Brandon Hill Communications

Meet the team

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Ian Muir - Managing Director

A communications strategist with over 20 years experience, Ian has directed and implemented a broad range of programmes across the public and private sectors. He has overseen campaigns for a variety of organisations, including Business Link, CESG, the Environment Agency, the Home Office, Land Securities, Nortel and Whitbread. He has specialist experience forging results-driven partnerships with key stakeholders. This work has involved developing innovative consultation and engagement programmes.

Ruth Jones - Director

A communications specialist with a strong event management and PR background, Ruth has spent the last eight years in an agency environment working on both private and public sector clients. Her role with Brandon Hill includes the planning and delivery of an award-winning, events-focused marketing campaign for Broadmead, the South West's largest retail area; and the delivery of a multi-city business roadshow in the USA for inward investment agency Think London.

Ruth has previously worked with clients including McDonald's, the South West RDA, Business Link and Radisson Blu Hotels.

Caroline Preece - Director

During the last three years Caroline has account managed many of Brandon Hill's public sector clients including UK Trade & Investment, a number of RDAs and sub-regions, and the Home Office. Previously Caroline spent five years working for the UK Government in Chicago as Vice Consul for UK Trade & Investment, providing her with first hand experience of the impact and effect of in-market activities, including conferences, trade shows, seminars and missions.

Since her return to the UK Caroline has directed a number of high profile and complex projects including UKTI's Advanced Engineering Launch Conference and Brazil Energy Conference, six Industry Briefing Courses, nine Inward Missions, two Outward Missions, two Roadshows, two International Seminars and eighteen trade show specific lead generation initiatives.

Natalie Birrell - Director

Natalie has worked in journalism and public relations for the past 15 years. She has managed the PR for an extensive range of professional services firms, including Clarke Willmott, Eversheds, Thring Townsend, Withy King, PricewaterhouseCoopers, HLB Kidsons, Bacon & Woodrow and Smith & Williamson, as well as a diverse range of businesses and Government-funded support agencies.

Natalie started her working life as a regional press journalist before joining the ranks of three very different PR agencies. In 2001, she established her own PR agency NB Public Relations which specialised in business-to-business communications. The company ran successfully for five years until 2006 when Natalie decided to start a family and take her career in a different direction. She worked as a freelance PR consultant and media relations trainer until 2009 when she joined Brandon Hill, where she heads up the agency's B2B portfolio.

Katherine Burges - Account Director

Katherine joined Brandon Hill Communications in February 2009 with nine years of experience across the public sector, consumer, consumer technology and FMCG sectors.

Her client portfolio has included some of the UK's leading brands; Land Rover, O'Neill's, Canned Food UK, Diet Coke, Sprite Urban Games, Sol Beer, Blossom Hill, 3 Mobile and Disney Store.

Katherine's expertise lies in developing the concept, managing and implementing high profile campaigns across national and regional press, online media and broadcast. With experience in managing celebrity partnerships through to stakeholder engagement she has a broad skill set.

Robert Buckland - Senior Consultant

Robert is a highly-experienced journalist having worked in a wide range of roles on national, regional and weekly newspapers and trade publications in London, the North, Midlands and South West. Prior to joining Brandon Hill in 2008 he spent more than 12 years as Business Editor of the Western Daily Press, the regional morning newspaper for the West Country, where he was instrumental in developing its award-winning business coverage.

Kim Pritchard - Senior Account Manager

With over seven years experience in event management, Kim specialises in public sector initiatives.

Her portfolio of events includes coordinating the SAE Global Performance Conference for the Welsh Development Agency, the National Offenders Management Service launch conference for the Home Office, and managing the presence of among others the City of Liverpool, Advantage West Midlands, Maquarie Goodman and City of Sunderland at international property exhibition MIPIM comprising management of exhibition stands, hospitality yachts, street parties, corporate rock concerts and networking events.

Kim oversees a series of high level meetings for the UK ICT Marketing Strategy Implementation Board, working with leaders from some of the UK's most prestigious firms, and she has recently managed a prestigious Roadshow for UKTI's Ports and Terminals Group. Kim manages much of our online activity and assists clients in developing event specific websites that include the ability to accept online registration, payment, and the booking of one to one meetings.

Luke Brown - Senior Account Manager

Luke joined the team in 2007, following two years as Press and Events Officer for the Bristol Old Vic Theatre where he lead on events.

His background in managing detailed events with notable guest lists has proved to be invaluable.

Luke recently delivered the international business exchange programme of three week-long events for UKTI's Oil and Gas Sector Team, and managed a two week roadshow in the USA, staging a series of complex events for Think London.

He also successfully managed the dual-centre Global Ports Seminar with over 200 UK delegates, over 20 international delegates, and one Royal.

Alex Robinson - Account Manager

Alex joined the team earlier this year with an impressive background in managing conferences, seminars and hospitality events for audiences of up to 350 people.

She has delivered events around the world including in Qatar, Italy, Portugal, Switzerland, Austria, France and Spain. Her previous clients have included Ernst & Young, Lehman Brothers, Thomas Cook Group and Wimbledon All England Tennis Club.

For Brandon Hill Communications, Alex recently helped coordinate the Life Science conference for UKTI, the Maritime Industries Roadshow, a one to one meeting event for UK and Indian companies, and an inward mission from China.

Aimee Church - Account Executive

Aimee joined the team in February 2009 with a great enthusiasm for event management.

After gaining a degree in Marketing and English Literature from Gloucestershire University, Aimee provided logistical event support for the management team of Britannia Building Society.

Since joining Brandon Hill Communications Aimee has assisted in managing the Oil and Gas international business exchange programme for UKTI, responsible for delegate support, registering UK companies for one to one meetings, and collating all information for the UK company directory.

She also recently provided key support in the preparation for and delivery of the six-day Maritime Industries Roadshow.

Amy Bullen - Account Executive

Amy joined Brandon Hill Communications in 2008 as an Account Executive.

She previously worked for Red Bull as a student brand representative before graduating from Cardiff University in 2008 with an English Literature degree.

Since joining the company Amy has worked on a range of clients including Business Link, Train to Gain and Safer Bristol. During her time with the company Amy has been an integral member of the team, delivering complex campaigns including Operation Safer Bristol, which engaged with the public and Safer Bristol partners to reduce crime and the fear of crime in Bristol.

Amy has also played an important role in promoting the services of Business Link across the region and has recently worked on a three month credit crunch campaign in collaboration with Northcliffe Media across the South West.

Brooke Nolan - Account Executive

Brooke graduated with a degree in Journalism in 2007 and went on to study Brand Management at the University of Central Florida in America. On her return she worked for South West News Service as a features writer, specialising in real life features for woman's magazines and national newspapers such as The Daily Mail, Woman's Own and Bella.

Brooke joined Brandon Hill's public relations team in August and will form an integral part of the team working on a range of clients including Broadmead, Merchant's Academy and Safer Bristol.