Strategy, storytelling and sales support that guarantees success for disruptor and social impact innovators

Strategy, storytelling
and sales support that
guarantees success for
disruptor and social impact
innovators
Portfolio highlights, Monica Hart 2024
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I am a passionate, creative, award-winning Chartered Marketer and MBA with extensive experience in driving organic
revenue growth via B2B/B2B2C and D2C marketing and business development campaigns. Inherently curious with an
entrepreneurial spirit running in the family (my ancestors invented marmalade and Dundee cake), I have always been
interested in innovation and was an early proponent of digital technology and marketing. Having launched
consumer/business versions of Adobe PhotoShop when digital photography was in its infancy, I led the team that
introduced one of the first e-commerce systems at PhotoDisc, a start-up subsequently taken over by Getty Images
because of its sales success (£1 million(M)/day in profits by 2000). I then helped grow Alamy, a marketplace for amateur
photographers and content providers, which was acquired in 2021 by PA Media, from £9K ARR when I joined to £48M
ARR in 2004.
Reflecting my lifelong interest in health and nutrition, I went on to help the NHS save money by introducing the first
interactive symptom checkers and body maps on the NHS Choices website. I also developed the first social patient
communities/healthcare apps for pharma and health giants at WPP and drove well-being-at-work/corporate
fitness/nutrition programmes ahead of the curve. In addition to my work in healthcare, I successfully introduced digital
solutions (acquired/made equity investments) and marketing into the traditionally slow-moving, highly regulated
biotechnology and food/nutrition industries. I also repositioned DuPont and Cargill as SDG-friendly companies thought
leadership programmes ranging from regenerative agriculture, sustainable aquaculture and farming economics to
human/animal gut health and antibiotic growth promoter reduction.
Having graduated with distinction on a Fast-Track MBA course while at Cargill, I set up eSeidr (which means ‘magic’ in
Norwegian; despite being Scottish/Irish, I just liked the concept of being a commercial magician!), helping social
impact/disruptor SMEs focus, fund, find commercial success and future-proof their success. I provide fractional, ‘hands-
on’ support so customers can get access to a senior-level resource and coach as/when they need it at affordable rates. I
also take on longer-term work on this basis if required. I’ve also mentored for Virgin and LinkedIn (selected from tens of
1000s to support Virgin Voom) and leading European start-up hubs (as voted by the FT /Sifted, 2024) DigitalHealth
London and Hatch Enterprise; acted as an expert in residence for life sciences innovators at the Science Entrepreneur
Club, and supported early-stage start-ups for venture capital companies, e.g. Octopus Ventures. My commitment to
mentorship extends beyond the business world, too; I am a qualified Sports England running coach and have given my
spare time to help engage communities to improve wellbeing/health.
You can see all of the experience and professional/interpersonal expertise that I can offer you on LinkedIn.
About me and how I can help you…
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Agency/in-house social impact and disruptor customers and exit experience
Education including university
accelerators
Biotechnology and circular economy
Health, wellbeing, (including pharma and
medical devices/SaMD)
Exits (IPO/M&A)
Community/social enterprise

Portfolio highlights
Seeing the wood and dealing with the trees -
commercial strategy/rollout and digital
transformation successes
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Driving B2C and B2B2C growth and>£1M extra revenue in 12 months for SkinVision
Challenge
SkinVision, a skin cancer risk assessment app/SaaS(real-time AI anddermatologist checks combined),
had achieved success in Oceania on the back of earlier skin cancer detection campaigns run for LEO
Pharma (I worked on these when at WPP). They approached me for help with scaling sales globally after a
successful Series A raise. At that point, the offering was limited to a low-value single download. Additionally,
although successful trials had been run in Europe, the team had yet to achieve the necessary regulatory
approvals, and they were only beginning the process of applying to the FDA. Awareness in territories with
high skin cancer incidence/prevalence and risk outside of Oceania (such as the UK) was also low.
Solution
Having assessed the market share that could be won via B2C and B2B2C sign-ups in key countries and
talked to existing users, I put forward a proposal to collaborate on the development and promotion of a
subscription-based solution that could be upsold to B2C customers and also used to attract business via
B2B partners. To launch this, we worked together to improve search engine and app store optimisation.
We also co-created content with customers who had successfully escalated cancer treatment using the app
for earned/social media and programmatic campaigns. Additionally, we submitted clinical papers/posters to
win over dermatology communities and agreed on an Account-based Marketing (ABM) plan for B2B direct
sales. As gaining the approval of the NHS was key to winning B2C and B2B business, I won the team places
on the NHS Accelerator and DigitalHealth London. I introduced them to key contacts from whom the
company later secured sales. Together, we added customers via partnerships with insurance and private
healthcare companies (including BUPA, AXA PPP, Allianz Care and Generali), health-techs such as
LIVI/KRY and Babylon, corporates (e.g. Mars, Accenture), charities including Macmillan and Melanoma UK. I
also liaised with the British Association of Dermatology and other influencer groups on progress. To ensure
that we tracked progress, we set KPIs around net promoter score, sentiment metrics, loyalty and ratings,
and also agreed on revised revenue targets for B2C/B2B2C business streams.
Success
Achievements include exceeding one-year contract targets with >£1M additional revenue business from
B2B2C activities alone. B2C revenues also ~ doubled as a high percentage of single download users
converted to subscriptions (customer loyalty improved from <30% re-subscribing to > three quarters (77%)
in a year). The App Store rating rose to 4.6 from 4, and the company net promoter score soared from 28 to
45. We also grew the total active user base to >1.8M by 2019 (1.2M B2C, >190K from the UK) and saved
the NHS an estimated £2.5 million in 2018 by identifying 240 skin cancers, including 63 melanomas.
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Challenge
Dr Rupy Aujla, an NHS doctor/clinical entrepreneur with a post-grad MSc in nutritional medicine,
began his food as medicine journey in 2015 when he overcame a heart condition (Atrial Fibrillation)
without the need for invasive surgery by taking an evidence-based approach to healthy eating. He
went on to set up The Doctor’s Kitchen (TDK), publishing healthy eating (best-selling) cookbooks
and running highly rated podcasts and BBC cookery programmes while carrying the flag for healthy
eating as a working doctor and campaigner. As an NHS clinical entrepreneur, he set about making
his content even more accessible, developing an inexpensive app (IOS, Android) that was capable
of providing personalised menu plans and evidence-based advice on nutrition. To capitalise on his
‘food as medicine’ approach, I have been helping him with the commercialisation of B2B/B2C of the
beta version of his smartphone app (IOS launched late 2023, Android January 2024), against initial
KPIs of converting free trials to paid subscriptions and monthly subscriptions to yearly.
Solution
As well as suggesting packaging content around health areas - e.g., menopause and future use of
Generative AI/AI to personalise - I devised a plan that formalised an offering for B2B and B2C and
mobilised the > 1M existing app users (IOS) to become recommenders (employers, friends, and
family) via the TDK website and social channels. The Android app, launched in January 2024 and
already used by>500 thousand (K) paying users, is also being offered directly to employers, relevant
colleges (e.g., The Royal School of Ballet, which has also hosted a canteen event) and health/life
insurers. We are also exploring opportunities with the NHS that do not require regulatory approval.
Dr Rupy has already successfully run pop-up canteens in selected NHS England trusts with
Compass. Additionally, I have applied a real-world trial with Imperial College Healthcare Partners
using the Discover-NOW database (de-identified records for > 2.7M North London patients).
Success
TDK has surpassed B2C and B2B revenue KPIs ahead of schedule. The new Android app is rapidly
gaining traction thanks to the B2B yearly subscription push and has also achieved a 4.9 rating.
Mobilising existing users to refer (to employers as well as friends and family) and to upgrade to
yearly subscriptions has played a large part in this success, as has organic App Store Optimisation.
From beta launch to rapid B2B/B2C subscription growth at The Doctor’s Kitchen
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>1M free downloads,
>100.5K subscribers

Businessdevelopment approachwins millions of patients for EQL’s AI-driven MSK
triage and care services
Challenge
EQL, now an award-winning digital musculoskeletal (MSK) triage and care (including mental
health support) app/SaaS provider, had soft-launched their musculoskeletal (MSK) triage product
in the UK , and the team were considering how to market an MSK/mental health care solution
when we met via the DigitalHealth London accelerator. Regulatory approvals were required for
key markets and few prospects that would take on their self-referral solutions without certification.
The team approached me for help with a plan of action that would help them identify and target
customers in the UK (including the NHS) as well as partners that could help them market develop
globally whilst they secured the necessary regulatory and security approvals.
Solution
I led brainstorming sessions with the team, one to look at the opportunities and threats in key
markets and define the most compelling segments/micro-segments, having looked at competitor
offerings and internal strengths and weaknesses, the second to work out targeting and the best
plan of approach. Given that COVID-19 (C-19)lockdown started a week after the workshops, I
started approaching my first-level connections in the UK online with proposals focused on helping
them meet their specific challenges during the pandemic and beyond. A broader campaign also
aimed at my connections centred on universal facts, e.g. in the UK, >30% of health appointments
were for MSK-related issues. A complete business plan looking at opportunities with selected
global prospects and partners was also drafted following research with my contacts.
Success
EQL’s solutions were made available to > 30M people in just six months via white-label
agreements. This included >55 trusts and all NHS London ICBs via the Connect PhysioNow
service, and Nottingham, Birmingham, Solihull, Bedford, Greenwich, and others via Circle/NHS.
Direct NHS business was also won once regulatory approvals were in place (all of Wales and
Scotland). Partnerships with insurance, private healthcare and employee benefit companies
such as Aviva, Circle Harmony, China Taiping, Generali, Spectrum Health, Medicash and Lime
Health have added thousands more triage and care patients globally.
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Successfully scaling carbon smart soil health portfolio via global partnerships
Challenge
California-based Trace Genomics launchedin 2016, positioned as the ’23 and Me of the soil’ andfocused on
analysingthe soil microbiome for disease andpest problems with an inexpensive AI-driventest. Given that plant
disease cost producers in the US alone $220 billion (B)a year in 2018, this approach seemed to make sense. Having
succeeded in disease indication trials with speciality crops in the US, the company started to think about developing
preventative and regenerativesoil health programmes that would reduce worldwide soil degradation/erosion. This
issue in intensively farmed landcost $400B a year globally at the time and stillhampers carbon sequestering.
Solution
Quantitative andqualitative research was conducted with key customer/partner segments, including farmers,
agronomists, agricultural chemical manufacturers, small andlarge food andbeverage brands, policymakers,
activists andacademic scientists - asking for their point of view on the relevance of soil health andits impact not
only on the food chain but on the environment. This coincided with the push to raise money to fund the company’s
next development phase. The results showed that large-scalefarmers andfood/beverage manufacturers with their
own production facilities were increasingly focusing onthe positive impact of healthy soil,not only on the quality of
their produce but on the consumers' healthat the end of the supply chain. The global players were also keen to
include soil health in their Corporate Social Responsibility programmes. However,few actively lookedat soil
erosion’s environmental or financial knock-on effect.
Success
Having achieved $13M Series A funding, Trace used the insights to inform product line developments,
focusing on soil function indicators (subscription SaaS and consultancy)for the world’s most important crops. This
enabled them to target companies interested in active soil health programmes successfully. Today, the broadly
patented technology provides insights for > 50 crops grown in > 25 countries worldwide. Trace’s solution has also
been proven to quarter the negative impact of fossil fuels on the environment. The team’spositive drive to slow
climate change andimprove food security has also led to them being selected as a World Economic Forum
technology partner, gaining a place on AB InBev’s 100 accelerator programme, winning the global Foodshot Soil
Innovation 3.0 and AI/Agtech Innovation awards in 2019 and being listed year-on-year as a top agri-tech player by
the likes of Forbes and Thrive. In 2024, the new positioning as the first and only company to combine soil science,
genomics and machine learning to measure the bacteria and fungi in the soil that cause diseases and rob plants of
nutrients has led to us collaborating again on an oversubscribed Series B raise ($10.5M).
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Challenge
Asia–based digital therapeutics (DTx) provider WellthyTherapeutics was focused on gathering evidence in many different
areas of chronic conditions and women’s health when they approached me for help. They wanted to expand geographically
to the EU and the US; however, given limited resources, including the lack of culturally appropriate content for these regions
and an incomplete regulatory infrastructure (including no EU/US-based trials), we agreed to look at finding a way of
expanding locally in the short-term while building awareness via global win-win partnerships in key therapy areas.
Solution
Having reached a maturity point in terms of urban demand in India and with few new products to launch for urban patients
after the C-19 pandemic, global pharma such as Roche, Bayer, Pfizer and Abbott and also local players such as Cipla and
Intas were looking for a way to tap into rural markets in India. Given the language and cultural barriers faced, Wellthy’s
multi-lingual option delivered by local coaches was a great solution. Many more rural Indians had a mobile because of
homeschooling during the C-19 lockdowns, so digital delivery worked well; Wellthy’s DTx also offered a valuable means of
tracking value-based outcomes to the government and other payers. In addition, global insurance companies have also
been looking for ways to increase the addressable market in regions like Asia and the Middle East without increasing
underwriting costs. Wellthy’s offering has given them access to better real-time data from patients and enabled them to offer
better, affordable products for previously hard-to-reach segments.
Success
Real-world trials of Roche’s AccuCheck Active blood glucose monitor combined with Wellthy’s Care App in Tier Three rural
Indian cities resulted in full participation and significant reductions in blood glucose. Roche subsequently expanded their
use to other parts of Asia, the Middle East, and customer segments in Europe(the latter after regulatory approval and
ISO385 was gained). Dr Varsha Khatry, Head - of Medical and Scientific Affairs, Regulatory Affairs, Quality and PV at
Roche, commented, “There is incredible potential with this added layer of intervention from Wellthy for improving patient
self-management.” Abbott has achieved similar success in cardiovascular DTx in India and beyond with Wellthy. Cipla trials
were so successful that the company (one of the highest-earning pharma organisations in India) acquired a minority stake in
Wellthy. Great results have also been achieved through offering facilitated self-reporting, patient education and health
coaching in patients with hypertension and diabetes via medication QR codes for health/life insurance and reinsurance
companies such as Aviva, Cigna(Manulife, BUPA/MaxLife, RGA and Swiss Re. Wellthy has since been acquired for a great
price by leading Gulf Corporation primary care provider True Doc, which is keen to expand into Asia and the EU.
Achieving rapid revenue growth globally for Asian Digital Therapeutics provider
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Addressing the gap in the market for real-time, affordable microbiome monitoring
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Challenge
There is a wealth of scientific evidence highlighting the importance of understanding the gut
microbiota in treating chronic illnesses, including cancer and difficult-to-treat autoimmune
diseases such as Irritable Bowel Disease. However, when Enteromics first came up with
the idea of developing an affordable ingestible smart sensing pill that tracks the microbiome
and provides feedback to a smartphone app in real-time, the methods for investigating gut
health were reactive, invasive, expensive and often required hospitalisation. Octopus
Ventures introduced me to the Enteromics team when they were at the pre-seed stage, with
a view to investing in them themselves once proof of concept had been achieved.
Solution
Having secured UK Smart Grant funding to do some initial research, the core components
of the ingestible device were evaluated for safety and performance in partnership with
University College London and manufacturing plans so that initial patent applications could
be made. Given that Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a common, costly and, as yet,
uncurable health condition in the UK, the decision was made to focus research on Crohn’s
and Ulcerative Colitis patient needs nationally before shifting attention to the US, where up
to 15% of the population are thought to suffer from IBS. I put together research proposals
for the UK and US, set up potential partnerships (e.g. Walgreen Boots Alliance), further
investment (angel, VC, grants and awards) and commercialisation plans. At the same time,
the team determined the next steps in manufacturing. Microsoft also provided technical and
financial support throughout the MVP build.
Success
Despite the project being delayed by the founders' completion of their PhDs, we achieved
MVP status with the relevant approvals to test during the pandemic. The overwhelmingly
positive feedback from > 70% of health professional groups and patients is a testament to
the potential and market acceptance of our project. The development has been on hold
since the founders had a major personal falling out. Still, the learnings from the project have
sparked the potential for a similarly patient-friendly approach with excellent global IP.

Challenge
Early-stage SaaS start-up DermaDetect had achieved some success with its patent-
pending AI-driven dermatology/skin toxicity solution in Israel but wanted advice and
support on gaining market access in other parts of the world. They originally came to me
via a recommendation from eHealth Ventures when the company was looking at UK
market entry. The biggest challenge during the initial weeks after winning the business
came when I found that there were not adequate certifications in place to go for direct
entry into the best segments in their desired markets (Western Europe and the US).
Solution
Having undertaken macro, meso and micro analysis of possible markets/segments, I
developed plans for white-label approaches for less highly regulated markets (South
Asian telehealth and hospital groups with local and global reach of millions and major
Chinese telehealth with 10M local reach). At the same time, clinical trials were planned in
Europe and the US (Fast Track FDA approval). A retrospective clinical trial was also set
up at Maccabi HMO in Israel to replace the unofficial tests during the C-19 lockdown, and
negotiations began with possible trial partners in Europe. Global market entry was
achieved by piggybacking more established innovative players such as Higi, Science 37.
leading private telehealth and primary care organisations. Introductions were also made
to the innovation and licensing teams in top-rated cancer care organisations and pharma
companies such as AbbVie, Maruho and Amgen, resulting in projects around leading
dermatology and cancer drugs.
Success
We bootstrapped the company through its post MVP/seed stage, growing sales from a
loss (-$0.8M) to >$2M in 18 months (with a forecast of $3.M for 2023) and gross margin
from 77% to 86%. Grant and angel funding was also achieved to support moving forward
with regulatory approvals in the EU and US, including the planned trials with leading
health systems.
Growing from loss to profit and improving margins at DermaDetect
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Challenge
Wiltshire and Swindon Sport (WASP) is one of 43 Active Partnerships set up by the non-departmental
government body, Sports England, to encourage local community health and wellbeing. WASP operates
across three distinct areas with particular needs - Swindon, Salisbury and the market towns to the north of the
county.Swindon is the most diverse part of Wiltshire and has the highest levels of deprivation and childhood
obesity in the county. Three wards in Swindon were also significantly impacted by COVID-19, which reflects
the health inequality, housing stock and demographics in these areas.Having trained many years ago as a
running instructor via Sport England, I was always interested in helping address health inequalities in local
communities. So, when I was approached to mentor the Wiltshire team on the health and well-being aspects
of their planning at a particularly trying time for them (just after the third phase of lockdown in 2021 and amid
its move over to a registered charity), I jumped at the chance.
Solution
During the C-19 lockdown, the emphasis was on mentoring staff to improve the organisation’s visibility
(including an improved website and new partnerships with health, equality and youth organisations). In the
latter part of 2022, we worked with the operational team to assemble a new KPI-based, dashboard-driven
business plan that fitted with a post-lockdown Sport England strategy calling for improved governance,
particularly in representing BAME groups and environmental impacts. I made introductions to local NHS ICS,
social prescription bodies and other health/wellbeing organisations. Funding was also sought from local
government and other relevant avenues, as well as from Sports England.
Success
Having won >£3M in funding to roll out the new strategy, the WASP team set about addressing health
inequalities in the most deprived areas (including Swindon) with local public health teams. This included
rolling out activities in support of the NHS’s new Core20Plus5 system, which focuses on cradle-to-grave
health improvements in ethnic groups, particularly women and girls who often avoid exercise for cultural
reasons. A ‘Live Longer Better’ multigenerational campaign was developed with local volunteers, social
enterprises and prescribers, and leisure centres with activities ranging from school and senior games, park
yoga, football and runs to fitness and friendship clubs for the disabled and elderly. Local businesses were also
signed up as sponsors.
I no longer own property in Wiltshire but continue to support Sport England’s ‘active nation‘ goals in my spare
time as a running coach and volunteer at Parkrun as a Pacer.
Guiding Sports England Active Partnership team to win funding and exceed KPIs
12

Challenge
As Benjamin Herzberg of the World Bank Institute recently pointed out, “transparency is the new power”,
especially in high-value commodity supply chains where fraudulent transactions are rife. To address
provenance challenges, blockchain specialists ChainVine developed a unique blockchain-agnostic, white-
labelled track and trace system in beta. This system, designed to reduce the cost and complication of
trustworthy transactions in premium supply chains following Brexit, stood out for its ease of implementation
and cost-effectiveness. Recognising its potential, they approached me for help with their commercial strategy.
Solution
Given that food and drink production was the largest agricultural segment (worth $1.46 trillion (T) in 2018) and
that regulatory and sustainability issues in the supply chain were rife in the UK post-Brexit, I planned a
business push with contacts trading in premium consumable fare. We initiated a successful pilot distributed
ledger vintage wine provenance project with Berry Brothers & Rudd. This paved the way for a larger project
with the UK government involving a pilot track and trace frictionless, HMRC and food standards-compliant
trading system between the UK, Spain and Australia, starting with the e-labelling/auditing of wine imports.
This launched just as the pandemic was taking hold and was followed swiftly by a contract for a unique ‘sea to
sell’ fishing certification system with the Seychelles government to generate export income from its second-
largest business just as tourism, its main source of domestic revenue, was halted during C-19.
Success
The Vice President of the Seychelles Department of the Blue Economy, Vincent Meriton, said that the
system” has helped the government not only with the management of all national assets but in transiting the
Seychelles into a knowledge-based and innovation-driven economy.”
Following several successful trading projects for the UK government, ChainVine was also invited to contribute
to the 2025 UK border strategy, which is currently in limbo following the change of government. As part of this,
a hybrid financial platform /marketplace was being built to address the issue of international trade imbalances
and lack of sustainability in Rare Earth Elements (REEs) and critical minerals such as Lithium. This has now
become part of a sister company (HyYield), and ChainVine’s CEO is continuing negotiations on trials with the
UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). The Seychelles government is also looking to
extend its existing systems to improve mineral security via ChainVine.
Saving $Ms and improving supply-chain transparency with ChainVine’s smart
contracts and intelligent tracking solutions
13

Maximising profitability and growth in a crowded market for Fitter Food
Challenge
When the team at Fitter Food were referred to me, they were relatively successful, qualified fitness and nutrition
authors (two best-selling diet and nutrition books published, with 4.9 and 4.5 ratings, respectively, on Amazon).
Their D2C subscriber base of a couple of thousand was growing slowly but surely, but they had many higher-
profile competitors. They also had a cluttered portfolio and were too busy juggling their various offerings to
provide valuable, differentiated content for their members who were increasingly cancelling their subscriptions-
Additionally, they didn’t want to have an app and the website that they wanted to use as a portal was difficult to
navigate, the dietary advice offered was too specific (Paleo diets at a time when everyone wanted plant-based
options) and the Facebook forum for members was not moderated, so it often became unwieldy.
Solution
I ran a brainstorming workshop so we could get agreement on a path forward. Then, we ran a programmatic
survey on Meta sites for the type of new D2C users they were trying to recruit and conducted research with
existing customers. The feedback was used to redevelop the existing Fitter 365 subscription offering and also add
a new set of more personalised, higher-end programmes, ranging from weekend fitness and nutrition boot camps
to 12-week tailored healthcare and wellbeing programmes supported by virtual and face-to-face coaching. A new
website back-end was developed to replace the private Facebook area, improving user journeys and also yielding
vital analytics for the Fitter team. Several higher-end well-being programs were also adapted to work for the B2B
market as employee engagement and retention tools. Fitter Food Radio, rated highly by customers/Apple, was
also reinstated with guest appearances from high-profile fitness and wellbeing experts in key Fitter Food focus
areas such as mental health and menopause.

Success
Yearly subscriptions have soared to >50K, with extra revenue coming in for personalised programmes.
Keris Marsden, co-owner of Fitter Food, commented, “Our meetings with Monica were incredibly useful and
inspirational. She has a wealth of knowledge, ideas and resources and has helped us expand our reach by
focusing our business on what matters most to our various target segments. Thanks to her, we have differentiated
our core offering and significantly grown sign-ups/loyalty while also picking up lucrative B2B contracts for online
one-to-one and group coaching.”
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14

Digital transformation and focus on microbiome health doubles marginsat Cargill
Challenge
When I joined in 2016, Cargill, a leading provider of food, agriculture, financial and industrial customers
and the largest private US organisation, was facing its third year of challenging inter-company financial
results, with an 11% decline in revenues overall. Results were better in my area (nutrition and health),
with a 7% rise. However, a combination of mature, poorly differentiated products, fragmented supply
chain processes, and ‘hyper-competition’ was driving prices down. I carried out triangulated research that
showed that Cargill’s farming customers created a lot of data but that none of it was integrated and
consolidated to yield actionable information. Tracking animal health, complying with agricultural
legislation and improving healthy crop yield were particular issues. Farmers were also facing challenges
in supply-chain compliance and sustainability, particularly in emerging economies.
Solution
Firstly, we worked with dairy farms in the EU and US to develop a beta app that provided them with
integrated, actionable inventory and environmental, financial, and other benchmarking information on a
smartphone. Despite trials going well, it was clear that Cargill would need to partner with local digital
developers to grab a share of the fast-growing precision agriculture market. The Techstars Farm-to-Fork
Accelerator was set up with Ecolab to source global candidates. We also made selected equity
investments in start-ups, including an animal health facial recognition system (Cainthus), Digital Saathi (AI-
driven hyper-local farming platform), Agriness (an online pig management tool) and Regrow (a data-driven
system for identifying crops with high decarbonisation potential). In-house developments were refined to
supply chain automation/reporting and commodity crop portals (cocoa, palm and soy). In response to the
increasing demand for antibiotic growth promoter replacement and consumer gut health solutions,
investment was also made into a fund run by Seventure Ventures to identify microbiome health
opportunities, and an AI-driven poultry microbiome analysis solution called Galleon was launched.
Success
The farms that participated in the initial MVP saw a remarkable ~12% increase in dairy production and
significantly lower production costs. This success story was further amplified by Cargill’s high-margin
supplement sales in adopting farms, which grew 85% in the first 12 months. The sales team, armed with
data-driven evidence of productivity improvements, sustainability challenges and animal health status, was
able to make more informed decisions, particularly in growth areas like gut health/antibiotic replacement..
15

Focusing on evidence-based gut health solutions wins market share at DuPont
Danisco
Challenge
DuPont Danisco (then part of DuPont Biosciences and now IFF) had yet to market itself proactively since its
merger with DuPont in 2011. Despite a move towards ‘pull’ marketing by competitors, its business development
approach was almost entirely analogue, and campaign success/ROI was not tracked. There was also little
collaboration between animal and human health/nutrition areas despite products like enzymes and probiotics
being largely approved for use in both. After joining the global leadership team, it became clear that this was
due to a tactical approach to sales and that the team were out of touch with key segments in the supply chain
(food producers, food service, retail) and consumer pain points. I joined the company with a brief to manage the
introduction of product launch and business development processes to improve CAGR, which had stagnated
around the industry averages for both animal(4.3%) and human nutrition (8%) since the merger.
Solution
After conducting internal and external research, it was clear that customers felt Dupont Danisco had lost its
evidence competitive advantage post-merger as the company was virtually invisible compared to other DuPont
divisions. Macro and competitor information enabled me to assess market share potential; workshops were then
run with the senior leadership team to agree on strategic priorities and capabilities needed to drive the 4Ps for
each goal. Pricing and supply chain operations were covered via special DuPont Marketing Academy training
sessions. Regarding promotion and product, personas, journeys and value propositions were created for each
key customer type and tested with key customers. A new website was built, and integrated ‘pull’ content to meet
customer pain points/appeal to partners in the strategic growth areas was created. High-profile campaigns
around topical issues such as the provision of antibiotic-free, safe food and animal and human gut health were
tracked via Salesforce, and leads were automatically flagged for follow–up. The budget for this transformation
was small, so the focus was on optimised content created in-house and housed on a ‘recycled’ website.
Success
A year-on-year objective benchmarking exercise showed that we had regained a share of mind in animal
health, specifically in enzymes. We also quickly grew the company’s leadership profile in probiotics (for humans
and animals), a critical strategic priority. Margins on overall revenues were also improved, rising from 8% to
11% in year one, with CAGR rates of 11-14% in important categories, making the nutrition and health division
one of DuPont’s most profitable. Being able to track all marketing in a closed loop led to a better understanding
of customer preferences and linked marketing actions directly to the bottom line. The proposed merger with
Dow Chemicals led me to move on, but the long tail of campaigns lived on until IFF took the company over.

Improving offerings/profitabilitywith the 1
st
global online patient communities at
WPP
17
Challenge
WPP health and wellness agency All Global had identified the immediacy, intimacy and depth of data
insight that social media delivers as a gift to researchers when the medium was in its infancy.
Webcam/video diaries, doctor blogs and online community research were all techniques that All Global
started using when the phrase ‘Market Research Online Community (MROC)’ was not common in
pharma. Because the company had solid and trust-based relationships with stakeholders, their insights
were always deep, but using technology made the process so much more personal. It was also used
extensively in regions where social sharing was more commonplace, e.g., Asia. So, when Martin
Sorrell started to push for investment in digital, and I was taken on to support the shift, All Global was
already ahead of others in the Group in its thinking; they just needed pointing in the most profitable
direction.
Solution
I oversaw the development of an online portal area for customers that could be accessed through a
new website. The team started using private YouTube/Facebook rooms, webcam diaries,
observational patient and physician Skype recordings that I had set up access to via a secure site
area, and dashboards for real-time tracking. I also built relationships with companies like Lumi
Technologies, whose mobile patient diary app was used in many studies. I helped shape Kantar’s
mobile health products, working with healthcare professional networks in Asia, the US and Europe. I
coached All Global to grow communities and recruit patients for clinical and consumer health
research via targeted, moderated social media groups. In addition, social media listening was used
to track patient sentiment for brands like Bayer’s Nexavar (Sorafenib) cancer drug.
Success
By pushing the boundaries of technology, All Global significantly increased their sales (7.4% CAGR,
up from 2%,13.2% margin, up from 7%) and greatly improved client satisfaction ratings. The ability to
track analytics not only helped the company refine their techniques but also allowed it to conduct
quicker A/B tests. Their innovative use of technology was so successful that other WPP agencies
adopted All Global’s best-practice online research. The recommendation for a consistent approach
through all WPP/Kantar companies was finalised when Martin Sorrell departed, and all research
companies were consolidated into the Kantar brand (aside from Kantar Health, which was taken over
by Cerner in 2021 and is now part of Oracle, which acquired Cerner in 2022).

Challenge
The UK government wanted to ascertain whether NHS England's online communications supported the public
with a broad range of conditions and needs 24/7. Cost savings were also at the front of the Health Secretary’s
mind with a General Election on the horizon. It was also spending £123M a year on running NHS Direct; each
call was costing taxpayers 25% more on average than the doctors’ appointments they were supposed to be
replacing. Calls would also often result in worried patients visiting Accident and Emergency Units (where the
average cost per visit was £111). Working with Accenture, I put forward a proposal to do the first-ever audit of the
entire NHS England online estate, including not only primary and secondary local care but also ‘central’ sites like
NHS Choices. My findings formed part of a report that revealed £86M was being spent on the design alone of the
>4K sites audited even though only two-thirds could be described as ‘live’. >50% of the live sites were also poorly
designed, with confusing navigation and often duplicated content. Despite spending>£2.7M/year on Google
AdWords to improve search engine positions for these sites, patients interviewed universally said it was difficult to
locate appropriate NHS information online.

Solution
Adopted recommendations included shutting down redundant sites, replacing NHS Direct with NHS Choices and
optimising Choices as a responsive central hub for NHS England information. The NHS111 24/7 service now in
place was also user-tested, backed up by a new online symptom checker that empowered patients to do the first
stage of non-emergency assessments online on NHS Choices. Interactive human figures against whose
symptoms could be checked by clicking on relative body areas were added, and search terms used were tracked.
Success
Savings of > 50% were made almost immediately by shutting down redundant sites and merging content. Spend
on pay-per-click was also put on hold in favour of organic optimisation. Ongoing monitoring confirmed that the
new symptom checker service and the consolidation onto NHS Choices saved ~£44M through reductions in
avoidable and unnecessary consultations alone. There were 47M visits to the symptom checker in the first six
months; comprehensive and accessible information and treatment paths on >800 conditions were available at
launch, with conditions covered increasing to 1M in the first year. Additionally, > third (37%) of users reported that
it decreased their use of GP services (and did so appropriately through self-care). Considering the cost per
visit/resolution and spending on the new content, the per-patient average was £0.46, compared positively to the
previous £16-50 per call cost for NHS Direct. The body maps have since been redeveloped as an index on NHS
Choices, which remains a central hub for NHS patients.
Saving the NHS £Ms andempoweringpatients to self-check symptoms
18

Growingrevenue with ‘pull content’ for new students and alumni at
Edinburgh Business School
Challenge
Globally, Edinburgh Business School (EBS), part of Heriot-Watt University,is one of the largest providers of post-
graduate business education, with their flagship Masters in Business Administration (MBA), Doctorate (DBA) and 10
additional Masters study paths. The world’s first distance learning MBA provider with campuses in Dubai, Malaysia,
and Edinburgh, EBS offerstuitionin 166 countries across four languages, with three different ways of studying,
including online for those who want to carry on with their day job in tandem. The EBS team struggledto get across
these points ofdifference andneeded an innovative platform to sell the significantbenefits of their learning
philosophy more widely.
Solution
I worked with theEBS teamto deconstruct what they do and determine their vision/mission. Teasing out each
element allowed us to help EBStell their story in a much more straightforward, direct andeasy-to-grasp manner.
Their point of differentiation was established as the fact that they make a transformational difference through their
mission-led approach of leading the world in globally accessible, practice-oriented business education and research.
We also carried outuser testing to ensure that the story resonated with key groups.
A web platform was developed to optimise global reach,with a journey that answered three principal questions;

•What do you want to study?
•How do you want to study?
•Where do you want to study?
The new site offered enhanced search and analytics and location-based, personalised promotion capabilities. A
much-improved fees calculator was also added, as this was a proven exit point on the old site. The site was
promoted not only direct to potential new students and via companies known to sponsor employee further
education but also to alums.
Success
In the first few weeks after launch, the results were “nothing short of inspiring”, in the words of the EBS team. Mobile
visits were up >473%; new enquiries increased by ~50%, and unique site visits from the target demographic grew by
~40%. Registrations resulting in new students also increased by ~40% year-on-year. By connecting current students
and alumni to their community, EBS gained additional business from former students.
.
19

Improving membership retention/growth for the National Housing Federation (NHF)
Challenge
The NHF - a trade organisation that helps members provide and regenerate homes for around six
million people by winning government and other funding –needed helpwith its positioning in a
crowded space. Bodiessuch asthe Chartered Institute of Housing were competing for the member
pound and itswebsite (or rather websites,as there were two main ones andmany micro-sites).
Other communications vehiclesalso did not helpmake a compellingcase for members to stay.
Solution
I leda highly competitive pitch against six other agencies, with a strategy focussed onre-
buildingthe website and itse-commerce/member communityareas into an engaging, easy-
to-navigate hub as a first step. Having won the business, I conducted research with all key
stakeholders,including focus groups, one-to-oneinterviews, usability workshops, and offline
andonline card sorting andagreed onthe metrics against which we would work. The overall
aim was to reposition NHF in key stakeholders’ eyes as the definitive voice of social housing
rather than an organisationstruggling to lead the way.
Success
The new website has been central to achieving/exceeding the goals we agreed with the NHF team.
Key Performance indicators (KPIs) for the first six months were exceeded, including improved
member engagement (21K to 50K unique visits per month with many more page views and far
fewer early site exits per user) and membership loyalty up from 49% to >70%).In the first year,
there was also a positive upturn in membership numbers (mainly new and lapsed returners) and
>300 % growth in renewals, exceeding targets. Revenues from e-commerce in year one accounted
for >75% of total sales, amounting to a 165% increase. In addition, member feedback/sentiment
since the launch has been overwhelmingly positive, not only about the sitebut also about the
improved value that NHF was offering its members. The then-CEO of NHF, David Orr,commented,
“The new strategy, including the online ande-commercepush, has transformed the organisation
andraised its profile not only with current/former members and prospects but with government and
other key stakeholders.”
20
20

Portfolio highlights
Defining difference and driving growth at
scale via thought leadership
and influencer marketing
21

Winning customer trust by offering sustainably produced protein products at Cargill
Challenge
As the world’s largest supplier of ground beef and a leader in the production of commodities that are often unethically and unsustainably
produced - cocoa, chocolate and palm oil - Cargill has always been keen to stress its complete commitment to the UN’s Sustainable
Development Goals (SDG). Having acquired the EWOS aquaculture brand, Cargill needed to position itself against strong competition in
the push to sustainably produce 93.6M tonnes of seafood by 2030 (World Bank, 2017). Similarly, it was facing customer pressure to
invest in alternative means of protein production to meet the predicted 70% rise in protein consumption by 2050.
Solution
Research showed that sustainably produced fish topped the list of protein bought in Cargill’s largest markets and that consumers were
willing to pay a premium price for sustainably caught seafood. EWOS had a record as a small, highly sustainable producer, so we moved
quickly to ensure that this favourable positioning was reinforced after the merger and that Cargill benefitted from the association. As well as
getting involved in initiatives such as the Seafood Task Force (which addressed specific concerns in Thai fisheries), we committed to
opening an Asian aqua innovation centre and producing a yearly report detailing how all aquaculture practices were completely sustainable
– from only sourcing marine ingredients from IFFO RS certified factories, through to waste reduction (70% recycled) and mitigation of
ecological and carbon footprints. New technology, a key player in our sustainability efforts, played its part in meeting SDGs such as goal
17, ‘Life Below Water’, with innovations such as a NIR tracking device that cut fish loss by detecting poor nutrition, water pollution and
disease. The ‘Sea Further’ charter has also been released to provide cast-iron guarantees of tracked sustainable practices to food service
and retail customers.
In terms of alternative protein investment, Cargill has focussed on areas of expertise such as sustainable ingredient supply (e.g., Puris’ pea
protein), private label supply of sustainably produced plant-based products and funding for selected cultivated protein companies, including
Wildtype, which grows protein from seafood cells.
Success
Cargill’s sustainability efforts in aquaculture have not only garnered prestigious awards (including the US State Department Award for
Corporate Excellence and a Keystone Policy Center award with Greenpeace); they have also fostered a strong bond of trust with fish
farmers. This trust has contributed significantly to the farmers’ ability to make their operations more sustainable, particularly in Asia and
Central America. In these regions, companies such as integrated shrimp producer Seajoy have not only had shrimp nutrition and welfare
support from Cargill; we also helped them meet the stringent quality, ethical and ‘green’ certifications needed to trade in the US and EU.
Additionally, Cargill’s strategic approach to winning via the sustainable supply of diversified protein sources led to CNBC declaring them
to be a “formidable player” in plant-based ‘meat’ a market that they say “has for too long been driven by fads and brands that are
ultimately unsustainable in their practices.”
22

Repositioning DuPont from a chemicalscompany to a food security champion
Challenge
A decade ago, DuPont was best known for producing hazardous chemicals and
coatings. This reputation often tarnished its nutrition-related divisions and brands
- from Pioneer (now Corteva), which deals with crops, to the Nutrition and Health
bioscience segments, which grew after a merger with Danisco in 2011.
Solution
DuPont’s association with the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) helped the
company get around this branding issue and get back on its feet after a drought in
2013. The 2014 Economist Global Food Security Index published with DuPont
measured 109 countries against 28 food security indicators that monitor the ongoing
impact of agriculture investments, collaborations and policies worldwide. Its focus on
the accessibility, affordability, and quality/safety of food, as well as transparent
production, was totally in line with those of DuPont’s nutrition and health teams, so it
made a great partner. In addition, the company was involved in a healthy nutrition
drive around childhood obesity and other food-related health burdens, centring in on
geographic areas highlighted as problematic by the EIU.
DuPont leadership was also invited to join the food security conversation with Key
Opinion Leaders, including Michelle and Barack Obama (Milan Expo, 2015,
American Food 2.0 area); Madeleine Albright (AgriVision 2015), and others
supporting more sustainable food production, e.g. UN FAO, WWF, Unilever.

Success
Research and analytics up to 2016, including global sentiment metrics in key
segments, revealed a significant shift in public perception of DuPont. The
company was increasingly associated with sustainability messages, with this shift
effectively distancing it from its previous image as a chemical company. In 2015, >
two-thirds of search and development funding allocated by shareholders and other
key stakeholders went to supporting food security, particularly in emerging
markets. However, the proposed merger with Dow in 2016 led to the nutrition and
health and others in the biosciences division breaking away from the main
company and eventually merging with IFF.
23

Global thought leadership programmes grow WPP’s evidence-based oncology
business
Challenge
WPP health and wellness insights agency Kantar Health was a market leader
in evidence-based oncology research, including cancer epidemiology, market
access, clinical pipeline potential, and treatment trends. However, when I
joined, it did not publicise this expertise in the fastest-growing markets,
particularly in emerging markets where the potential for growth was enormous.
Solution
A thought leadership programme was rolled out,which involvedthe company’s
global experts fronting content (ghostwritten and designed by myself and my
team) on social media/blogs against a planned calendar. We also hosted
webinars that included the experts alongside well-known industry figures
(including a series on oncology market access with a leading global
pharmaceutical journal) and won them keynote speech slots at conferences
(e.g., EPHMRA Asia). An oncology expert blog was started on a newly
launched website, with calls to action to get free content such as white papers,
infographics and articles. We also formed relationships with leading
doctor/medical professional associations in Asia, the UK and the US and ran
oncology panels with patient groups using preferred channels such as mobile.
Additionally, local social media listening was deployed in countries like China,
Taiwan and South Korea, where patients were very active and vocal online.
Success
Analytics revealed a significant increase in registrations and downloads of
oncology content, blog followers, and sales enquiries/conversions, particularly
in Asia, the US, and the UK. More importantly, the positive sentiment metrics
and benchmarking clearly indicated that we were not just gaining traction but
being recognised as the foremost oncology research experts in the target
geographies. The team continues to be recognised as evidence-based cancer
insight experts following various mergers (with Cerner and Oracle).
24

Winning global and local market share in diabetes research and patient education
for WPP
Challenge
Lack of patient compliance and patient education have been contributing factors to the epidemic
growth of diabetes in India and China for several decades now. WPP’s health and wellness agencies
conducted annual studies in both countries (Kantar Health), had excellent information on online
patient consumption (TNS Digital Life studies) and also offered excellent on-the-ground patient
education expertise (e.g., Sudler & Hennessey (now VML Health) and Ogilvy Health). However,
awareness of the company’s diabetes research capabilities among local and global pharma
companies as a whole was low, particularly for Kantar Health.
Solution
I collaborated with global health and wellness teams to develop a tailored report and consultancy
offerings that would support healthcare and pharma companies in identifying and educating at-risk
populations. The offerings were aimed at international and local companies, and so the global
marketing campaigns had to be tailored to ensure cultural appropriateness. We worked with local
medical panels to devise online and in-person educational campaigns. Articles were published in the
Times of India, Economic Observer (China), Pharma Exec, PM Live, SCRIP, Pharma Marketing, The
Economist and on popular diabetes blogs as well as relevant WPP channels. I achieved keynote
speech places at the Economist Healthcare summit in Asia (and the Kantar Health team appeared on
Channel News Asia talking about diabetes as part of this). In addition to earned media, The Economist
featured a white paper on Type 2 diabetes in China as a download. The key findings were also
summarised in infographics publicised on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and local social media popular
at the time,e.g. Weibo and KakaoTalk.
Success
The report was sold for a nominal fee to key pharmaceutical companies operating in the worst
impacted countries to secure buy-in. As a result, the local teams won several patient studies to
embellish the findings, and additional educational services around diabetes were also sold globally
to diabetes market leaders such as Novo Nordisk. The free supporting content was downloaded
by>1,000, 22% of whom also subsequently enquired. Many of the millions of members of the
leading physician network in China - DXY - also purchased the report after it was featured on its
website. This success was repeated with Doximity, the largest doctor network in the US.
25

Saving lives through HIV awareness education in China for the Red Cross
Challenge
By 2010, a lack of HIV awareness and testing facilitiesin China had resulted in ~74K people suffering
from the disease without treatment, while many more cases were unidentified or unreported. Having
received European Union funding to rectify this situation, the Red Cross engaged WPP health and
wellness agencies to work with them on a prevention campaign focussed on educating high-risk
groups, including youths, migrant labourers and homosexuals.
Solution
Research conducted with the help of the Chinese National Health Federation’s State Council AIDS
Working Committee revealed that money was being wasted on training centred on scare tactics and
wasn’t resonating with target groups. We replaced this with a ‘Getting to Zero’ programme designed to
engage and change behaviour with videos, local social media engagement and thought leadership
campaigns on issues like sexually transmitted infections. Rewards were also offered for attending
training, making positive changes to their lifestyle (e.g., condom use) and spreading the word. We used
venues where gay men tended to congregate and also set up education booths on the busiest streets
in key cities with the latest information on the disease and its treatment. In addition, we capitalised on
positive role models and influencers from target communities and enlisted government help in engaging
hard-to-reach migrant worker groups.
Success
Metrics showed improved engagement, awareness, information sharing among peers and personal
behavioural changes in at-risk groups. The number of identified cases increased as awareness grew in
the first few months, but mortality rates dropped dramatically in key cities like Beijing over time. Opinion
polls showed that tolerance of those living with HIV/Aids was also improved as non-sufferers better
understood the condition. As a result of the success and collaborative way of working with the client to
achieve great results, our work was given a Red Cross award for ‘Team Excellence’.
26

Saving Oceania’s skin (andlives) with LEO Pharma (became SkinVision)
Challenge
Although young Australians were highly aware of the damage caused by sun exposure,
government campaigns were launched to prevent over-40s from sunbathing without protection
and using sunbeds, which caused a rising incidence of sunspots and non-melanoma skin
cancers. Pharmaceutical company LEO, which specialises in dermatological therapies, wanted
to raise awareness of the dangers of skin cancer and the importance of checking moles
engagingly alongside the more formal warnings.
Solution
As part of the WPP team led by Sudler and Hennessey. (now VML Health) and Hill & Knowlton, I
was involved in developing an integrated health campaign, ‘Know Your Own Skin’ for LEO
Pharma. One of the unique elements of this campaign was the use of a celebrity ambassador,
AustralianIronman and surfing icon Guy Leech, who shared his personal experience of sun
damage. This personal touch helped us conduct a wide-scale, integrated campaign that included
an app and companion website to help users track sun damage in major cities, and booths at
Ironman events and in prominent Australian locations. Educational campaigns for GPs, nurses
and pharmacists involved local and global dermatology KOLs and skin cancer specialists
Success
Over a year, there were ~80K+ unique visitors to the website in the time before apps.. We
reached> 4M through PR alone, including an exclusive interview on leading TV show Channel
10 News, > 40 radio interviews, targeted print media coverage including The Daily Telegraph
(Australian issue), and extensive magazine coverage. We also helped the client create content
for a successful early social media campaign. In addition, we rolled out an adapted campaign
successfully in New Zealand. The Australian campaign won a PRIME award in 2012 for ‘Best
Community programme’. I was also subsequently re-hired by SkinVision as a freelance in 2018
to support B2C business and also devise and also develop key account and partnership plans in
key countries to generate B2B2C business.
27

1st healthy eating app and heart attack campaigns deliver top results for British Heart
Foundation
Challenge
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) wanted a follow-up to their award-winning “Watch Your Own Heart Attack
Campaign”, which had successfully shaved minutes off the time people with symptoms took to call 999 for > one-
third of the target population. They wanted to create a long-tail ‘win’ from the TV and YouTube campaigns
featuring the likes of David Cameron (the UK prime minister at the time) devised by a couple of agencies that I
was working with at the time.
Solution
After conducting research with target groups, we agreed on producing a healthy eating programme, supported by
a recipe app aimed at work commuters/others on the move who were already keeping an eye on their health
(e.g., cyclists, runners, gym members) as well as those with ‘at risk’ conditions such as diabetes, high cholesterol
and high blood pressure. The app was the first of its type, enabling users to search through >130 recipes by
medical condition or use the ’Inspire Me’ function if they wanted to eat more healthily. Further features included
the ability to share/e-mail recipes to a friend, store favourites, rate recipes and create shopping lists of
ingredients. We managed to carry the BHF brand identity through the app by tying it in with the recipe area on
their website; the app was publicised at BHF sporting events, via gyms, health-related Facebook groups and the
fitness, nutrition and wellbeing media. It was also offered on relevant websites, such as the online fitness store
Wiggle, as a download via programmatic ads and as part of the BHF 'Heart Matters' welcome pack for supporters
and patients.
Success
The free app was an instant success, with thousands of downloads and shares, and many positive media
reviews. BHF research at the time showed that it was the only recipe app available with nutritional search and
other features relevant to heart disease. Many who downloaded the app also visited the BHF YouTube channel
to ‘watch their own heart attack’.
Victoria Taylor, Senior Dietician at the BHF at the time, commented, “Heart and circulatory disease is still the
UK’s biggest killer, and maintaining a balanced diet is an important part of keeping the heart healthy. Now, thanks
to this app, users can quickly plan tasty meals that are good for them on their morning commute, during their
lunch break, at the gym, in the supermarket - basically wherever they can get a mobile phone signal."
57
28

Engaging new members via elite athlete influencers for Sports Wales
Challenge
With the UK Olympics just a year away, Sports Wales - the Welsh government’s lead adviser on
the nation’s fitness activities - wanted a website that inspired people to engage in sporting
activities. They also wanted to offer Welsh visitors the tools, resources and functionality
necessary to get active, such as equipment and sports clothing. In addition, they felt it was
important to celebrate Wales’s elite athletes' inspirational success. A site audit uncovered a
considerable number of missed opportunities and generated ideas for developing new features.
Solution
The resulting site, the look and feel of which is still in place today, had an ‘In Your Area’
mapping feature which displayed every sports facility’s outdoor sports area, as well as official
teams and clubs that could be joined across Wales. An Elite Performance section was
implemented to inspire visitors to engage in sport before, during and after the Olympics and
Commonwealth Games. An integrated marketing campaign to pull traffic to the site included
social media campaigns on all the main channels and a multi-media ‘What Moves You’
campaign to engage young women in activity. Digital toolkits for gyms, leisure centres and
bodies receiving grants to support sport (such as Communities First, Street Games and the
Doorstep Sports Club) were also produced to ensure strong local awareness among key
target groups
.
Success
Adam Fairbank, then Senior Marketing Officer of Sport Wales, commented, “We wanted to
inspire people to take up sport. We also wanted to celebrate Wales’s sporting success – both in
terms of our elite athletes and the work of our partners in creating accessible opportunities within
communities. This site and the various supporting campaigns have allowed us to boost our
relationship with our audiences and unite a proud sporting nation.”
29

Vulnerable youth support for UNICEF and 1
st
employee wellbeing app at Barclays
Challenge
I was initially part of the team that created a successful intranet for Barclays called Pulse. As part of
this ongoing project, the company wanted to create ongoing content with partners to demonstrate
Barclay’s commitment to supporting vulnerable customers and staff, particularly in terms of mental
health. A starting point for this was a microsite designed to encourage staff to volunteer to support the
‘Building Young Futures’ programme that UNICEF and Barclays ran together. This programme
provided vulnerable young people across 14 countries with mentoring, microfinance access and
training to enable them to stand on their own two feet. Mental health is a leading cause of death,
disability and disease for adolescents globally, particularly in countries where there is low employment
of young people.
Solution
For the UNICEF recruitment drive, placing inspiring, heart-warming stories at the heart of the microsite
was a key priority, and those were to be mainly illustrative of third-world programmes where the impact
was often most significant. We chose bold photographs that put people at the heart of the mission and
conveyed the effect that the Barclays/UNICEF projects had on the lives of the people they touched.
Ambassadors such as presenter Cat Deeley and actress Priyanka Chopra were also featured alongside
staff. We also developed content to ensure physically disabled staff also had mental health support
both via mobile (effectively the first well-being at work app) and desktop. This has since evolved into the
‘This is me’ programme that empowers staff to be open about their mental health challenges and gives
them help addressing them.
Success
Barclays and UNICEF were thrilled with the site and the fact that the number of volunteers increased
significantly after the launch. The programme’s successes have since been recognised in the finance
industry’s leading awards, a clear indication of our impact and influence. In the third-sector space,
UNICEF won the Charity Times’ Corporate National Partnership of the Year with a Financial Institution,
a prestigious accolade that underscores the value of our partnership. The extensive media coverage
further highlighted our commitment to social responsibility.
30

Raising awareness of ‘silent killers’ Hepatitis B and C for The World Hepatitis Alliance
Challenge
The World Hepatitis Alliance (WHA) wanted to take viral hepatitis awareness, advocacy,
fundraising and capacity-building to a broader audience than ever before. The brief was to
raise awareness that, at the time, one in 12 people worldwide was living with either Hepatitis
B or C (15 times as many people as were living with HIV) without knowing it until they
triggered severe health issues/death.
Solution
A five-year plan was devised with WHA staff. As part of this, an award-winning ‘Am I Number
12’ awareness campaign was put together with the PR agency at the time, Fleishman-Hillard,
with me working on the digital/integrated aspects. The initial roll-out of this campaign involved
engaging >200 patient groups and other influencers to promote the first World Hepatitis Day
(dedicated to Nobel Prize winner Dr. Baruch Blumberg, who did breakthrough research into
hepatitis). The campaign, first rolled out in 2008, spanned viral, social (including customisable
blog), web, ambient (including a branded bus with celebrities participating in testing and
distribution of condoms with the ‘Am I Number 12?' logo on), video and print media, silent
discos, fun runs/other sporting events, concerts and even a wedding between ex-patients.
Campaign ‘tool-kits’ and templates in 40 languages were given out to organisers worldwide to
facilitate.
Success
The campaign generated >42K significant visits from 137 countries to the website and
>7.65K visits to the YouTube channel in a single day. Rallies and events in 258
countries secured patient advocacy, government, WHO and corporate support. WHA/
Fleishman Hillard won gold in the Global Campaign, PR Week Awards 2009. The day
also became an annual event in 2010.
31

Openingup thedialogue between animal welfaresupporters and the UK government
Challenge
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) wanted to stimulate dialogue between
the general public and MPs on animal welfare around the time of the 2010 general election, which also
coincided with the 20
th
anniversary Breed Specific Legislation to reduce numbers of particular types of
dogs in the UK. The team approached me as I had worked on the RSPCA’s main website and a similar
microsite before the European Parliament elections in 2009. I also had the necessary experience in
lobbying to create appropriate content
Solution
I worked with a designer to develop a microsite which included a timeline of the last 20 years of animal
welfare law, leading up to the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and showing landmark changes. The site, which
was central to an award-winning ‘pull’ campaign, also gave details of the RSPCA's stance on issues like
‘dangerous' dog legislation, ensuring higher welfare farming and banning wild animals in circuses and
animals in scientific experiments. Users could access an interactive poll, watch videos about the RSPCA’s
history and discuss their views with the RSPCA, government officials, fellow activists and other
stakeholders in an online forum.
Success
Stacey Frier, the RSPCA’s parliamentary officer at the time, commented,” Animal welfare law can
sometimes be a bit of a dry subject, so we wanted a site that got the ideas across in a modern, interactive
way and kept people coming back.’ She added that the campaign did so well that they decided to keep the
microsite up and running. It has been slightly re-designed recently, but the RSPCA team have maintained
and added to the original structure as they know it works.
I consequently built an Australia-specific version of the site. Also, I continued to work with the RSPCA on
farm animal welfare when working for DuPont and Cargill, companies involved in agricultural production
and animal health.
32

Boostingstudent intake for Hurtwood Houseby engaging teenagers
Challenge
Sixth-form college Hurtwood House, the most expensive public school in the UK, was facing a shortfall in
its future intake due to fallout from the credit crunch. Despite its reputation as the leading school for the
progeny of rock stars and a haven for creative teenagers of all abilities, its marketing lacked excitement
and interaction. Vast sums of money were spent on inconsistent, poorly targeted, one-off adverts and
expensive printed prospectuses that clearly did not engage the parents/other guardians to whom they
were sent.
Solution
Having researched the paths that existing students and their families had taken to enrol, a campaign was
devised that focussed on the most attractive market segment – wealthy teenagers who would literally
pester their parents to sign them up. Digital content was used to bring the school’s unique selling point -
as the number one school for academic success and creativity combined with the freedom of a university
- to life. Social channels were set up and populated with curated content from students. Famous creative
alumni - such as Golden Globe-winning actress Emily Blunt and Walt Zimmer, a multi-award-winning film
producer at the time - were also used as influencers to get the message across. Given that the budget
was small, organic SEO was recommended as a first step. The website was gradually redesigned with
student-created ‘pull’ content such as videos and podcasts that further emphasised the focus on creative
as well as academic learning. Additionally, different user journeys were designed for students and
parents. The boarding college and the new summer school, which was opened to enable children of
various ages to take acting and singing lessons while the sixth-form college was closed, also had
different promotional content and website journeys.
Success
The slightly tweaked web design and social content helped bring the school to life for its target audience
and made it easier for the team to sell the school’s benefits against competitors. The following year’s
intake was so much improved that a waiting list had to be created for both the central college and the
summer school. Analytics and research confirmed that around a third of the surge in numbers resulted
from overseas students exploring online and then recommending that their parents enquire about
practical details such as fees via the website.
33

Branding and
storytelling that captures
hearts and minds, and motivates
positive action
Portfolio highlights
34

Challenge
When I joined Cargill’s then Nutrition and Health division, the company did not follow the same ‘Thrive’ brand
guidelines as the rest of Cargill. The brand structure was chaotic, with products from legacy companies that had
been taken over (all with very different brand marks) presented as go-to-market brands. There were also local
variations of these legacy brands, and there were no formal guidelines on how they should be given. Additionally,
product names changed depending on whether sales were B2B or B2C and also where the sale was being made,
e.g., Mazola Oil in the Western world was known as Sweekar Oil in India. This made it difficult for ~250 local and
global marketing staff, who reported to me indirectly due to the matrix structure, to follow the branding correctly. It
also made it virtually impossible to promote the company’s portfolio worldwide. Critically, there had been no
proactive discussion with customers and prospects to see how much impact this situation was having on its
stagnant sales.
Solution
My solution involved initiating a complete brand audit project and engaging the help of local teams. This 20-
country audit, which included one-to-one virtual and in-person semi-structured research with customers in the
local languages and took account of local culture, was the first of its kind in Cargill. It allowed us to establish
brand perception and identify unmet needs in animal health, precision farming, and the supply chain. The
results were significant, providing valuable brand feedback and suggestions around portfolio gaps. On the
branding side, the audit confirmed the need for substantial improvements in recognition, particularly in terms of
simplification and alignment with the existing ‘Thrive’ guidelines. In terms of unmet needs, the proposed digital
direction of play was validated, resonating with customer pain points, including differentiating their own
businesses and support.
Success
Twelve in-person/video link workshops were held to activate the changes across geographies (for staff - > 500
senior commercial team members and communications staff participated in the two-day sessions – and any
agencies they were using) and ultimately get feedback on tweaks needed to tweak B2C/B2B value propositions
and build brand templates for local implementation. Spanning four continents, this effort helped unify the team and
get their buy-in. Analytics and cross-company sales audits showed that customers had widened their range of
purchases in the year following the changes. Today, Cargill is structured differently, but its brand remains strong.
Resolving brand confusion improves cross-company sales at Cargill
35

New brand positioning inspires team to ‘catalyse’ revenues at WPP’s Kantar Health
Challenge
Kantar Health underwent an expensive rebranding exercise with a fellow WPP company in
2009. However, the company’s key value proposition was not clear to staff, and they had
not embraced any of the branding changes when I joined WPP several years later. Also,
the branding had been undertaken without doing research with key segments in the
company’s key target markets, so little was known about customer content or channel
preferences. This was reflected in marketing that was opportunistic and unmonitored in
terms of effectiveness.
Solution
Personae and customer journeys were created after extensive (in terms of segments and
geography) triangulated research had been undertaken by me (I was still a consultant at
that point, so I could act objectively). A content strategy was devised around key findings,
focusing on trackable actions in key differentiating areas. In addition, staff and business
partners were engaged to feed into a ‘brand essence’ exercise and help with website
usability testing. I focused on the word 'catalyst’ given its scientific connotations in all
languages; it also implied that the team could transform a situation by applying evidence-
based research, which was a differentiating difference. Freelance designers helped me
create the brand assets and guidelines to keep the whole process cost-effective.
Success
The new branding was rolled out across selected channels via specially selected
content to support message pillars - social media, explainer videos, webinars, an emerging
markets health quiz, e-newsletters, traditional PR and roadshow events.
To ensure company-wide buy-in, a working group of global staff was invited to input
feedback that was used along with analytics, sentiment metrics and other KPIs measures
to tweak the new brand campaign elements. A quarterly ‘key catalyst’ competition (staff
nominated by teammates as having made a transformational difference) was also
introduced. Most importantly, customers appreciated the changes in terms of look, feel, and
consistency in ‘on-message’ communication. Lynette Cook, then CEO of Kantar Health,
commented,” The whole team is so completely inspired by the new branding that it is
having a really positive impact on sales. Customers love it. Nice work, Monica and team!” 36

Newbrandpositioning/assets bring 'digital difference’to life at WPP’s All Global
Challenge
All Global was a family medical research business which WPP bought. The
company retained their personal touch and pioneering spirit despite being part of a
vast global company. However, while their existing customers were very loyal, they
needed an acquisition strategy, and competition in their sector was fierce. They
had innovative offerings but were not promoting them. Their website also needed a
total overhaul to become a secure platform, given their pioneering use of private
digital research ‘rooms’ on Facebook, YouTube, and local social media channels.
Additionally, crunched data needed to be shared more quickly and easily.
Solution
After several workshops and surveys with branding experts, Rose Design,
I developed personae and a ‘brand onion ’ that summarised the brand attributes,
values, personality and essence. I then used this to flesh out positioning and
mission statements, as well as keywords/metadata for the optimisation of online
materials. Staff input was sought, customer insights and a social programme were
put in place around the launch of the new materials to ensure adoption. The new
positioning highlighted the company’s innovative approaches, which yielded better
insights. It focused on All Global, not only knowing the industry inside out but also
using the latest research technologies and methodologies to achieve superior
results for customers. The website was also rebuilt with a back-end portal for
running panel research/patient focus groups and for generating comprehensive,
timely information from all channels used.
Success
Following the successful launch of the new look and feel, Tony Burke, then CEO
of All Global, commented, “We wouldn’t have got the branding to the great place it
is now without Monica taking the lead and steering us wisely. Her input and
inspiration have been crucial, invaluable, and very much appreciated.” When Tony
left in 2019, All Global was assimilated completely into Kantar.
37

Challenge
The NHS online audit project I worked on with Accenture that resulted in NHS Direct being
replaced not only pinpointed the lack of a consistent brand look and feel across websites but
identified that patients were not engaging with the sites, partly because of the content and also
because the design was not user friendly. While the NHS identity had been successfully
consolidated with a ‘patient first’ feel in the late 1990s, this was ‘pre-digital’. In-person patient
care was and still is a priority, but plugging into the corporate machine of intranet and emails
wasn’t even on the radar at this stage; indeed, in most hospitals and doctor’s surgeries,
mobile phone usage was banned, and any computers were generally shared. As an increasing
number of patients started to access services online, off-brand websites sprung up due to the
lack of guidelines, and NHS communications teams generally struggled with incorporating
digital information into the communications mix.
Solution
Integrated communications strategies were agreed upon, and websites were redesigned for
six NHS trusts in London and the southeast, covering large population areas, including
Imperial College Healthcare and Royal Berkshire NHS Trust as pilots. Engaging stories and
‘real’ online and offline content from staff and patients, including two-way conversations on
social media, helped improve trust levels. Branding was also consistent, with a core set of
NHS-wide imagery and easy-to-follow guidelines that allowed local teams to create locally
appropriate content that would improve optimisation. Staff were taught how to track user
journeys and act on any roadblocks shown in analytics. Employee communications were also
improved to reinforce the sense of pride in the NHS brand.
Success
Feedback from patients, analytics, and usability tracking indicated that the new sites were
much more user-friendly than earlier versions, more accessible, and instantly identifiable as
‘NHS’ by over 90% of users. This adaptability of the new websites, allowing for quick changes
in response to challenges such as COVID-19, provided a sense of security and preparedness
for future unforeseen circumstances. NHS communication teams have also been able to add
content on different topics that have moved from taboo to topical, such as mental health.
Improving NHS brand recognition andonline engagement while saving £Ms
38

Challenge
Hackney Council in East London, UK had a challenging goal to meet - to
increase literacy levels throughout the borough, which were well below the UK
average. The big challenge was getting children for whom English was not a
first language and those who dismissed reading as being ‘boring’ excited
about books and learning in general.
Solution
The Hackney team worked with designer Greg Bunbury and myself to devise
the 'Words Unite’ brand and campaign. The brand centred around a logo, and
the campaign used a wide variety of typefaces to reflect the children's ages
and ethnicities in the Borough. Featuring six-sheet posters, a launch event
with giant games attended by celebrities from Hackney (including television
presenter June Sarpong, politician Baroness Amos and best-selling author
Ruth Rendell), a content-managed website, PR, cinema/radio ads, leaflets
and partner initiatives, the campaign raised awareness for the cause. A
supporting pack, ‘Knowledge Comes From Within,’ was also given to staff at
the Hackney Learning Trust.
Success
Over the first eight months, the temporary microsite achieved >57K page
views, thousands attended the event and > 80 partner organisations signed
up to help run the programme /campaign. The percentage of pupils achieving
Level 2+ in KS1 reading increased from 72% in 2003 to the national average
of 85% just over two years into the campaign, which represented a significant
improvement. ‘Words Unite’ was also a finalist in the CIPR Excellence Awards
Best Integrated Campaign, further highlighting its impact.
Positioning reading as inspiring and unifying to improve children’s literacy
levels in East London
39

ImprovingBarnardo’sincomeby developing profitable new brands
Challenge
The Commercial Ventures arm of child protection charity Barnardo’s invests in
innovative new products to generate extra revenue from existing supporters and
also draw in new donors. The profits from these ventures go back into charity,
enhancing support for children and young people. When the ventures arm was in its
infancy, the Bernado’s team, approached me with a brief to create a new brand for
an existing family travel insurance product that hadn’t achieved its financial goals.
Solution
I worked with the Bernardo team to create a campaign that conveyed the complete
protection that such a trusted name could give children andfamilies facing adversity.
Using the analogy of very high sun protection cream protection, Factor 50 was born.
The brandwas sold online viaa launch micro-site andin Barnardo's stores and
promoted via posters, email, leaflets,andsocial media. In further promotional
phases, viral marketing was alsoused to drive awareness and sales.
Success
Despite the challenges, Factor 50 emerged as a success story in a competitive
marketplace, achieving the key goals of increasing donations and ‘shop’
revenues. Anand Shukla, Head of Social Enterprise Services at Barnardo’s at
the time, expressed his satisfaction, saying, "The feedback we have had has
been excellent, and the commercial success is the icing on the cake. Thank
you!"
40

Teamwork has made the dreams work
– feedback from colleagues and
customers
Collaboration highlights
41
41

“Monica’s speciality is pulling rabbits out
of hats; she has a knack of performing the
impossible - which is exactly what you need
when budgets and resources are tight. She
approaches marketing with a holistic view
of comms and marketing strategy and
especially understands how to harness
digital assets to eke out every penny of
value.“
Mark Sales, ex WPP
“It feels as if Monica has the
magic wand of marketing. She is able to
turn anything she touches into golden
opportunities Monica literally
transformed marketing in my
region…she always goes the extra mile.
Sherif Shafik, ex WPP
“Monica is a brilliant mentor -
approachable, always has the time to
advise, genuinely motivated by
teaching and educating others.”
Ria Collins, ex Flipside Group.
“Monica is assertive,
well-organised, fully conscious of
local needs…easy-going and patient
with new members …a strong and
valuable hand to work with.”
Juan Manuel Alonso Melo, ex Cargill
“Monica makes everyone
involved on a project feel very
valuable. Her creative vision
is balanced by her experience
whilst her enthusiasm can be
infectious. In short, Monica
makes things happen.”
Richard Bamford, ex Getty Images
“Monica is a strategically smart
and talented individual who drives
herself and her teams achieve
success beyond what they think
they were capable of. I learnt a lot
from her.”
Bryan Hill, ex Getty Images
“Monica is one of the most effective
marketing and business development
colleagues I've had the privilege to
work with. She has the ability to
communicate effectively at every level
from the grassroots to the Board .”
Stuart Cox, ex Alamy,
Getty Images,
“Just wanted to say
thank you for all the
amazing help”
Loes van Egmond,
ex SkinVision
“Monica’s insight has
been super helpful in
our growth push which
was delayed due to
COVID lockdown”
Abhishek Shah,
Wellthy Therapeutics
Further references can be found on my LinkedIn profile. Also, the
word cloud on the left came from a Johari’s Window where
colleagues and customers anonymously rated my strengths.
“Thanks for your strong
support and mentoring
in health areas. Much
appreciated!”
Steve Bowcock,
Sport England/WASP
“Thanks for all the great
work - super professional!”
Ran Kentor,, DermaDetect
“I have great respect for Monica.
As a team leader, Monica makes
everyone involved in a project feel
valuable and respected! She always
thinks of ways to make the project run
more effectively and creates great
relationships with even the most difficult
clients. I learnt a lot while working with
Monica; it's been a true pleasure, and I
would love to repeat the experience.”
So-Yeon Kim,
Ex WPP
“Monica’s excellent
workshops have made
such a difference to our
approach, and her
partner and sales push
helped win extra
business”
Pete Grinbergs, EQL
“Monica is thinking, living and
breathing ‘marketing’ at its highest
standards! I learned a lot from her and
keep learning from her professional
and super-creative mind! It is just fun
experiencing how she can transform
the global and very complicated
picture into easy-to-understand plans
and actions that get amazing results.
Great person, great professional,
great Monica!”
Albert Serayan, ex DuPont,
IFF
“Monica really understands digital
marketing; she knows how to
successfully put a company on the
map. Her work ethic and
productivity are fantastic.”
Luis Romero, Innovation Leader,
ex DuPont, DSM Firmenich
“Monica’s work
opened
Our eyes to the global
possibilities and took
us to another level,”
Joe Pianelli, ex Trace
Genomics,
FarmTrace
“Monica is simply
inspirational!”
Matt Whitmore, Fitter
Food

Need some help? Let’s talk!
Contact me@ [email protected]
and/or join my network on LinkedIn
74
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Strategy, storytelling and sales support that guarantees success for disruptor and social impact innovators

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