Academic conference	Careers Day	Events resources archive

About the speakers

Margot Raggett, Operations Director, Lexis
Joining Lexis as its first graduate trainee in 1993, Margot’s client experience includes Cunard, Domino’s, Labatt's Lager and retail businesses such as Littlewoods and Early Learning Centre. She has also worked on internal and corporate brand-building programmes and currently heads up the Thomson and Dove accounts at Lexis. During a sabbatical from Lexis, she ran the Coca-Cola Olympic sponsorship account for an agency in Sydney.

Stephen Davies, Online Communications, Edelman
Stephen holds a CIPR accredited PR degree from the University of Sunderland and has worked freelance from time to time.  He has a strong interest in, and knowledge of, how new media technologies are affecting the communications industry. He was unofficially named number one UK PR student blogger which has lead to a number of interviews with BBC radio and as the featured cover story in national PR magazine, Behind the Spin, on the blogging phenomenon. His communicating skills and avid viewing, reading and listening of all things media secured him a job at Edelman.

Ruth Allman, Media Communications Officer, Reading Borough Council
Ruth graduated from the University of Reading in 2004 with a degree in American Politics. She moved back to Somerset and starting temping with Somerset County Council. After attending the CIPR Careers Day held in the November, she approached their Communications Team to see if there was the possibility of doing some work experience with them. They agreed and she worked for them once a week, plus her own time, for 3 months. In March 2005 a full time assistant position became available to her. In August she was successful in landing a job as Media Communications Officer at Reading Borough Council.

Mark Ramsdale, Head of Education Policy, Chartered Institute of Public Relations
After graduating from Imperial College in 2001, Mark worked in the House of Commons for a Member of Parliament, looking at issues relating to Science, Engineering and Technology. He then focussed on policy development and Public Affairs, working at the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Learning and Skills Council. At the CIPR, he is responsible for Education and Professional Development. He also is undertaking the CIPR Diploma.

Kevin Taylor, Director, Companycare
A director of Companycare, a PR and marketing communications consultancy, Kevin’s speciality is the IT sector. His clients have included BT, Kodak, Siemens, and the GSM Association. He has also been an official spokesman for BT and London Transport and a radio news reporter. A Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, Kevin is a member of the Institute’s Executive and its Honorary Treasurer

Steve Pembroke, University of Lincoln
Steve is a student of Public Relations currently on a placement with the PR consultancy, The Ceres Partnership. He speaks to us during his third year of study at the University of Lincoln, where he is expecting a first class degree. Steve is a student member of the CIPR and was awarded CIPR Student Rep winner 2006 for his work in promoting the CIPR to his fellow students.

Enda Joyce
Enda is a senior consultant working on a range of accounts for Media Strategy’s corporate communications clients. Prior to this he spent three and a half years with Westminster Council’s communications team, working on a mixture of media relations, community engagement and lobbying activity. In the run-up to the 2001 General Election, Enda led the Conservative Party’s Campaigns Unit after graduating from the University of Warwick with a degree in History and Politics.
 

Emma Dale
Emma Dale is one of the co-founders of Prospect Resourcing Ltd, a recruitment agency specialising in the PR and Communications industry.

With over 12 years in PR recruitment, Emma has worked with leading PR agencies and in-house corporations to recruit their PR staff from Graduate to Managing Director level.

Kirsten Harvey
Kirsten Harvey is a press officer with Transport for London, working for the London Streets directorate. After graduating from Otago University, New Zealand, she spent several years working in France before moving to the UK. She has worked as an in-house PR practitioner at National Museums Liverpool, the National Museum of Science and Industry and Tate, and joined TfL in August this year. She has studied for the CIPR Advanced Certificate and Diploma.