RESUME
I’m a dynamic, multi award-winning creative leader with over 20 years experience and an ambition to affect positive change through ideas that deliver real impact in the real world. Read more about me here.
DEC 2023 - PRESENT
GLOBAL EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR | JELLYFISH
MAY 2022 - NOV 2023
GLOBAL EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR | MEDIA.MONKS
OCT 2017 - MAY 2022
GLOBAL Creative Director | Wunderman Thompson, London (Formerly J Walter Thompson)
I led the creative for global and regional brands, including the entire Nestle Confectionary portfolio across EMENA & global, leading the creative teams generating work for brands including KitKat, Aero, Milkybar, Quality Street, Randoms, Yorkie across TV and cinema, digital, social and experiential channels.
In parallel I was the global creative lead for Sage Accounting. Having led the pitch-winning work to secure Sage as a new client the next challenge was to get that very same work on air in just one month. The integrated ‘Boss It’ campaign included several TVCs, radio ads, digital assets, D/OOH, a revamped website and a TikTok campaign. The campaign resulted in a 225% increase in sales YoY. And the Boss It TikTok challenge trended higher than the Super Bowl…on the weekend of the Super Bowl!
During my time here I regularly, proactively, generated and led multi award-winning campaigns for the National Centre for Domestic Violence (NCDV). One of those campaigns, ‘The Not So Beautiful Game’, launched during the 2018 World Cup and picked up multiple awards, including a Cannes Gold Lion. I went on to generate a second proactive, multi-award winning campaign for the NCDV: ‘Abusers Always Work from Home’, created in response to the horrifying 49% increase in domestic abuse incidents during lockdown.
SEPT 2016 - OCT 2017
Freelance EMENA Creative Director | Publicis, London
Whilst here I oversaw the creative output for global brands, including L’Oreal. On the periphery I proactively created and curated the public art exhibition There’s a Good Immigrant in response to the horrifying rise in hate crime surrounding BREXIT.
Exhibiting artists - who were migrants themselves, second generation migrants, or creating work that commented on the topic - included Dave Buonaguidi, Bob & Roberta Smith, Inua Ellams, Jaspreet Kaur AKA Behind the Netra, Sara Shamsavari & Alison Jackson. Organic press overage included a live interview on Monocle Radio.
JAN 2016 - AUG 2016
FREELANCE CREATIVE DIRECTOR | London
Freelancing across various agencies such as: Adam & Eve / Tribal, Engine, Quiet Storm, Gravity Road, Spring Studios, Livity, Fresh Films, Dazed Media, Space.
SEPT 2013 - JAN 2016
EMENA Creative Director | SAATCHI & SAATCHI, London
Whilst at Saatchi & Saatchi I was asked to give a talk about being a female creative director. I didn't want to preach to the converted, I wanted to reach a wider audience with a celebration and showcase of epic female creativity.
So, I worked with a crack team to create the There’s a Good Girl exhibition. The first all-women exhibition, in fact. And it got a lot more attention than a talk ever would have, including a double page spread in The Independent, and a host of articles in publications such as Campaign, Sunday Style Magazine, and Creative Review, plus live interviews on BBC London Radio. After a VIP preview at Saatchi & Saatchi the exhibition moved to a space in Soho for several months and was free to view.
Twenty ground-breaking female creatives and artists exhibited, including Alison Jackson, Hattie Stewart, Sara Pope and Pam Glew.
DEC 2010 - AUG 2013
EUROPEAN Creative Director | DRAFT FCB (now inferno fcb), London
Whilst here I played a major role in winning the US$1.4 billion Nivea global pitch which saw the entire Nivea portfolio consolidated into Draft FCB.
I then went on to lead the largest, most successful 360 activation platform Nivea had ever rolled out across Europe. I creatively led all agencies (inc. digital, experiential, PR).
MAY 2010 - DEC 2010
SENIOR CREATIVE | DRAFT FCB (now inferno fcb), London
Accounts included: Nivea, Nivea For Men, Post Office, SCJ, Kraft Oreo, The Dorchester Collection, General Motors, Coca Cola.
mar 2009 - may 2010
freelance SENIOR creative & commercials director
Agencies included: AMV BDDO, Quiet Storm, Exposure, Red Bee Media, Dentsu, DraftFCB, PD3 and Fred & Eric. Also working direct for the COI and direct to other clients. | was represented by ASD Lionheart as a commercials director in parallel and during this time I also wrote and directed short films which were selected to screen at International film festivals in London, Cannes, LA and New York.
apr 2003 - feb 2009
CREATIVE & COMMERCIALS DIRECTOR | QUIET STORM
Developing TV, radio, print, ambient and ‘viral’ / digital work across a large number of clients alongside the brilliant Trevor Robinson OBE.
Whilst at Quiet Storm, which is a production company as well as an agency, I began directing TV commercials, content and short films.
During my 6 years at Quiet Storm I took projects through every step, from the briefing stage, through the shoot and the edit to the finished article.
SEPT 1999 - APR 2003
CREATIVE | HHCL & PARTNERS
Hired straight from university by Steve Henry and Axel Chaldecott into the most radically creative agency at the time.
1996 - 1999
BUCKINGHAMSHIRE CHILTERNS UNIVERSITY COLLEGE
Degree course: Graphic Design & Advertising (First Class Hons).
Placements whilst at college: BBH, JWT, Saatchi & Saatchi.