Archive for the ‘Ruder Finn people’ Category

On 14 July, a group of six very brave Ruder Finners will be running the British 10K London Run. The race route takes runners through the heart of Central London, passing some of the city’s most famous landmarks and through its most picturesque streets. While our runners all vary in experience, motivation and expectations, the one thing they all have in common is their secret hope to cross the finish line first…

With just under two months until the big day, training is in full swing and energy levels are buzzing. We’ll be posting regular updates from the runners on their training highlights, progress and general running chat. In the meantime, and without further ado, I present to you the 2013 Ruder Finn 10K team:

• Nick Leonard

• Laura Strong

• Jo Hirst

• Ben Roberts

• Mark Penman

• Sarah Moodie

Start placing your bets, although judging by Laura’s jazzy outfit, she’s the one to watch!

Our Managing Director Nick Leonard has already written about the exciting new hires in our Healthcare team, me included, and now we’re preparing to welcome another new member – Emma Morton, Health and Science Editor at The Sun.

Emma will be joining us as Media Strategist at the end of May after 13 years at the paper, including six years in her current editorial role, and brings unparalleled media experience into the agency.

Emma has been at the forefront of healthcare reporting and has seen at first hand the media landscape evolve. She knows the importance of online platforms, and how developments like Digital Health are changing the game.

Being on the receiving end of pitching from numerous communications agencies on a day-to-day basis, Emma will also be able to add to our already superb media skills and ensure we continue to excel at clearly communicating and maximising every story potential.

We are thrilled Emma is joining us. We’re in an even stronger position to fully integrate every media opportunity. The healthcare arena doesn’t stand still and neither do we.

Our newly strengthened media team will support our expertise in traditional healthcare communications, advocacy, public affairs and digital to enable us to develop truly integrated multifaceted campaigns that change behaviour, policy or attitiudes.

We are always looking for new members of the Ruder Finn family. If you’re interested in joining us please contact Alison Denham.

Things are moving fast in Healthcare at Ruder Finn, and we’re hiring some great people.

Becky McMichael, our Head of Strategy and Innovation, tweeted last week about Stephen Davies (above centre) joining to drive our Digital Health offering, and this is an extremely exciting development (well, I think so).

This is a huge opportunity for us as an agency; we are very strong in Healthcare, Technology, Digital and Policy, so Digital Health sits at the convergence of these areas. It’s also an industry that’s growing fast and we feel we have the people, skills and ambition to take a lead.

In addition, we have strengthened the leadership team within our core Healthcare division to reflect recent growth and capitalise on future opportunities.

Vicky O’Connor (above left) has joined as Head of Healthcare from Cohn & Wolfe and leads the team. Vicky is extremely bright, experienced and ambitious and will help us maintain the great momentum we have at the moment. Joining her is Annabel Fiddian-Green (above right) as a Director. Formerly interim head of comms at the ABPI, Annabel has worked across almost every therapeutic area and has invaluable advocacy experience – which plays very well into our global expansion.

Judith Cranford, formerly our Head of Healthcare in the UK, has taken on a global role driving our Advocacy and Global Development proposition. There are few people as experienced as Judith in this area and we are delighted she’ll make an even bigger contribution to the agency on an international scale.

So lots going on and lots still to happen. We’ve always been strong in Healthcare at RF, but these hires and our diversification strategy will take us into new, exciting and (hopefully) market-leading areas. We’re still hiring too, so if you like the sound of this please get in touch.

Having spent most of my childhood and adolescence in Basel and enjoyed its proximity to the Alps, the peace and quiet of the countryside, and secretly loving how punctual the Swiss are, I really have to vouch for the city and all it has to offer.

But my affection for Basel is not shared by my colleagues who travel there on business and moan about the outdated 80s music played in cabs and bars, the abundance of stereotypical English pubs, and lack of culture.

With this in mind, here’s a list of fun things to do while in Basel on business. 

Bar Rouge - On the 31^st floor of the Messeturm, the tallest building in Switzerland. It offers amazing views of France, Germany and Switzerland and has an impressive cocktail list.

Noohn - This trendy Japanese restaurant and bar is popular with young professionals and is a far cry from your stereotypical English pub. It offers warm sake and sushi, along with other delicacies and has a great roof terrace.

Kunsthalle - A little known fact about Basel is that the city has the highest density of museums in Switzerland. One of these is the Kunsthalle, which is centrally located and has a number of great Swiss and international works on display. During the winter months, the inner courtyard is turned into a public ice rink.

Basler Münster - Situated next to the Rhine, overlooking the city, the Munster was originally built as a Catholic cathedral but has since been converted to a Protestant church. Like many buildings in Basel, the Munster dates back to the 11th century. It is also the resting place of Desiderius Erasmus and provides great views of the city. 

“Münschter-Fähri” - A great feature of Basel are the four wooden ferries situated along the Rhine. The ferries are pushed across the Rhine by the water current and are a great alternative to walking across the bridge. Although they aren’t free (approx. 2 CHFs from previous experience) they can also be rented by the hour in the evenings should you wish to host some drinks onboard.

So if you’re Under Pressure in your meeting, make sure you Wake Up Before You Go-Go and see some of the sights. You’ll soon be saying, ‘I Just Can’t Get Enough’ of Basel!

Other than the obvious priority discussions about our client work and key account deliverables, what the healthcare team is really talking about today is what to wear to the Communiqué awards. Panic is starting to set in for some, while others are smugly sharing links to their perfect dresses that are already safely hanging up at home.

These awards are like the Oscars for our industry. As well as the prestige associated with being shortlisted for (or even better actually winning) one of these awards, it is an event at which all the great and the good of the London healthcare PR industry gather. It is a chance to see former colleagues and clients and celebrate the truly impressive and creative things that can be done in the world of healthcare PR.

The Ruder Finn team is especially excited this year as we are a nominated finalist. Based on the murmured discussions overheard around the office this morning this means that the dress needs to be extra fabulous. Should one go for the classic LBD or be bolder and braver? Knowing the characters in this office I fully anticipate that the Ruder Finn table will be singing a very colourful rainbow next month… Watch this space and we will share a photo of the team on the night.

Senior account manager/ Account director – Corporate & Technology
Fantastic opportunity for an ambitious, tech savvy SAM/AD who wants to make their mark and take a leadership role in a rapidly growing Corporate & Technology practice. The last six months has seen huge growth with four new clients coming on board and more expected to kick off in the New Year. Great balance between big global campaigns (working with our offices in the US and Asia-Pacific) and UK/European clients.

We are looking for someone who is both strategic and hands on. Who understands that clients are at the heart of our business and prides themselves on the fact their clients love them. Someone who isn’t scared to get out there and shout about the great work they do, but can be a strong team leader and an inspiration for junior team members.

Think you have all that? Get in touch.

Account executive/ Senior account executive
Fancy something a bit more challenging? Interested in an opportunity to play a key role in a rapidly growing practice? We are looking for a tech savvy account executive to join our Corporate & Technology practice. We are looking for someone who understands that media is at the heart of PR and wields their journalist contacts book with pride. Self-starting, ambitious, fun loving and organised – we want the lot. The team here at Ruder Finn is one of the best and we are happy to admit we are looking for more of the same!

Does that sound like you? If so, get in touch.

About Ruder Finn Corporate & Technology
The Corporate & Technology division has a broad range of clients from major blue chip enterprise technology providers through to science and engineering, digital and entertainment and professional services. The team works closely with our Digital division on a number of campaigns and both divisions have seen huge growth over the last year.

Ruder Finn in one of the world’s biggest independent agencies and you will have the opportunity to work on some fantastic brands on big, global campaigns. You would be joining at an exciting time – we move into some fantastic new offices in the New Year, have a new website soon to be launched and have great momentum going into 2012.

Competitive salary, great benefits, fabulous team…

Emma Sinden has been promoted to lead the technology practice in the UK. Prior to joining Ruder Finn, Emma’s career has been spent working in enterprise, consumer and mobile technology –heading up the Orange Enterprise, EMC and Infosys accounts. Emma’s focus will be on growing the division’s client base around its core areas of expertise in business-to-business, technology, corporation reputation and brand management. You can keep up with Emma on Twitter here: @esinden.

This change in the London office comes part of a wider global change at the agency with the founding of a new global technology and innovation practice with the appointment of senior executive Sabrina Guttman as global head of the practice. Sabrina is based out of San Francisco and will be working with Emma in the UK and our technology colleagues across Asia. You can see the full press release here.

In the Ruder Finn UK Corporate and Technology division we love Moo cards and we’ve been blogging about the images we use on the back of ours. Next in line is me.

This shot above is of the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth. Hugely controversial at the time - should public money be spent on more worthy causes? - and only open to the public in 2005, it has swiftly become a Portsmouth icon. Like many people I have mixed feelings about the town where I grew up and I guess if I loved it that much I wouldn’t have moved out at the first opportunity. But the Spinnaker Tower does give me a sense of pride about Pompey, with its incredible design and the breath-taking views it provides.

Next up is the obligatory childhood shot. I chose this one because, well, I think I look cool - resplendent in 70s knitwear and rocking my grandad’s hat, quite a look. I particularly like this because I can see the similarities between me and both of my daughters, it is quite uncanny.

This next shot looks about as close to paradise as you can get and the reality was the same. This is Mauritius, one of the most relaxing and beautiful places I have ever been. Its also where I proposed to my wife so its a hugely significant place to me, as well being one of the best holidays I’ve ever had.

This final one is very topical, with England having just beaten Australia in the Lord’s test match. This is my ticket from the final day of the Oval test in 2005, aka the day England finally won the ashes. As a cricket fan during the 80s and 90s I watched England suffer defeat after defeat against Australia, so this win was all the sweeter for the long wait. And the ticket was cheap too - far and away the best tenner I have ever spent!

At our team kick-off team meeting in January, we decided that the pictures on our new Moo cards should be personal to us rather than business focused to reflect the diversity of our team. We were given a pretty open remit, so we wanted to provide a few insights into the snaps that we chose.

A favourite place pic
In 2007, I was lucky enough to spend three months on secondment to our New York office. It was a truly amazing experience both for my career and personally. This was taken from the top of the Rockefeller Centre soon after I arrived. The big apple is definitely one of my favourite places in the world.

Two home pics
Home for me is Southend-on-Sea in Essex. Nick, our Managing Director, doesn’t believe that these snaps are taken on the beach by my house but its true - they are! Now you know why the Eastenders crowd come to Southend for their summer holidays; long sweeping beaches (a few stones and a bit of seaweed never hurt anyone) and a beautiful sunset - all only an hour’s train journey from London. It works for me!

A kid pic
Loving my 80s retro reins and pink jump suit, which I’m sure my mum still has somewhere in the loft. Look at my sticking-out little ears.  I’m still growing into them.

A pet pic
A rather sweet shot of my cat Amanda when she was a little kitten. Her brother Charles wouldn’t sit still for long enough to let me take a picture so he missed out. They are the most ridiculous and spoilt cats in the world.

A fav pic
I am not really known for my photography skills but have always loved this picture. It was taken a few years ago somewhere in Majorca in late March. This was one of the only times that it stopped raining during the week we were there. You can just about see the rain clouds threatening above. I’m a sucker for a sunset.

When we decided to move our business cards to Moo (green) cards earlier this year, we decided rather than a company logo or a set of pictures we all had to adhere too, we’d choose 6 designs each that represented our lives so far.  From baby photos to pets, favourite shots to where we grew up, the team has all selected designs based around their own personal story. Here are mine:

Me aged about 8 and looking cheeky.

A view from the French Alps in Tignes, the place that reminds me of my husband and a place we both love.

Our cat. the first addition to the family, now aged 6 and the size of a small dog.

A Thai fertility shrine off Raileigh beach, where we spent our honeymoon in 2003.

My favourite view - a beach in Cornwall, near Godrevy lighthouse, at sunset.

On a day off, I walked to Loe Bar in Cornwall with my two year old and someone had carefully created a mini Stonehenge on the beach. It was about knee height on my daughter.

I love this shot.

A random collection of shots but explaining them in meetings is always fun!