Meet the team...
Kevin Ruck, Chair
Kevin has worked in communications within the telecoms and ICT sector for more than 20 years. He is the editor and co-author of the book, Exploring Internal Communication.
He is a qualified lecturer, holding a Post Graduate Certificate in Education and graduated with a distinction in his MBA from the Open University in 2007. He is currently a PhD candidate, exploring Internal Communication Measurement at the University of Central Lancashire.
Kevin developed both the Internal Communication Certificate and the Internal Communication Diploma (for which he is course leader) for the CIPR.
Caroline Dawson, Deputy Chair
Caroline works in the Corporate Employee Communications team at the National Grid. She has worked in communications since graduating from Nottingham University in 2004.
Prior to the National Grid, she worked for Balfour Beatty and Network Rail. She recently completed the CIPR Diploma.
Caroline is based on The Strand in central London. Contact Caroline at caroline.dawson@nationalgrid.com.
Mark Applin, Treasurer
Mark has specialised in marketing and communications for over 15 years, with the past 12 years focused on internal communications. He has worked with a number of household names, blue-chips and multinationals. His experience spans the private and public sectors – retail, travel, tourism and charities are areas of particular expertise.
In 2001, Mark founded Intermedia. Keen to help organisations improve the quality of their internal communications, he has developed the business to focus on providing expert advice that enables clients to think strategically as well as act tactically.
With the benefit of a close focus on internal publics, Mark is always enthusiastic about opportunities to make the working world a better or more efficient place. Never afraid to roll up his sleeves and step onto the shop floor to see what's really going on, he is passionate about pushing the envelope and delivering excellence.
Whether it's operational efficiency, audience engagement, organisational transformation or just a 'curve ball', Mark is never short of a good idea or two.
Chris Newstead, Secretary
Previously to joining the Wellcome Trust, Chris worked in a variety of comms roles - both agency and in-house - including broadcast, local government, education, business and retail sectors, having begun his career with BT.
Passionate about involving people in the decisions and processes that impact upon their working lives, he's also a stickler for providing clear information.
Chris's degree is in Social Policy and Social Planning and he also holds the CIPR's Diploma.
Tom Rye-Weller
Tom joined Lloyds Bank in October 2008 and currently provides communication support to its International division.
Before joining Lloyds, Tom was an Internal Communications Executive at Ernst & Young. He has also completed the CIPR Advanced Certificate with distinction.
Contact Tom at tom.rye-weller@lloydsbanking.com.
Yvonne O'Hara
Yvonne is Head of Internal Communications at the Department for Work and Pensions where she is responsible for delivering internal communications solutions for the Permanent Secretary and Executive Team to 100,000 staff across the UK in government's biggest delivery department.
She started her career in Dublin working for Kennedy PR specialising in FMCGs (Persil, Domestos, Timotei) and luxury brands (The Merrion Hotel, Veuve Clicquot champagne).
She then moved on to sponsorship and PR management for consumer exhibition company Audience before moving into internal communications at University College London, AMEC, Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
Yvonne is a member of the CIPR and recently completed the CIPR Diploma in Public Relations.
James Field
James is responsible for managing and delivering the Internal Communication Strategy and advising the Director General and Executive team on communications to the office's 3,400 staff throughout the UK.
James started his career in the Welsh Office and National Assembly for Wales, and has since worked in PR consultancy for Working Word Public Relations in Cardiff and in corporate communications for Newport City Council. He returned to the Civil Service in 2007 when he took up his current role with ONS.
Since arriving at ONS James has been lucky enough to work with a talented team of colleagues in the Corporate Communication branch, and together they have won five CIPR PRide Awards, including two Gold and one Silver for Internal Communication.
James is a member of the CIPR, recently completed the CIPR Certificate in Internal Communication, and is currently studying for the CIM Professional Diploma in Marketing.
