Award-winning Content Strategy, Audience Development and Video Leader driving innovative storytelling, brand engagement and cultural relevance at global scale. Twelve years building social, video, audio and direct-audience operations for the UK’s biggest news publishers, most recently as editorial-side content lead inside Reach plc’s Studio, a 120-person blended editorial-commercial unit covering 120+ UK and US titles. Comfortable liaising directly with C-suite. Award-winning campaigns recognised at Cannes Lions and the British Journalism Awards.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
- Led a 53-person team inside Reach Studio (120-person blended editorial-commercial unit) covering 120+ UK and US titles; previously scaled Reach Nationals’ social department from 5 to 45 as Group Head of Social Media.
- 3.6 billion video views in 2024 with +200% revenue growth on the video line at Reach Studio. Grew Mirror TikTok from 66,600 to over 1 million followers across tenure; Newcastle Chronicle TikTok +464%. Reach Nationals’ Facebook pages became the world’s most engaged news pages (NewsWhip, November 2022).
- Commercial and editorial fluency. I’ve created sponsorable episodic series that can fly organically, as well as delivered multiple £1m+ commercial campaigns won and delivered including Tesco and Allwyn/National Lottery; secured Crown Paints as exclusive sponsor of football vodcast Euro Thrash.
- Developed, commissioned and delivered original formats at scale. End-to-end slate ownership, including running the development pipeline, commissioning, production oversight, distribution and final sign-off, with decisive leadership of a large multi-disciplinary team.
- Launched and produced multiple new shows and podcasts at Studio, including Euro Thrash, Won in a Million, Poll Position, Party Games, On The Edge, The Division Bell and Back from the Brink, alongside continuing long-running franchises like News Agenda, Northern Agenda and Pride of Britain coverage.
- Daily Star’s Liz Truss lettuce livestream (October 2022) – critical decision maker and strategic lead behind the global phenomenon. 1.7 million concurrent viewers by Truss’s resignation; 1.8 billion total impressions; now in the BFI national archive.
- Deep platform and algorithm expertise. Pioneered multiple social platform launches across dozens of titles, resulting in multi-million pound increases in revenue. Maintained direct platform-partner relationships across YouTube, Meta, TikTok, X, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Reddit. These were key contacts for performance, growth and product opportunities across the business.
- Launched US brand expansions on social and video for Mirror US, Express US and Irish Star US (each reaching around 10% of the US population monthly within two years of launch).
- Passionate about data-driven decisions and AI champion. Founding advisor to Reach’s AI Steering Committee; two completed AI courses.