Mark McLachlan

Experience

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  Leicester City Council

  Aug 1999 - Sept 2000

  Tenancy Support Worker

  My role as a Tenancy Support Worker involved working within Leicester City Council's Housing Department as part of the housing support team. My main duties involved working with people, who were living in the community and at risk of homelessness, by providing ongoing practical and social support to help encourage and develop independent living.

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  Scarborough Evening News

  Aug 2000 - Sept 2003

  Senior News Reporter

  As a Senior News Reporter my main duties included researching, developing and writing front page stories, features, previews, reviews, court reports and community news stories.

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  WWF-UK

  Sept 2003 - Jun 2006

  Regional Media Officer/Communications Manager

  The major remit of my role was responsibility for the English Regions Team's Media & Communications involving the planning, development & implementation of media & communications programmes across the English Regions. This included compiling the English Regions Team's Five Year Communications & Media Strategy. My duties included:- Devising & writing all WWF regional communication materials including press releases, corporate marketing literature, website copy, Q & As, WWF media statements, news letters & feature contributions to internal/external magazine WWF news- I lead on all media and PR activity undertaken in relation to organisational campaigns, project work, policy and public affairs initiatives, conservation programmes, fundraising and membership programmes - I briefed & messaged all WWF media spokespeople, undertaking when necessary the WWF media spokesperson role which involved being interviewed by print and broadcast media on a range of issues- I successfully completed a number of internal WWF media training & media messaging courses conducted by BBC approved external trainers - I was responsible for all regional media monitoring and was on a 24 hour call out rota in order to respond to media events or situations in which WWF was required to have a media presence- I devised all crisis communications plans, Q & As & organisational positions & statements on a range of issues.- I led crisis comms briefings with Senior Manager and Director level staff members & developed & delivered bi annual crisis events roleplays to further facilitate preparation for crisis situations. Show less

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  Redkite PR

  Jun 2006 - Mar 2007

  Account Manager/Branch Manager

  I managed a number of client accounts across a wide range of sectors including Automotive, Construction, House Building, Technology, Hotels, Leisure, Logistics, Retail and RecruitmentMy main duties included:- Developing PR plans and strategies for new clients to gain maximum profile, awareness & brand recognition for client company or organisation - Developed & wrote all press releases and editorial for each client and circulated releases to a wide range of print, broadcast & online media - Produced monthly PR reports including detailed analysis of PR strategy, cutting by cutting break-down of coverage achieved across all published, broadcast and online platforms- Attended regular monthly PR meetings, liaised with client senior managers to develop PR strategy, corporate branding and all signed-off PR activities - Copy writing for corporate literature and brochures, awards development, sponsorship, e-bulletins, compiling, designing & writing newsletters, developing and setting up photo shoots, events management for media events & photo calls, crisis management including developing & producing media statements,Q & As & media liaison- Build & develop strong relationships with national, regional, local and trade/B2B print & broadcast media journalists including editors, individual correspondents, news desks & features departments- Brief, message & prepare company spokespeople for media opportunities, organise media training for appointed spokespeople & when situation requires undertake media spokesperson role - As Branch Manager I managed a team of Account Managers within the Stratford based Midlands Office- I compiled branch progress reports, financial projections, lead and facilitated staff meetings and staff appraisals & managed Midlands office budget Show less

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  Rock Kitchen Harris

  Mar 2007 - Mar 2013

  Senior PR Account Manager

  I managed a number of client accounts across sectors including Automotive (Michelin Tyre Plc), Business Development (Michelin Development), Environment, (Mark Group – UK’s largest renewables installer) & House building, Construction, Education, Charity, and Recruitment sectorsMy main duties included:- Developing PR plans & strategies for new clients to gain maximum profile, awareness & brand recognition for client company or organisation - Develop & write all press releases & editorial for each individual client account & circulate releases to a wide range of print, broadcast & online media- Produced monthly PR reports including detailed analysis of PR strategy, cutting by cutting break-down of coverage achieved across all published, broadcast & online platforms- Attended regular monthly PR meetings, liaised with client senior managers to develop PR strategy, corporate messaging & signed-off activity - Copy writing for corporate literature & brochures, awards development, sponsorship, e-bulletins, compiling, designing & writing newsletters, developing & setting up photo shoots, events management for media events & photo calls, crisis management including developing & producing media statements, Q & As & media liaison- Build & develop strong relationships with national, regional, local & trade/B2B print & broadcast media journalists including editors, individual correspondents, news desks & features departments- Brief, message & prepare company spokespeople for media opportunities, organise media training for appointed spokespeople & when situation requires undertake media spokesperson role - Set up social media accounts, developed & delivered social media content & activity across a range of digital platforms for various client accounts- Perform active new business development role identifying potential new clients through range of techniques including newspaper & trade title research, cold calling from business lists & attending network events Show less

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  Garden Organic

  Mar 2013 - Dec 2013

  Head of PR and Communications

  I had responsibility for the delivery of public relations and communications activity for the organization. The major remit of my role included developing & delivering the communications strategy in line with key organisational aims and objectives. These included membership activities, campaigns, commissioned work programmes, stakeholder projects & initiatives.My duties included:- Developing & writing all communication materials including press releases, corporate marketing literature, brochures, annual review, website copy, Q&As & contributions to The Organic Way - Garden Organic’s tri-annual membership magazine -Developing & writing case studies relating to organisations projects, campaigns & initiatives -- Devise & deliver Garden Organic’s social media strategy & activity across multi-media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Linked-in & Pinterest - Managing organisation's communications budget including production of monthly financial reports, spending reviews & cost benefit analysis of department's spending decisions- Attended regular monthly senior management team meetings including feedback on communications team's work - Brief & message all organizational media spokespeople including Chief Executive & undertake when necessary media spokesperson role myself-Work with Garden Organic’s various ambassadors including Raymond Blanc, celebrity gardeners James Wong and Chris Collins, including provide briefings for ambassadors around media opportunities generated through Garden Organic project work- First point of contact for all media enquiries, devise and deliver media training sessions and chaperone and liaise with all media during visits to the site.- Responsibility for all media monitoring, collating of coverage & 24 hour call out - Developed crisis communications plan, Q & As, organisational positions & statements on a range of issues and lead on crisis comms briefings with Chief Executive, Directors and Senior Management team Show less

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  Advent Communications PR

  Jan 2014 - Jun 2015

  Senior PR Account Manager (18 month fixed term contract)

  - I managed a number of client accounts across a wide range of sectors including Automotive (Motofest), Business Investment and Regeneration (Coventry and Warwickshire Champions), Law (Wright Hassall), Technology (RNF Digital Innovation) Hotel, hospitality & conferences (Coombe Abbey Hotel)- Developing PR plans and strategies for new clients to gain maximum profile, awareness & brand recognition for client company or organisation - Developed & wrote all press releases and editorial for each client and circulated releases to a wide range of print, broadcast & online media - Produced monthly PR reports including detailed analysis of PR strategy, cutting by cutting break-down of coverage achieved across all published, broadcast and online platforms- Attended regular monthly PR meetings, liaised with client senior managers to develop PR strategy, corporate branding and all signed-off PR activities - Copy writing for corporate literature and brochures, awards development, sponsorship, e-bulletins, compiling, designing & writing newsletters, developing and setting up photo shoots, events management for media events & photo calls, crisis management including developing & producing media statements,Q & As & media liaison- Build & develop strong relationships with national, regional, local and trade/B2B print & broadcast media journalists including editors, individual correspondents, news desks & features departments- Brief, message & prepare company spokespeople for media opportunities, organise media training for appointed spokespeople & when situation requires undertake media spokesperson role - Set up social media accounts, developed & delivered social media content & activity across a range of digital platforms for various client accounts- Perform active new business development role identifying potential new clients through a range of techniques including newspaper & trade title research, cold calling from business lists & attending network events Show less