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Advisory Board
Social Media Week London wouldn’t be possible without the help, support, guidance and good cheer of our advisory board members who all help make SMW London become a reality.
Omid Ashtari
Director of Business Development, Foursquare
Omid Ashtari is Director of Business Development for foursquare and is focused on expanding the European footprint through strategic partnerships. Before joining foursquare, Omid spent 7 years with Google in Dublin, London and San Francisco. During his Google tenure he held multiple positions in sales and business development, working with a broad range of clients and partners across the globe. Omid holds a bachelor’s degree in European Business Administration from Cologne Business School Germany and graduated with Honors. He is currently based in London, UK.
Richard Ayers
Digital Innovation Consultant, Manchester City Football Club / Head of Digital Business Development, British Film Institute
Richard is focused on driving forward the club’s approach to media – by championing innovation, forming unique partnerships and delivering increased audience engagement and reach. For the last few years Richard has focused on a small portfolio of clients including the BFI, the Guardian, Kasabian and was Web Publishing Director for the regionals division of Trinity Mirror until joining Manchester City FC at the end of 2010.
Andy Bargery
Director, Klaxon Ltd
Andy Bargery runs marketing and communications agency Klaxon where he works with brands across technology, travel, construction and events sectors. His experience in social media involves advising clients including lastminute.com, Oracle, BestBuy and eBay, along with building London’s biggest blogging community.
Charlotte Beckett
Head of Digital, The Good Agency
With over 11 years digital experience, Charlotte has worked both client and agency side in private, public and third sectors. Now heading up the digital team at The Good Agency, which specializes in the not-for-profit sector, she is as a digital planner and strategist, putting together ideas for fundraising, campaigning and communications. A believer in integration but not matching luggage, she’s likely to use words like “transmedia storytelling”, “social giving” and “gamification”. Most importantly, she believes in the power of digital for social good, and the role of digital in an integrated world.
Courtney Boyd Myers
Director of Audience Development, General Assembly London
Courtney Boyd Myers is the Director of Audience Development for General Assembly in Europe focused on fortifying the future of technology through education. While she’s currently launching a New York company in London, Courtney was previously responsible for launching a European company in New York City as the East Coast Editor of The Next Web. In her role at TNW, Courtney covered New York City startups focusing on media, health, education and new economies. She started her career writing about robots for Forbes Magazine and she loves social media.
Ally Branley
Community and Social Media Manager, Channel 4
Ally Branley oversees Channel 4’s Social Media and Online Communities. Since joining Channel 4 in 2007, she’s managed the online conversation for hundreds of programmes and the growth social media activity for C4. She was previously a digital producer for MTV and UKTV, and worked as a freelance researcher and producer on comedy & music TV programmes, for Channel 4 and BBC. She began her career in the business affairs team at Planet 24 as a rights co-ordinator, after writing a paper on copyright law for creative assets, in the then emerging digital landscape of the early 90s…
Sophie Brendel
Head of Digital Communications, BBC
Sophie Brendel is the Head of Digital Communications at the BBC, responsible for communications strategy, publicity activity and reputation management for the BBC’s digital services, including BBC Online, BBC iPlayer, mobile, connected TV, R&D, technology and archive.
Sophie also leads the BBC’s Digital Engagement team, heading up the corporate websites and blog, social media activity across BBC communications, and finding new ways to engage audiences around BBC content, online.
Sophie joined the BBC in March 2009 as the Head of Strategic Communications. Prior to joining the BBC, Sophie worked for Thomson Reuters in New York and London, most recently as Global PR Director for News, where she led PR strategy, media handling and issues management for Reuters editorial division of 2,500 journalists globally.
Kerry Bridge
Social Media Manager, Global MB, Dell
Kerry leads Dell’s approach to using social media as part of the Small and Medium Business team. As part a of the Global Social Media team for the past four years, Kerry advises on best practices and use of social media related to awareness generating, thought leadership and customer insights and engagement.
Kerry manages Dell’s Small and Medium Business presence on LinkedIn including its group Business Solutions Exchange. Kerry is also a key contributor to several of Dell’s communication channels including Dell’s blogs Direct2Dell and Guide to Growth, its @Dell and @dellSMBnews accounts on Twitter and other properties including Facebook, Slideshare, YouTube and Flickr.
Kerry is involved in several UK social media groups including running the Dell’s b2b social media huddle in collaboration with For Immediate Release.
Kerry has over 13 years marketing and communications experience working in Marketing, Corporate Communications, Internal Communications, Social Media, Executive Communications, b2b and consumer communication roles at a country, regional and global level.
Kathryn Corrick
Digital Media Consultant
A decade of digital media experience has seen Kathryn contribute to the likes of McCann Erickson, Digital Britain, New Statesman magazine and the Online News Association. As well as being an independent communications consultant Kathryn is Journalist in Residence at Kingston University, UK Chair for the Online News Association and a member of Women in Journalism. She is on the advisory board of London Social Media Week and World Book Night.
Tim Crow
CEO, Synergy Sponsorship
Tim Crow is the CEO of Synergy Sponsorship, the world-leading specialist marketing consultancy. Synergy’s clients include Betfair, BMW, Coca-Cola, Diageo and Sky. Tim chaired the highly successful Socialympics panel event co-staged by Synergy and Jam as part of Social Media Week London back in February 2012.
Jerry Daykin
Social Media & Community Manager at Cadbury, Kraft Foods
Having previously worked setting up a Media Social Enterprise in East London, Jerry joined Kraft mid 2010. As the team’s first internal community manager he has provided a consistent voice around the Cadbury London 2012 sponsorship, and created new presences followed by over 3 million people.
Jerry also provides internal social media consultancy across a range of Kraft brands and has been instrumental in putting social at the heart of their agenda. They’ve demonstrated that social can truly deliver at the scale powerful consumer brands demand, as well as in providing a personal connection on an individual level.
Benjamin Ellis
Director, Redcatco and Socialoptic
Social technologist and serial entrepreneur Benjamin Ellis has worked in the on-line world since the mid 1980′s. He has worked with companies including Cisco Systems, Juniper Networks in Silicon Valley, and projects with Microsoft, IBM and Motorola.
After more than two decades working at the leading edge of technology, Benjamin is still passionate about what it can achieve, particularly at the intersections between people, communication and software. He is mainly known for his roles at Redcatco and SocialOptic, and his support for start ups and UK digital businesses. He makes the occasional appearance on Radio and TV, explaining the way that technology is changing the how businesses work, and also contributes to a number of blogs and print publications.
Alice Fung
Co-founder and Executive Director, Hub Westminster
Alice is co-founder and Executive Director of Hub Westminster where she focuses on social innovation platforms and partnerships working with a community of 1000 changemakers across London making impact across a diversity of sectors from cleantech, social finance, public service innovation and design. Hub Westminster is a new startup launched in october 2011 and provides 12,000 sq feet of space, member programming including Academy at the Hub, a top up learning programme for startups.
Alice trained as an architect and is also co-founder of 00:/, a strategic development and design practice whose work includes an institutional development strategy for Somerset House, design of Hub Kings Cross and Compendium for the Civic Economy, a collection of 25 civic enterprises showcasing more sustainable routes to a different economy in our cities, towns and neighbourhoods, commissioned by CABE and NESTA. She is a Future 100 winner for entrepreneurial flair and innovation in progressing a responsible business venture.
Rebecca Heptinstall
Community Manager, Financial Times
Rebecca is responsible for the commercial and brand led aspects of the Financial Times’ social media strategy. Prior to joining the FT, Rebecca worked agency-side in both social media and integrated agencies handling campaign execution and community management for a range of clients from FMCG, through to travel and media. Foodie and Northerner living in London with an unhealthy interest in other people’s dogs. Founder of the relatively unknown but soon to be huge #tubenaps movement on Instagram.
Craig Hill
Non-Executive Director, DOCO London
Craig Hill is a non-executive Director of Doco, a London based social media agency with clients including Disney, XBox and Tesco and Unilever. Craig has 20 years experience building pioneering digital and social agencies with focus on the entertainments and not-for-profit sectors, and kids and family audiences. Throughout that time he has maintained a belief in and passion for the incredible potential that our industry has to make a positive difference to our world.
Neville Hobson
Communication Consultant / NevilleHobson.com
Neville Hobson is an IABC-accredited communicator, opinion leader and influencer in digital communication for business. He is a frequent public and private speaker on digital media trends that matter to organizations.
Neville works with decision-makers in organizations to help them assess and calculate the risks required to integrate digital communication into their traditional marketing and communication activities and help employees become effective social ambassadors.
Neville blogs at NevilleHobson.com, at the intersection of business, communication and technology. He is co-presenter of the For Immediate Release podcast series including the weekly The Hobson & Holtz Report started in January 2005.
Charlie Lyons
Head of Client Service (EMEA), Beyond
Spending your working life as the meat in a sandwich made from creatives and clients would be enough to send most people crazy. Not Charlie. He was crazy to start with. Bristling with ideas and energy Charlie leads Beyond’s client teams into a colourful and exciting future. To prove he is not totally insane you will be able to receive glowing references from the likes of GE, UBS, NSPCC, DHL, Daily Mail and many more. We guess someone has to love him…..
Kate Matlock
Digital Strategist, Ketchum Pleon
Kate Matlock is a digital strategist at Ketchum Pleon. She currently consults on a number of accounts across Ketchum’s brand and corporate practices. She specialises in blogging, blogger outreach and identification, Twitter, online reputation building and social media policy/guidelines.
Having been educated in the US, UK and Australia, Kate holds a BA in English, a Pg Dip in Media Studies and a MA in Design Studies from Central Saint Martins. She is an avid reader of online trends, and an author/contributor to five blogs focusing on online trust, creativity, food & travel, dogs, and local reviews. Connect via katematlock.com.
Tom Messett
Global Editor in Chief – Social Media, Nokia
Thomas Messett is a digital native who has spent the last three years helping global brands explore the world of social media. Cutting his teeth in the social monitoring industry with Radian6, Thomas managed the integration of their platform into customer service, experience management, marketing and PR departments at major brands like Scottish Power, Centre Parks and Dyson.
Thomas also spent 18 months working at 1000heads, managing a multi-national and multi-lingual team looking after varied communities and social presences for global and UK focused clients including Nokia, Comic Relief, Lexus and Mars. He is now at Nokia helping to manage their current brand transition and turn the company into a business with social at its heart.
Alex Miller
CEO, Jam
Alex Miller founded Jam in 2007 as a new kind of agency purpose built for the social and mobile age. Now a team of 95 individuals passionate about digital innovation, Jam is working with some of the world’s biggest brands, including Sky, Samsung, Coca Cola, Microsoft and Renault.
Alex believes in the power of social media and mobile technology to transform businesses and deliver results. He was named the most influential person in social media by PR Week, is one of Revolution Magazine’s 50 future marketers and has won over a dozen industry awards.
Maz Najm
Founder, SoMazi
Maz Nadjm is the Founding Director of SoMazi, a specialist consultancy dedicated to the task of monetising corporate social media efforts and insights through improved awareness, technology and engagement.
For almost a decade, Maz has been guiding industry leading organisations such as BBC Worldwide, Sky, Ogilvy Group UK, New international and Chelsea FC to launch, structure, develop, monitor and profit from their social media endeavours. And, as an authority on the subject – helped by being named as one of the world’s top 50 social media power influencers by Forbes in January 2012.
Maz takes a unique approach to his work, targeting the financial return a company sees as the true aim of his social media efforts. Therefore in every task he performs for his clients he is dedicated to this single goal – ROI.
Mel Norman
Consultant / MediaSauce
Mellissa worked in analog media as a producer of films and commercials before discovering the world of digital and a few pixels later, she now runs for Media Sauce and their clients include Cisco, Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal Commonwealth Society, BBC, NixonMcinnes and Viadeo.
Media Sauce works with companies to enable them to grow, develop new business models and their strategy.
In 2007 Mel was part of the winning team in the ‘Socially Responsive’ category at MIPTV’s 360 degree competition and directed Social Media Week London in 2011. Mel is also the Theme Champion for Business Models and Growth for the Creative Industries.
Nick Rappolt
Founder and MD, Beyond
Nick is a founder and MD of Beyond, a digital marketing agency working for clients ranging from Apple, Google, YouTube and GE. The company won best start up at the Revolution awards 2012 and has offices in London, New York and San Francisco. The company was set up to produce great brand experiences using insight from social media.
Claire Robinson
Client Service Director, Story Worldwide
I’m Client Service Director at social storytelling agency Story Worldwide. This is my 9th year in digital marketing, and my 3rd SMWLDN (the first year I created a pop-up farm in the heart of SoHo – I have learned my lesson since then!). I work agency-side on big brands across FMCG, booze & luxury, and have dabbled with broadcaster & not-for-profit clients. I’ve focussed on insight, strategy & planning throughout, specialising in social storytelling, social business & media for the last few years. I’m extremely energetic, passionate about new and next and I talk and smile a lot 
Philip Stelter
Deputy Managing Director, Unique Digital
Phil has nearly 14 years of experience across a range of digital marketing disciplines and markets. He has worked to advance the adoption, integration and effectiveness of new channels to drive revenues for both clients and agencies. Throughout his career he has evaluated new technologies and translated emerging media developments into strategies for leading brands. Phil began his career in Los Angeles in 1999 at a start-up (Shopzilla) where he focused on developing both data-driven organic and paid search marketing. He went on to drive new business and oversee the account of a top-three online travel company for a leading global agency before relocating to the UK and joining Unique where for two and half years he has helped manage the agency.
He has been an editorial columnist and regular speaker on online advertising and marketing topics at leading industry conferences. He currently lives and works in Central London and is the Deputy Managing Director for Unique.
Stewart Townsend
Head of Client Services, Datasift
Stewart Townsend is a corporate veteran having spent 11 years at Oracle and Sun and presently is Head of Business Development at DataSift, one of only two companies to have a license to re-syndicate twitter data. Stewart was previously the Manager of Sun Startup Essentials for Europe, where he managed a team driving sales into the European startup community. Having held roles in the last ten years focused on Pre-Sales, Partner Alliances and Business development, Stewart has an in-depth knowledge around customer service and experience in working with the greatest start-ups and the largest corporates. Stewart is also one of the first people in the UK to receive an MA in Social Media.
Leila Woodington
Marketing Communications Manager, Facebook
Leila leads marketing communications for Facebook in the UK and is responsible for developing marketing initiatives, event programs and materials to deliver education, insight and partnership to UK brands, agencies and industry bodies.
Prior to joining Facebook, Leila spent 6 years at PayPal managing B2B acquisition marketing, focussing on large enterprise businesses and top tier SMEs.