Michael Marijeanne

Creative Artworker

Michael adds the all-important final touch to our creative projects. 

His work is in the detail, the added consideration that makes creative concepts a reality – and good design great.

Whether through thoughtful typography, imagery or slide layout, Michael ensures that the practicalities of presentation never detract from its impact.

With close to 20 years’ experience in both agency and pre-press, he has worked with a range of global brands, including Manchester United and Walt Disney.

The best artwork requires a lot of creative discipline. Michael is certainly not short of that, having once been asked to perform martial arts for the Queen.

Alfred Sadler

Technical Assistant

Alfred provides a wide range of support to our film team.

He helps manage all our footage and backups as well as getting involved with the editorial process.

Prior to joining Bladonmore, he was a freelance photographer and videographer.

Alfred is a keen SCUBA diver and describes his best dive as being at a feeding frenzy in the Galapagos islands, surrounded by hundreds of hammerhead sharks.

David Bond

David is a senior presentation and broadcast media trainer specialising in finance.

He began his career as a fund manager at Merrill Lynch Asset Management. Since then, he has developed successful parallel careers in presentation training and documentary filmmaking. His wide interests bring a distinctive perspective to clients’ communication challenges.

He has recently worked on client projects for ArcelorMittal, HSBC and Legal and General Investment Management.

Maisha Rahman

Assistant Accountant

Lauren Webb

HR Manager

Lauren brings in – and gets the best out of – our Bladonmore talent.

Whether through mentoring schemes, career development or more pastoral matters, she makes sure we bring the best people into the business and that all staff make the most of their Bladonmore experience.

Lauren has worked across the public, private and not-for-profit sectors, having previously been UK HR manager at Quarto Publishing plc before joining Bladonmore.

She also has two keen interests – fitness and astrology; and, in true Aries style, likes to wind down in the gym with a pair of boxing gloves and a punchbag.

Robert Matthews

Robert is a highly experienced communications trainers and an award-winning journalist and commentator with extensive media training experience.

His career in the national media began as a correspondent with The Times, followed by 15 years with the Sunday Telegraph. Robert has worked for newspapers ranging from The Financial Times and Daily Telegraph to the Mail on Sunday, and the online news magazine The First Post.

Recently Robert has delivered media and crisis coaching sessions for a range of clients including BAE Systems, Nokia, and Qualcomm.

Suzanne Chapdelaine

Project Manager

Suzanne oversees projection from start to finish, understanding goals and desired outcomes while paying close attention to the details in between.

Before Bladonmore, she worked out of the New York office for a global PR firm, handling various client projects and managing studio resourcing.

After work hours you can find her practicing guitar, scoping out tickets to a show, or swinging kettlebells around her home gym, otherwise known as the space between the couch and the TV in her shared but beloved Brooklyn apartment.

Nick McAlpine

Executive Producer/Director

Nick leads Bladonmore’s film team, producing, writing and directing films that bring our clients’ business stories to life.

With three decades as a professional film maker, Nick has proven and award-winning experience of telling stories on film, throughout the world.

His work spans a range of industries; recent projects include films for Arq, Bridgepoint, Baring Vostok Capital Partners, Caledonia Investments, Poste Italiane and UniCredit. In recent years, he has developed a focus on investor communications.

Anthony Coombes

Creative Director

Ant leads our creative team, overseeing all work that comes through the studio.

He acts as a critical eye and a creative support, drawing on a wealth of corporate branding experience for the likes of Boots, RioTinto and Vodafone.

Ant has won a range of industry accolades including DBA Design Effectiveness Awards for British Gas and the NHS.

Like many creatives, from Banksy to the Brontës, Ant also shares some of his own work under a pseudonym, Faddy Finch.

Georgie Russell

Associate Director

Georgie delivers executive media and presentation coaching.

She coaches clients to become more confident communicators, advising them on techniques and strategies to deliver their messaging more successfully, for broadcast, print and live audiences.

Georgie has over 16 years’ experience working as a broadcast journalist, for the BBC, ITN and Global Radio. She spent a decade freelancing for the BBC’s Westminster bureau as a political reporter, interviewing politicians of all rank and reporting on major political events, including three general elections and the EU referendum.

In what feels like a former life, Georgie was an international lacrosse player. Nowadays, she’s more likely to be spotted walking the footpaths of Suffolk.

Vilam Vuong

Creative

Vilam brings stories to life through design.

With over ten years’ experience in the creative industry as a graphic designer, photographer and director of photography, he understands the importance and impact of strong visual content.

Vilam has helped to solve creative challenges for a wide range of organisations, including BNP Paribas, EMI and UNICEF.

Outside of the studio, he loves travel – and his motorbike – and is happiest riding around some of the world’s most beautiful places.

Sandra Davis

Director

Sandra leads on Bladonmore’s presentation coaching.

As a close advisor to senior management at organisations including Land Securities, Rio Tinto and GE, she helps leaders to articulate their message and ensure it cuts through.

Sandra has spent her entire career in communications – but in different guises. She originally started as a speech therapist, developing a scientific interest and understanding of how we process and respond to language.

Before joining Bladonmore she held directorships at a number of PR firms and was head of corporate communications for a FTSE 250 company.

Henri Piat

Senior Designer

Henri brings creative flair to our design team.

His role is to ensure that the content we produce for clients wows.

Prior to joining Bladonmore, he worked as a creative in the investment industry. He focused on brand identity, print collateral, UI design and video animation for clients including Amundi, MSCI, Fidelity International and Hermes GPE.

Henri is a big theatre buff and in his spare time can be found catching a movie or a show in West End. Whether the Oscars, the Baftas or the Olivier Awards – he’s got a great track record of picking the winner.

Sara Tingström

Producer

Sara manages our film projects, from first concept to the final cut.

With a deep understanding of digital media, she works directly with our clients, film crews and post-production team to understand the requirements of each film and ensure we always have the best team in place.

She has delivered film work for clients including Marks & Spencer, Essilor and the Actis.

You’ll normally see Sara wearing black or white, and this choice of colour palette spills over to other parts of her life, too – she is the dedicated owner of her ‘tuxedo cat’, Luuve.

Jenny Torrie

Resource Manager

Jenny coordinates and manages our in-house and freelance resourcing.

She ensures the unrivalled quality of our projects across all departments, making sure systems run smoothly and commercial opportunities are maximised. The role also supports the wider business through involvement in a range of adhoc tasks.

She spent seven years in Hong Kong, working within the housing and recruitment industries, before returning to the UK to join Bladonmore.

Growing up in a small Irish seaside town, Jenny is also a fully qualified lifeboat driver.

Natalie Powell

Consultant

Natalie Powell delivers media and crisis communications coaching to senior leaders and has a particular specialism in broadcast news media.

Natalie was previously a presenter and news journalist for Reuters TV, fronting many large business stories in recent years. She has also been London Bureau Chief at Feature News Story for 7 years, reporting live and leading a team of video journalists to cover major news stories in the UK. She has also reported for Mail+ and BBC World News.

Natalie has recently delivered coaching sessions and programmes for clients including Euromoney and Aviva.

When not in the office, you’re likely to find Natalie playing the very niche sport of tag rugby, which involves running around a pitch with velcro patches on her shorts. She’s a self-confessed addict!

Olivia Tharian

Senior Project Manager

Olivia keeps our content projects on track from beginning to end, managing timings, budgets and our own studio resources.

She acts as a regular point of contact for our clients, including Caledonia Investments, Refinitiv and Safanad, and is always on hand to tackle any challenges that pop up along the way.

Olivia started her career working in tech PR, helping her clients communicate their messaging through media relations, social media and various other channels.

Her responsibilities don’t let up outside of the office, as she’s kept on her toes by her most demanding client, Poppy – her Borador (a Labrador/collie mix).

Kai Wong

Senior Web Developer

Kai helps build our client and campaign websites.

Working closely with our design team, he has transformed creative concepts into fully functional sites for the likes of UniCredit, Caledonia Investments and Virgin Group.

Before Bladonmore, he held a variety of tech-focused roles, from designing and creating interactive museum exhibits, researching facial expressions and web development.

Kai has the odd unexpected party trick up his sleeve and can throw a playing card over 25 metres.

Ella Stoltzman-Thomas

Senior Commercial Manager

Ella is focused on building and developing our client relationships.

Applying a commercial outlook to strategic considerations, she also takes ownership of a number of our coaching projects and is responsible for end-to-end project management.

She works with a range of our clients, including HSBC, the London Stock Exchange Group and Mastercard.

Ella has a range of quirky interests, but perhaps none greater than her fascination (and deep knowledge) of true crime documentaries and criminal minds…

Shreena Patel

Associate Director

Shreena focuses on a range of strategic positioning, narrative and development projects.

For organisations including Mastercard, Marks & Spencer and ArcelorMittal, she helps to define and articulate the messaging for our clients that resonate with their audience.

With a financial services background in both the public and private sector – working for the Financial Services Authority (now FCA) and HSBC – she also spent three-and-a-half years in Hong Kong, working as Editor-in-Chief for publishing house Hong Kong Living.

A fan of detective novels, Shreena’s approach to consultancy is inspired by one of her favourite fictional sleuths, Sherlock Holmes: “I listen to their story, they listen to my comments, and then I pocket my fee.”

Jamal Dayes

Head of Digital

Jamal oversees the creation of all our digital content – from website builds to app development.

With over 15 years’ experience, he has developed digital platforms for a number of high-profile institutions, from Goldman Sachs to the BBC and Downing Street.

Before joining Bladonmore, Jamal was lead developer and head of digital at content agency Ten Alps. He’s also worked on a range of leading IPTV platforms including Public.TV and Teachers.TV.

Jamal runs more than website analytics. He has already completed five marathons – and is now eyeing up a sixth.

Kumar Grant

Kumar has over 15 years’ experience working across web development, SEO, CRO and digital marketing.

His role is to assess key user journeys, help implement best practice engagement tactics and support the development team on the deployment process of the website, managing Google Search Console, Analytics, on-page SEO/Social and URL redirects.

Liz Silvester

Development Director

Liz is focused on growing Bladonmore’s business.

She is responsible for strengthening our relationships with existing clients, promoting the full extent of our integrated offer, as well as looking at proactive approaches to new business.

She has as a wealth of experience on both agency and client-side, with a background in project management, client services and business development, covering events, magazines, content and membership services.

Liz is likely to have the smartest backdrop on any video call, with a keen eye for interior design – a side project she pursues in her spare time.

Jane Bird

Jane is an award-winning business and technology journalist who has been delivering media coaching for many years.

Formerly technology editor of The Sunday Times, she currently contributes regularly to the Financial Times and The Economist Intelligence Unit.

Jane has recently worked on client projects for Nokia, Smart Energy GB and BAE Systems Applied Intelligence.

Nicodemos Pinto

Producer

Nicodemos takes what we capture on camera and cuts the content for the screen.

He’s on hand from the very first briefing, to provide a technical steer and explore the possibilities of what a narrative can look like – literally.

Above all, Nicodemos makes sure that all of our clients end up with a polished end product. With a wealth of experience, he has helped produce films for clients including Bain Capital, Actis and Fidelity International.

Occasionally, our film projects throw up a curve ball; but, as a professional Tenpin bowler in his youth, Nicodemos is more than capable of handling them.

David Willans

Sustainability Consultant

David is a sustainability specialist and advises our clients and the wider team on ESG positioning, responsible investment issues and any other sustainability topic.

He sits within our consultancy team and works in tandem with specialists in our other areas of expertise.

He has a Masters in Sustainable Development and has worked with a wide range of companies and organisations during his agency career. He specialises in embedding sustainable working practices into organisations and communicating about it to drive change.

Outside of work he runs BeingDads, a project exploring what it means to be a great Dad – including coaching, writing a blog and working with the Fatherhood Institute.

Hayley Fletcher

Business Manager

Hayley is a lifeline to our partners and keeps everyone and everything in the business on track. 

With three offices in three different timezones, she’s always on hand to make sure nothing falls through the cracks, as well as helping run client events from our London office.

Hayley was previously executive assistant to the worldwide president of Burson-Marsteller (now Burson Cohn & Wolfe) and has a decade of experience in events and marketing roles.

Resilience and a global outlook have always been a constant for Hayley; she has travelled a lot of the eastern hemisphere, including India – five separate times.

Afea Begum

Senior Management Accountant

Afea supports our client teams with managing the finances for their accounts.

From running monthly reports to forecasting, she helps to balance the numbers and keep on top of our costs. She manages her work alongside her studies, currently working towards her AAT qualifications.

While considered in her work, Afea is also quite a spontaneous character: she once booked a one-week holiday to Bangladesh and ending up staying for a year.

Michael Holland

Editor

Michael supports the editorial and post-production elements of our film process.

He spends some time assisting ‘on set’, but his main focus is on the finer detail of how our final productions are pieced together. He is also responsible for maintaining our resource libraries and managing our archived footage.

With an academic background in music and media production, Michael previously spent four years as part of the Arcuro and Videojug Networks.

While he may be the go-to man for accessing Bladonmore’s archives, his real specialist subject is something different; he prides himself on an encyclopaedic knowledge of 90s football.

Kurtis Justin

Web Developer

Kurtis helps build a whole host of digital platforms – from websites to apps.

He works closely with our designers, turning creative concepts into fully functioning sites.

Kurtis has just come back in house, having spent some time working on freelance projects. Before that, he worked for the homelessness charity Shelter as well as a number of other agencies.

If he’s not listening to true crime podcasts, in his spare time you’ll find him rock-climbing – or driving his friends up the wall with puns, memes and sarcasm.

Cathal Smyth

Director, Strategy

Cathal works with clients on brand, employee engagement and digital strategy.

He has been working with blue-chip clients since 2000, to create and deliver effective, compelling engagement with all types of audiences. His focus is on creating brand strategies and working with design teams to create practical visual identity architectures. His client work has included large-scale brand and communications projects for Aviva, Centrica, Diageo, IHG, Kantar, Legal & General, Tesco and WPP.

Before joining Bladonmore, Cathal was an executive director at brand agency Superunion and managing director at corporate digital specialists The Group. He began his career with the US brand consultancy Siegel & Gale.

In his spare time, Cathal enjoys camping and trying to instil an element of discipline into his enthusiastic whippet.

Calum Park

Motion Designer

Leonie Dixon

Operations Director

Leonie’s role has a dual aspect with senior level client service responsibilities and a brief to oversee operations across the business with a particular focus on the US.

She has worked on a wide range of communications projects for clients from GE Power and Philips to Merck KGaA and Facebook.

Prior to Bladonmore, Leonie held senior positions in the creative division of a global PR firm – with experience in London and New York.

Outside of work, Leonie is an active runner and enjoys undertaking sporting challenges combined with her other love of glamorous travel locations.

Nick Fox

Nick is a senior strategic communications adviser based in Washington, DC.

He spent fourteen years at Virgin Group in the UK and US – initially as Director of External Relations and then as Chief Communications Officer. The latter role saw him help manage communications for the Branson Family interests as well as across the wider Group.

Prior to Virgin, Nick was a director at M:Communications in London. He started his career in marketing with JZ International.

Cathy West

Office Manager

Thanks to Cathy, day-to-day life at Bladonmore’s London HQ runs without a hitch.

Cathy ensures the smooth running of Bladonmore’s office, managing our resources and suppliers to create the best possible working environment for our team. She also supports with events, health and safety and marketing administration.

Before joining Bladonmore, Cathy worked as a project coordinator in the energy industry.

In her spare time, she’s a big fan of the open water and enjoys going sea fishing – whatever the weather!

Paul Rush

Financial Controller

Paul is responsible for all financial and management accounts across Bladonmore’s global business.

He helps our client teams manage their projects and maintain good cash flow within the business.

Paul has over 10 years’ accounting experience within the creative and media industries as company accountant at Bell Pottinger Group and group management accountant at AMV BBDO Group.

Numbers and music often go hand in hand – and Paul is no exception. While he used to manage the accounts for the Ministry of Sound Group, he’s also a DJ in his own right.

Tom Brown

Consultant

Tom produces a variety of strategic content, built around clear, creative messaging. 

He helps clients like HSBC, Aviva and Mastercard take control of their narrative – from internal campaigns to investor comms – and makes sure it lands with the right people.

Tom started his career in the design industry, helping to develop the visual identities for a number of the world’s largest FMCG brands.

He’s a keen cricketer and also takes an interest in ancient history; but, unfortunately, finds it easier to focus on centuries in books than on the pitch.

Andy Burridge

Client Services Director

Andy leads our client services team, overseeing our approach to all projects.

Working closely with our clients, he makes sure all of our work consistently meets the same high standards and delivers against the brief.

He has delivered award-winning brand campaigns for companies including RHI Magnesita and PwC, employee engagement campaigns for Allianz, Essilor and Refinitiv, and investor comms for Aviva, Caledonia Investments and Lloyds Banking Group.

Andy is a Derby County fan, partly because watching them play helps him take a break from the structured approach to his week.

Richard Rivlin

Chairman

I spend two-thirds of my time helping clients to refine their narrative and verbalise it. This means constructively speaking truth to power every day. The other third is spent obsessing about our own organisational development, striving to develop an environment where careers can blossom.

My experience:

• Trusted advisor to Diageo, Philips and Virgin Orbit amongst others.
• Project work with numerous Fortune 500 and Private Capital clients – including Bridgepoint, our very first client who we continue to serve 19 years on.
• Extensive international business development, most recently launching our US operation, which now contributes around a fifth of our revenue and rising.
• Award-winning business journalist for the Financial Times and The Sunday Telegraph, working in both London and New York.

I’m as ambitious and upbeat for our future, as I was when we set sail on 11th March 2002.

Richard Carpenter

Chief Executive Officer

Richard is responsible for driving Bladonmore’s strategy and the running of our global business.

Over his career, he has helped a large number of the world’s leading organisations to define and deliver their stories. Covering investor communications, sustainability and employee engagement, he has worked with the likes of Aviva, Facebook, Alibaba, HSBC and the London Stock Exchange.

Before joining Bladonmore, Richard was CEO of MerchantCantos, part of Brunswick Group. A former journalist at the Mail on Sunday, he is also author to various books on corporate governance and investor relations.

Outside of work, Richard likes to sign up for lots of challenging races and then come up with great excuses not to do them.

Matthew Guarente

Matt helps the leaders of organisations deliver their narrative in a clear, compelling way – providing advisory and counsel on content and expression of ideas between the stakeholders who form a company’s reputation.

With over 15 years’ consultancy experience, he has delivered trusted relationships among a number of world-leading companies including Royal Philips, HSBC, BAE Systems and Airbus, among others.

Matt held editorial management roles at Sunday Business, The Business and was launch editor of Square Mile. He was also head of the equities desk at Bloomberg News and director of the New Business Division at The Condé Nast Publications.