2022
Elected to the Executive Committee of the World Communication Forum in Davos
Alongside members from Bulgaria, USA, Vietman and South Africa I was elected the global Executive Committee of the World Communication Forum Association in Davos.
2021
Davos Digital PR Guru 2021
I was the lucky recipient of the Davos Digital PR Guru Award in the 2021 Davos Digital PR Awards, in recognition of my contributions to the global development of the digital PR industry.
2018
Advise Ukrainian government
On behalf of the UK Government Cabinet Office, I advised the PR and communications heads for the Ukrainian Prime Minister and his Cabinet.
2017-2019
Elected to CIPR Board
I served as a board director of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations where I chaired a number of committees and led on several initiatives including measurement and evaluation standards, and international growth.
2017
Chartered PR practitioner
I became a Chartered PR Practitioner, the pinnacle of public relations accreditation as the CIPR is the world’s only Royal Chartered body for public relations professionals. In 2022 there are still only about 500 professionals who have achieved chartered status, out of about 96,000 PR practitioners in the UK.
2015
Davos World Communication Forum moderator
I was privileged to be the moderator of the World Communication Forum in Davos, which brought together PR and communications leaders from companies and governments around the world.
2013
Outstanding Contribution to Social Media
I was on Usenet in the 90s, blogging since 2003, Twitter in 2007, lots of ‘firsts’ in using social media for PR, so it was an honour to receive the Outstanding Contribution to Social Media Award. Presented by Andy Wake. #RIP Andy, we love you.
2012 + 2013
Look Dad, I’ve written a book!
My Mum wasn’t with us by now, but my Dad was chuffed to see me as the author of two books. Well, maybe not quite the author, but co-author as I contributed chapters to Share This and Share This Too.
2007-2011
Co-founded PRWeek Top 150 Consultancy
In 2007 I co-founded one of the UK’s first digital and social media PR consultancies. We were shortlisted for the PRWeek Best New Consultancy Award and in just two years became a PRWeek Top 150 Consultancy with clients like Sony Mobile, Unilever, HSBC, First Direct, PayPal, GlaxoSmithKline, NHS, and Discovery Channel. We won multiple awards for digital and social media campaigns.
2007
Political leadership campaign
I was appointed to Director of Communications for Alan Johnson MP for his bid to become deputy leader of the UK Labour Party. We ran an innovative campaign include one of the world’s first uses of Twitter in a political campaign (we were beaten by a few weeks when John Edwards used Twitter to launch his bid to be the Democrat candidate for US president).
2003
One of the world’s first PR blogs
My first blog was a local politician and was the UK’s third blog by an elected politician. I started my PR blog a couple of months later and it was one of the first 10 PR blogs in the world.
1992
Wow! I’m in PRWeek.
If I’d realised then how important my interest in reputation and communications measurement and evaluation was then my career might have taken a different turn.
1991
My first PR award
I was part of a tiny team that beat British Airways and British Telecom to win the prestigious PRWeek Best International Campaign Award. Andrew Neil looks young! I learnt so much from my boss about strategy, creativity and integrity. Thank you, Pete Ward. We also came second in Best New Consultancy.
1989
My first PR job!
My first public relations job was in the PR division of an integrated agency in Leeds. My clients ncluded everything from garden shredders and lawnmowers to concrete blocks and structural steel.
Childhood
National Working Hunter pony championship
My Dad was a civil servant working for the Forestry Commission, so moved around the country every 3-4 years. I was lucky enough to have ponies and once qualified for the Working Hunter Pony national championships. I didn’t win as it was a big arena and my pony had agrophobia! I was also a Scout and did the Duke of Edinburgh Award.
