
Designed communications (social media, SMS, push notification, PR) strategy, schedule, tone, and content for communications campaign.
Delivery
Core messages document, including USPs, benefits, FAQs and customer support “lines to take.”
Push notifications, SMS and social media copy and schedule.
Blog and web copy.
Review and draft new copy for app store listings and work with designer to ensure sufficient assets ready for re-launch.
If you’re curious to know more…
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Designed and delivered internal and external communications on several human rights policy areas in the Human Rights and Democracy Department with a global network of embassies and consulates.
I led on advising UK representatives on policy positions and tactics for negotiating UN Human Rights Council and UN General Assembly human rights resolutions.
Managed elements of the Human Rights and Democracy Programme, including bid assessment and evaluation. This included a field visit to Zambia and writing the subsequent evaluation report.
Briefed Ministers and project managed events including stakeholder networking, and seminars.
Managed high-quality communications, including events, briefings, statements and speeches, an informational booklet, and contributions for the annual Human Rights and Democracy Report (a command paper for the Foreign Affairs Committee).
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Managed external and internal communications for this global charity seeking to counter religious prejudice, conflict, and extremism
Designed and delivered communications strategies and evaluation for counter-extremism and inclusion projects, including digital, social media, media and public affairs, and risk management
Advised on new project communications design and strategy on sensitive topic areas, including children in schools, university students, women and girls, and fundraising
Managed third party agency contracts for new website design and a PR campaign; both including project design, evaluation, and budget and contract management
Led private donor stakeholder reporting, including project managing the Impact Report.
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Led the membership programme of this consortium representing patients’ views to policy makers
Developed membership strategy, managed the membership budget, reported impact to the Board
Developed capacity building training and materials for over 250 member organisations, and led on engagement with partners across the world
Developed written content for publication, including newsletters, blogs, and website.
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Working with the founder, teacher Vicki Barsby, I devised a plan to increase awareness of the Life Story Education brand and offering to potential buyers within the independent school sector.
I developed an initial launch, PR, and activation plan to build brand awareness amongst prospective buyers and stimulate sales to schools in the independent sector.
Vicki is now taking this plan forward and started to make sales after just a couple of weeks.
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…but you’ve probably read all you need to by now.
If you’re curious about my volunteering with homeless people, work overseas with children, or my time as a driver for the Olympics, you only need to ask!