About me

An entertainment journalist and digital strategist with over 15 years experience working for some of the UK's biggest broadcasters and publishers. I'm a people person and a confident leader with a wide-ranging skill set and a genuine passion for popular culture. Creatively minded and results driven, I have substantial experience in creating innovative editorial content, developing the digital presence of a brand across platforms and implementing effective social media strategies all while managing the agendas and expectations of stakeholders and commercial partners. Specialities: Team management, social media content strategy and implementation, editorial development, audience growth, project management, commissioning strategy.

PostsProjectsExperienceTeam

Projects

• Pie & A PintComedy Central’s award-nominated series sees Britain’s best up-and-coming stand ups visiting our local to have a chat about all manner of issues, proving that you really can find the funny in everything if you try hard enough. This season's amazing line-up features Eddie Kadi, Babatúndé Aléshé, Jordan Gray, Stephen Trumble, Stevie Martin, Olga Koch, Kemah Bob, Sikisa, Nigel Ng and Chris Washington. Created, exec produced and edited by Ian Jones with the help of an awesome team including Ben Ho
• TransactionComedy Central's digital sitcom Transaction focuses on transgender narcissist Liv (Jordan Gray) and her best friend Tom (Thomas Gray) as they work the nightshift at a national supermarket. Created & written by: Jordan Gray Executive Producer: Rebecca Hewett Director: Ruth Pickett Producer: Leah Draws

Projects credited in

• 15

  Dragony AuntsI was the Production Designer for Comedy Central UK’s ‘Dragony Aunts’. I designed and built the set, and of course a giant swan for the queens to arrive on at the start of each episode.

Work history

Senior Director, DigitalParamount International
May 2020London, United KingdomFull Time
Lead VCNI's award-winning UK-based digital team encompassing digital producers, editors and creatives, shaping editorial content and social media publishing strategies across multiple international brands including MTV and Comedy Central. - Responsible for digital growth, execution of resources against targets, and ownership of departmental budgets. - Work in partnership with regional counterparts to ensure content strategy is aligned and scalable, and best practice recommendations are rolled out across international. - Drive the editorial output for brands across all social and digital content needs, encompassing paid and organic social media, content production, platform-specific publishing strategies and marketing and promotional activity for linear, SVOD / OTT and digital-first series. - Focus on data-driven, audience-led strategies, steering commissioning teams and making recommendations to SMT and stakeholders regarding long range business plans. - Ownership of brand style guides and tone of voice, leading editorial vision and tone across international. - Establish and manage relationships with key platform partners to drive collaboration and convert opportunities for growth and expansion with emerging social media platforms and products. - Close collaboration with internal and external sales teams to maximise revenue opportunity via content strategy. - Develop and nurture relationships with up-and-coming talent relevant to each brand. - Serve as key stakeholder in development of websites, apps and third party platforms across brands.
Digital Director, Comedy CentralParamount International
Apr 2016 - Apr 2020London, United KingdomFull Time
Responsible for the development and execution of the brand's digital and social media strategy, including the day-to-day running of the UK digital team, overseeing editorial across all platforms as well as the international distribution of original digital series. As head of the channel's flagship territory outside the US, act as a consultant with my counterparts across the international business, advising on best practice and recommending strategies to help remote teams meet targets. • Responsible for digital growth and execution of resource against targets, and management of production budgets. • Implement short and long-term digital and social publishing strategy in line with digital KPIs and channel goals, driving editorial growth and revenue. • Serve as key editorial stakeholder in development of Comedy Central’s UK and international websites, apps and third party platforms. • Communicates best practice to international teams. Develops and maintains effective workflows to localise and distribute content to regions. • Develop and deploy editorial and short-form strategies across website and all social media platforms. Exec produce Comedy Central’s in-house short-form strands and series. • Liaise with internal international sales teams to execute market-leading branded content campaigns (conception through to production), as well as crafting commercial content opportunities in line with key brand values. • Evaluate emerging social/digital tools and platforms, using them to advance Viacom’s entertainment business and broader business goals and developing a network within the digital media sector with social media platforms, talent, agencies, and brands. • Oversee third party advertising across key verticals and platforms through content and commercial partnerships. • Talent management across digital teams as well as external talent development. • Cultivates and manages brand partnerships with organisations relevant to Comedy Central’s core business aims and brand identity. Key Achievements: • Implementation of robust editorial and publishing strategies resulting in a thriving brand despite a competitive marketplace - and for the first time, a profitable digital business. • Comedy Central's cross-platform social media subscribers have grown by 479%, while our video-first social media strategy has produced a 76% uplift in video views over the last four years.

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Skills

• Entertainment Journalism
• Edit Producer
• Writer
• Social Meda Strategy
• Digital Strategy
• Digital Marketing
• Editor-in-chief
• Project Managment
• Content Managment
• Team Management

Education

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BA (Hons) English & JournalismUniversity of Lincoln
Sep 2001 - Jun 2004Lincoln, United Kingdom
BCTJ and PTC accredited - covered media law, ethics, international human rights and international media policies.

Awards

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Editorial Team Of The YearCampaign Publishing Awards