Brand, reputation & communications strategy
Simplicity. Clarity. Creativity.
When the pressure is on - a rebrand, a launch, a new CEO, a reputation challenge, a function that isn't working -
I help you step back, see the whole picture and move forward with clarity, confidence and real momentum.
I work with leaders and organisations who need to cut through complexity fast - helping them earn trust, stay relevant and create value for the audiences, stakeholders and communities that matter most to them.
Who this is for
The people who call me are typically CCOs, Heads of Comms or CMOs — or the CEO, MD or leader of an independent agency who wants senior strategic resource without the overhead. They know what the presenting problem is. And they often have a quiet suspicion the answer involves both the external challenge and something internal.
That's exactly where I work.
Externally — the strategy, story and creative platform that needs to land across stakeholders, audiences and channels. The integrated campaign, the participation movement, the brand that needs to be understood differently, the reputation challenge that needs a clear and compelling narrative.
Internally — the structures, relationships and ways of working that determine whether good work actually gets made. The siloed function that needs connecting up. The team with capability but not alignment. The new leader who needs the function reset around them.
The two are usually connected, and I help fix both.
I'm not so removed that I can't deliver. I can write the brief, run the workshop, design the plan, build the framework. I bring fresh perspective and hard-won experience, and I work in a straightforward, collaborative way, so the work is not only more effective and joined-up, but more enjoyable to deliver.
Simplicity. Clarity. Creativity.
When an organisation is trying to scale, change direction, or respond to pressure, it can feel hard – from the inside – to see clearly where to focus, how far to push creatively, and what to do next with confidence.
Get the strategy right — across both the risk and the opportunity — and things become simpler. Clarity replaces complexity. Creative confidence replaces caution.
If any of this sounds familiar, we should talk.
"We've just restructured and comms and marketing are meant to collaborate — but it's not happening."
"We've got something big coming up and I'm not sure we're ready."
"Our campaigns are decent but nothing is joined up."
"I need someone senior to help us tell our story properly."
Why this moment is harder than it looks
The external pressures are real — more scrutiny, faster channels, AI commoditising output. But most organisations are navigating those pressures with functions that weren't built for them: outdated skills and capabilities, no shared way of working, KPIs that reward the wrong things and make genuine collaboration almost impossible. Fix the internal conditions and the external challenge gets a lot more manageable.
Organisations are expected to deliver bold, standout ideas against a backdrop of constant scrutiny — where every campaign, from consumer marketing to corporate citizenship, has potential reputational and trust implications. The tension between creativity and risk is real, and it's where most strategies stall.
Balancing creativity and risk
Channels, conversations and culture shift quickly, shaping how stories and messages land over time. One-size-fits-all, linear campaigns date fast — and the ability to adapt in real time without losing direction or quality is what separates good strategy from great execution.
The moving comms landscape
Reputation is no longer a controlled, top-down affair — it's a live, shared perception shaped by many stakeholders and networks. Organisations have to manage trust continuously, using data and insight to guide what to say and do.
Earning and keeping trust
My credentials at a glance.
I've led strategy across every major discipline — PR and reputation, brand and creative, integrated campaigns, and the team and process design that makes it all work.
Senior brand, reputation
and communications strategist
Former Chief Strategy Officer at a global PR agency with a long track record of leading business, brand and communications strategy across sectors. Now working independently, I bring that experience in a flexible, collaborative way for each client.
Trusted by recognised brands
and organisations
Experience with organisations including HSBC, Unilever, Microsoft, Gilead Sciences, Sport England and the British Council - alongside charities, NGOs and smaller, growing businesses. I understand complex, multi-stakeholder environments and teams who need to move fast.
Proven impact on
high-stakes challenges
Strategic lead and key contributor on high-impact, award-winning work – from global thought leadership to stigma-busting health campaigns, participation movements and culture-change programmes, giving clients ideas they can stand behind under scrutiny.