People
Our Team
John Dalton is a recognised authority on reputation management, leadership and impression management. He has further specialisms in risk, issue and crisis management.
With a background as a biochemist and Chartered Biologist, John’s rigorous approach has attracted many to his evidence-based, holistic approach to public relations, communications and reputation management.
John has on a global level trained CEOs, managers and communications experts on reputation management, leadership, presentation skills, crisis management and related disciplines.
Dalal is the LSPR’s Director of Training and Communications and under her leadership and management, LSPR has grown considerably, in terms of size, recognition, and above all, reputation. Dalal has been instrumental in the development of training programmes globally and in establishing the LSPR brand worldwide. She is also responsible for some of LSPR’s global franchise expansion. As a Public Relations advisor and consultant, Dalal is always available to discuss clients’ development and training needs and works closely with them to ensure that they are receiving the best level of training.
Dannielle is LSPR’s Communications and Training Officer. She manages the running of the training programmes and workshops and oversees client and stakeholder engagement.
Olayemi holds the position of Communications and Training Coordinator at LSPR, where she manages training programs, advises clients, and ensures high-quality service delivery. Her responsibilities extend to overseeing day-to-day operations and playing a crucial role in both internal and external communications.
Olayemi is deeply committed to utilizing effective communication and strategic marketing as catalysts for success.
Our Associate Trainers
Debbie is a Corporate Communications and Public Relations specialist with particular expertise in customer, stakeholder and media relations, crisis management and event organising. An experienced trainer and public speaker, Debbie is also a skilled and creative copywriter with a portfolio of published articles.
Developed over three decades, Debbie’s front line experience has been gained in senior roles across the private, public and voluntary sectors working in-house with major PLCs, in leading PR agencies and as a freelance consultant. Her experience covers a wide range of industries including leisure, chemicals, telecoms, manufacturing, healthcare, automotive and the legal profession.
A trained and experienced journalist, Debbie has specific skills in reputation management, business and brand development, copywriting/editing and creating and implementing communications strategies involving national campaigns. Debbie also has proven expertise in profile raising, specifically by engaging with influential media and developing cooperative relationships with partner organisations.
Another major aspect of Debbie’s expertise is organising national and international events involving celebrities, political leaders and senior ranking dignitaries.
As part of her international training portfolio, Debbie is a Visiting Lecturer at Kingston University, Surrey. She uses her extensive ‘living hindsight’ case studies to bring the PR theory to life teaching on undergraduate and postgraduate courses. Joining the Professional Speaking Association in 2005, Debbie has been President of the North West Branch for two successive years and is a public speaking coach.
In addition, as a qualified and highly experienced Careers Advisor, Debbie’s expertise also covers preparing impressive CVs and improving interview/presentation skills.
Susan is an experienced global trainer and a qualified executive coach. She is a member of the Advisory Board of the London School of Public Relations (LSPR) and has helped shape the structure and focus of the school’s Diploma programmes as well as train on the LSPR ITOL-Approved Diploma course. Susan is also an international public speaker, corporate trainer and PR practitioner. She is also Director of Programmes for LSPR/Nigeria.
She is a partner of ASC Training & Consulting where she is responsible for sales, communications, marketing and management training, as well as public relations consulting for a number of international organisations. She is a trained journalist and worked on a London newspaper in the early part of her career. She also specialises in media and public speaking training for executives, educators and other professionals.
Previously, she was a senior consultant with the international PR firm, Hill & Knowlton, where she worked for 14 years. Prior to this, she ran her own Los Angeles-based PR firm. Susan has developed PR campaigns for a wide variety of clients in education, non-profit, technology, business-to-business, and economic development.
As an international trainer, Susan teaches at a number of leading Universities in the USA, including San Jose State and USF (Tampa). She has also run courses for Georgetown, UC Berkeley, UCLA and Stanford and has developed one of the first online programmes on new trends in communications for San Jose State. In addition, she has been a trainer for the PR Academy, an initiative of the Government of Singapore’s Ministry for Information, Technology and the Arts. Susan is also an associate with California-based Executive Communications and teaches the firm’s powerful communication and influencing programme – Making Your Point! for a number of global corporations.
In addition, she teaches media and negotiation skills training at a number of UK universities, including UCL, Imperial College and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. She has written three business books – “Win New Business” (2002), “Corporate Reputation: The New Currency” (2003), The Sixth Form MBA (2017) all published by Acorn/Thorogood.
Susan is accredited by the Project Management Institute as a project management professional and is a qualified NLP trainer.
Jonathan Hart has communications media relations experience spanning over 22 years, across areas including trade associations, retail, energy and hospitality. His expertise includes: public relations programmes for international corporate and consumer brands; public affairs strategy; campaign development and implementation; journalism; crisis and reputation management; and business-to-business communications. He is an experienced Chief Executive of an industry trade body. He is an outstanding communicator, exceptionally skilled at clear and persuasive internal and external leadership.
Jonathan Hart has a wealth of communications experience, starting from his time as a journalist on Scotland on Sunday newspaper and BBC Radio. He has worked for a range of corporate clients ranging from UK-based companies including BP and Diageo, along with internationally-based companies including Gazprom and Indesit. His activity has covered everything from media relations to crisis management. He also has extensive experience of raising the profile of organisations on the political stage including coordinating liaison at a Ministerial level.
He is credible and influential with the media, government and with senior stakeholders from a wide range of organisations. He is experienced in team management and at handling a complex set of demands in an efficient and strategic way.
Dr Marta Hawkins is forward focused and entrepreneurially spirited Diversity and Inclusion Expert with academic background, commanding two decades of experience, gained predominantly in the Public Sector – at the intersection of the commercial and the civic, building bridges between seemingly different societal facets to enable successful collaboration. Recognised as an expert strategist, she has impacted cultural and behavioural change and organisational transformation in governmental and educational departments across the UK and the EU. Drawing on psychology, neurodiversity, and creativity, she has developed data-driven solutions to increasingly complex human problems, especially related to mental health, diversity, and equality. Renowned as a successful, compassionate communicator, a well-being champion, and coach, promoting multicultural and neurodiverse assets of the workforce, she leads on people-centred strategies and behavioural insights. In her training and coaching, she applies robust research and pioneering creative methods which impact deep reflection on leadership and governance, and result in organisational improvements and better customer service.
As a strategic leader, she demonstrates a successful track record of implementing holistic solutions, such as systems integration, disability adjustments, and authentic participation, to organisational development, employee engagement, and managerial processes. As an experienced coach and Mental Health First Aider, she is committed to safeguard and empower people to thrive and maximise their own individual talents and potential. While consulting and managing others, she places a strong ethos of integrity and ethics in the centre of her own professional performance.
Dr Hawkins has a PhD in Critical Studies, two MA Degrees, several accreditations in the fields of Management and Leadership, a Diploma in Creative Counselling from the University of Cambridge, and currently she is completing her MSc in Psychology, specialising in Neurodiversity.
Above all, a dynamic trainer, Dr Hawkins opens doors for dialogue between cultures, processes, and people, fostering research-grounded methods for curating organisational values and policies that measurably amplify commercial and human outcomes.
Sue is a senior communication director and trainer with corporate and marketing communications experience that has worked in-house and managed agencies in New Zealand and the UK. Her former roles include Managing Director of Ogilvy NZ and Hill & Knowlton NZ, Deputy Managing Director of Tangerine UK, Corporate Communications Manager at the Bank of New Zealand and Partner at Australasian corporate and public affairs agency, SenateSHJ.
Since returning to the UK she has managed and directed UK, EMEA and international communication programmes for clients in the oil and gas, pharmaceutical, manufacturing and agribusiness sectors. She has run crisis management and media training workshops and courses in the UK, New Zealand and Australia.
Working with senior executive teams and boards, Sue also ran her own consultancy specialising in crisis and issues management, providing advice on a diverse range of issues.
Her clients have included Cadbury, Danone, BP, British Airways, GSK, Heinz, Roche, Veolia, Thai Airways, Accor Asia Pacific hotels and Rabobank, and industry organisations such as the Global Alliance for Livestock Veterinary Medicines, Horticulture New Zealand and NZ Beef and Lamb.
While a Partner at SenateSHJ the agency was named Asia Pacific and Australasian Consultancy of the Year by the Holmes Report (now PRovoke Media) and her work has appeared as an example of strategic planning best practice in the industry manual “Public Relations Theory and Practice.”
Alex Carlon
Alex has worked in radio and podcasting for several years and has a wealth of experience under her belt. Her most recent role in Australia, was developing, producing and launching Spotify Original Podcasts. In her many years in the industry she’s learnt what makes for a great podcast regardless of genre or budget. She’ll walk you through how your podcast should be planned, structured, recorded, edited and uploaded.
Alex’s friendly and professional know-how makes her an approachable and confident coach and facilitator.
An experienced writer, editor and digital marketer, Patrick spent over a decade working as a journalist on sports, general news and lifestyle stories at Reuters. More recently, he built up experience in copywriting, social media content creation and website management through freelance venture, Digital Nova. Patrick offers consultancy on best digital practice to engage audiences and holds a first-class master’s degree in media and communications from City, University of London.
Specialties: Writing, Editing, Storytelling, Digital Content, Journalism, Sports, News editing, Planning, Creativity, Training, Presenting, Analyst, Breaking news reporting.
Deborah adds 15 years of internal communications and Human Resources experience to LSPR. Having worked for British Airways, Nestlé and the Expo, focusing on Health & Safety, she has a wealth of knowledge spreading across multiple industries.
Deborah has obtained two Masters degrees in communications and HR management. She is committed to working on the personal development of others through her work. She strongly believes in the importance of leading by example and quickly creates a strong rapport with individuals she works with.
Outside LSPR, she holds an HR manager consultancy internal comms position in a company, working on the creation of a wellbeing culture at work and expanding the managerial skill set of the growing management team.
Deborah brings real energy and passion to her delivery style of training. She has a deep sense of empathy for the client’s professional developmental needs.
Anna Davidson has worked in publishing for twenty-five years, most recently as Head of Editorial Management for Faber & Faber. She started her editorial career as Editorial Assistant at Hodder Children’s Books and since then has worked on both adult and children’s books, fiction, and non-fiction. She also has in-depth knowledge of illustrated book publishing and editing thanks to fourteen years spent at DK Books, in senior roles in the adult lifestyle division.
A highly experienced editor and managing editor, throughout her career Anna has undertaken and overseen structural editing, line editing, copy-editing, proofreading, and commissioning. She combines a high-level understanding of the publishing process with an eagle eye for detail when signing off material for press. Time spent in different houses and with freelance clients has given Anna a keen insight into a wide variety of publishing cultures. A year and a half spent in Paris for the Financial Times, overseeing the editorial production of a European magazine supplement, further broadened this perspective.
Anna enjoys working with publishing colleagues at all levels, from the most junior to the most senior. A University of Oxford modern languages graduate, she developed her love of teaching during a year spent in France teaching English as a foreign language. She combines her work as an editorial trainer with freelance editing, writing and consultancy for trade clients and self-publishing.
for trade clients and self-publishing.
Kate was editorial lead for Black Dog Publishing (BDP) and Artifice books on architecture (Artifice), two affiliated, independent art and architecture publishing houses based in London. She currently writes and edits for UAL (University of the Arts London). known as Impact Case Studies in readiness for the next REF in 2021.
Kate’s experience during her time at BDP and Artifice is extensive. She wrote the original text, edited the work of others, and copy-edited and proof-read a large quantity and range of titles. Across the two houses, the published list numbered around 80 new books each year, each requiring a differing amount and type of input, from light-touch editing and proofing to full-scale re-writing where necessary. Her work on the new business side of both companies involved securing contracts, working closely with new clients to bring books from first ideas to publication.
Kate has a great deal of experience in public-speaking and in training. Whilst at the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE), where she led the organisation’s work on health, well-being and the built environment. Kate delivered a range of different events from training events with planners, to major speaking events to groups of up to 500 professionals including architects, designers, and health-sector workers.
Kate has written many articles and features for magazines and periodicals, on subjects to do with architecture and design. She has authored and edited three books.
Anthony has more than 15 years’ experience as a journalist, working in leadership roles in digital and radio. Throughout his career, he has led editorial teams, devised and implemented successful strategies for digital growth, and developed talent to help further their careers.
He spent a number of years as a Senior Journalist in the BBC’s main UK newsroom, producing news summaries for national brands such as Radio 4, Radio 2 and 6Music. He was a senior member of the launch team for the UK’s first interactive radio news summary and helped launch the successful “5 Minutes On…” BBC News podcast.
As Head of Audio at Food Matters Live, he led the production and commercial teams in the making of a food industry podcast. The role was both editorial and commercial, creating more than 500 episodes.
Lara Shah
Leadership and Stakeholder Management Associate Trainer
Lara is an accomplished empowerment and leadership coach with a wealth of experience across various sectors, including private, public, government, education, finance, and wellbeing. She has a proven track record of empowering individuals to overcome challenges and transform their lives. Lara’s approach combines practical strategies, empathetic support, and a deep belief in her clients’ potential.
Lara possesses diverse expertise in professional development, public speaking, coaching and mentoring, delivery, stakeholder management, and process improvement. This equips her to tackle complex challenges and provide comprehensive guidance. As a leadership coach, Lara specialises in developing effective leaders. She focuses on emotional intelligence, communication, and strategic thinking, helping her clients cultivate authentic leadership styles that inspire and motivate others.
With her experience gained at her time with Deloitte and within the technology sector, as an Artificial Intelligence and Data Consultant, Lara offers unique insights and guidance in navigating this rapidly evolving field. Lara’s dedication to personal growth extends to areas such as personal branding, career advancement, and work-life balance. She understands the complexities of modern professional environments and provides tailored guidance for fulfilment and balance.
Lara is the ideal guide for anyone seeking personal growth and development.
Daniela Hart is the Picture Editor at Reuters. She has worked as a professional picture editor and researcher for 20 years, and her extensive knowledge procures an excellent insight into the picture industry. Having also read Fine Arts, specialising in Photojournalism, for her BA degree and further a post-graduate degree in Photography, History and Culture at London College of Communication, Daniela has a wealth of experience to draw from.
Daniela is Reuter’s Picture Editor and has worked as a freelance Picture Editor for ESI Media, The Evening Standard, The Independent, The Financial Times and The Sunday Times. She has experience pf both print and online and on various supplements for national newspapers: The Guardian, The Times and The Sunday Times (Style Magazine, The Dish Magazine, Travel, Culture and Homes and Property), The London Evening Standard (ES magazine and Homes and Property), The Independent (various Travel Sponsored features), The Financial Times (UK News and How To Spend It).
Daniela has experience within the magazine industry, having worked with a multitude of clients such as Brummell, Salt, The Quarterly, OK! And Look. A selection of various inflight magazines like: Eurostar, KLM, Iberia, EasyJet, Eurowings, Thomas Cook and Wizz.
Daniela’s knowledge also extends to the book industry having worked with the following clients on a selection of educational and reference titles: Brown Partworks, Belitha Press, Franklin Watts, Guinness World of Records.
Her experience with Marketing and Advertising departments extends to working with organisations such as British Airways, American Express, Nectar, MacArthur Glen, Westfield, Vodaphone, Hiscox and University of West England.
Daniela aims to help our clients to understand the publishing market, guide them through the complications of copyrights and advise them in how to progress in their careers; searching for relevant work experience and jobs.
Charlie has been working in editorial in book publishing since 1997. She has been employed by both conglomerate publishers (Pan Macmillan; Hachette; Penguin Random House) and independents (British Museum Press; Thames & Hudson; Unbound; Fulgur) as a commissioning, project and managing editor, and editorial director. In these roles, she has built a wide creative network, liaised with in-house departments and negotiated with literary agents and licensors. The books she has worked on range from diet and exercise, recipe, and celebrity autobiography to art and photography, military history, popular science, reference and business and academic monographs. A freelance editorial consultant since 2013, she now benefits from a wider variety of commissions in the UK and USA. As well as consolidating her non-fiction and illustrated book experience, she increasingly edits fiction, charity campaigns, journals and blogs, and writes, as both ghost and author.
Charlie edits at all levels: structural and development editing, copy editing, and proofreading. She works in Word, InDesign, PDF or HTML and routinely updates her software skills. Integrating words and images to create highly marketable packages, she also strives to widen textual appeal beyond niche audiences. She has extensive experience of managing budgets and schedules; bibliographic data management systems; Google analytics; contracts; copyright and permissions clearance; special sales and custom publishing; styling and directing photo shoots; print and colour management; book fairs; and producing compelling sales and marketing copy. She regularly creates and edits ebooks in EPUB and PDF formats.
Charlie enjoys collaborating with debut and professional writers to produce intriguing, accurate and contemporary narratives. She knows what to look out for when pitching and submitting text to various media for particular readerships. She can help you to hone, build and structure your message and to curate and present effective stories, reports and proposals.
Helen is a picture editor and shoots producer of seventeen years experience with a career that spans magazines, books, newspapers and online.
She studied English Literature and Art History at the University of Cambridge and UCL before entering the publishing industry, then holding roles at Laurence King Publishing, Time Out Guides and HarperCollins Publishers where she was Picture Manager for eight years.
Since turning freelance in 2017 she has established an eclectic, editorial clientele including Time Out Group, Vanity Fair, Tatler, Virgin, Redwood London, Lonely Planet Magazine, Telegraph Media and Simon & Schuster as well as working on independent production projects for commercial clients.
Combining a keen understanding of the industry’s varied creative requirements with expertise in licensing and copyright law/IP issues, Helen is ideally placed to equip students with a professional, practical skillset underpinned by a solid knowledge base that will enable them to navigate the diverse publishing market with informed confidence and proficiency.
As a former BBC foreign correspondent (in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka) and online sub-editor, Alastair is an experienced media and journalism trainer for the BBC and UNICEF, recently leading a week-long course teaching UNICEF staff in Bangladesh how handle interviews with journalists. A list of some of the stories he wrote during his 20-year career at the BBC can be seen here. He has also written extensively for The Times, The Financial Times, The Guardian and The Economist A key responsibility in his current job is to ensure UNICEF hires the best photographers and videographers for assignments in the region and to provide feedback to communications staff on the basics of journalism.
A key part of his job is to represent UNICEF in the DRC as the agency’s spokesman (frequently doing live interviews on the BBC, CNN and Al-Jazeera) in addition to numerous social media posts, press releases and advocacy reports. He was also the lead writer for two UNICEF Child Alerts for DRC, (the latest can be viewed here).
Olga Murray (LLB LLM FRSA) is the Director and Founder of Private Goodness, a UK-based Corporate Responsibility and Online Ethics consultancy, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
Private Goodness won International CSR Excellence Awards both in 2019 and 2020. Olga has trained companies based in Asia, Africa, America, the Middle East and Europe.
Previously, she completed 2 degrees in law, with a focus on business and human rights, and won the ‘Top Student’ Award for Business, Human Rights and Corporate Social Responsibility at her Master’s course.
Olga has worked for a number of regional and national NGOs and managed corporate responsibility partnerships with over one hundred organisations, including banks such as Goldman Sachs, Barclays, Bank of New York Mellon, and major international law firms. She has spoken about access to justice and ethics at the Royal Courts of Justice, the House of Lords, the Global Woman Club, and the Impact Hub.
Mark is a communications, public relations, and marketing director with over 15 years’ experience across different sectors. He has a track record of enhancing the reputations of high-profile organisations and his career has included roles at the BBC, University of Arts London, University of East London, and The Alan Turing Institute (the UK’s national institute for data science and artificial intelligence).
Mark is Director of PR, Communications and Marketing at Harrow, Richmond and Uxbridge Colleges leading the strategic communications, marketing, digital content, and branding teams at the newly merged institutions.
Mark’s considerable expertise spans corporate and strategic communications, PR, media relations, risk and crisis management, brand building, social media and digital content, internal communications, community engagement, and events.
He is also a Board Member, Non-executive Director at the not-for-profit organisation, We and AI – working to improve communications and raise awareness about the impact of artificial intelligence.
Mark has been a professional percussionist for 25 years and shares this expertise by delivering whole-class music workshops in schools around the UK. The insights he has gained led to a passion for education and Mark wanted to share the creative and inspiring learning he was witnessing with others. In 2016 this became the Education on Fire podcast which has now released over 350 episodes and been downloaded in 146 countries.
With a passion for all things audio and storytelling, Mark is an expert when it comes to crafting captivating podcasts. With years of experience in the industry, they have helped aspiring podcasters turn their ideas into successful shows.
Dr. Vishwanath is an experienced professional with over 26 years in technology, digital transformation, and digital marketing. He has a Ph.D. in Business Management and holds a master’s degree in business and psychology. He is edged with globally acclaimed certifications in Scaled Agile, ERP, and Coaching, which reflect his commitment to staying at the forefront of industry practices.
Throughout his career, Dr. Vishwanath has worked with global conglomerates, including Deloitte and IBM, and has actively participated in industry initiatives such as the UK’s ‘Help to Grow’ initiative for startups. His research is anchored in real-world insights, ensuring its applicability in addressing contemporary business challenges.
In his academic journey, Dr. Vishwanath has seamlessly transitioned from the corporate world to education. As an educator, his commitment to fostering knowledge and practical skills shines through. By actively bridging the gap between theory and practice, he prepares learners to excel in a competitive market.
Clive is a performance driven Leadership and Management trainer with 15+ years of experience delivering, directing and supporting the execution of Leadership and Management development and functions across various organisations. He defines himself as no expert but a lifelong student of Leadership.
With his experience he has developed in depth expertise encompassing all aspects of Leadership and Management Development, including communication, emotional intelligence, cultural change, performance management with focus on developing high performance teams, creating the authentic leader and developing future leaders to motivate and inspire others.
Rajeshwari Channakrishna is a seasoned Corporate Communication and PR professional with over 14 years of experience in B2B Technology PR and marketing communications. She has a proven track record of driving successful communication and marketing strategies for large organisations and international agencies, focusing on clients in the B2B Technology sector.
With extensive experience in global PR and communications, Rajeshwari has executed successful PR campaigns across key markets, including APAC, EMEA, US, India and Southeast Asia. Additionally, she has led the charge in corporate communication and marketing communication for organisations in the B2B Technology space including brands like – Microsoft, Tata Communication Services, Workplace from Meta (Facebook), Boston Consulting Group (BCG), SAP Concur.
Passionate about technology, she currently handles Marketing Communication for Global Technology Companies in B2B space and teaches at LSPR London as a Marketing & Communication Trainer.
With 29 years in people-facing businesses, Lauren has built a strong foundation in business strategy and people management. She excels in content creation for social media and employer branding, internal communications strategy, marketing strategy for small businesses, as well as training & development in both marketing and leadership.
Since my move to the UK, Lauren has used her marketing expertise to drive engagement and advocacy for people teams. She specializes in crafting quality employer branding strategies essential for recruitment and retention efforts. Through years of coaching and mentoring, she has actively contributed to company culture projects and strategies.
Lauren’s diverse roles have included being the Employer Branding Manager and Internal Communications Manager at The Ivy Collection and The Wolseley Hospitality Group, where she helped to shape brand identities. Lauren also provided essential training and HR support during the pandemic at Shakespeare’s Globe. Additionally, she freelances as a social media trainer and coach for small businesses with Hospitality Crew, and served as the People Experience Manager for Bartlett Mitchell, a leading UK catering company.
In South Africa, Lauren co-founded and operated a digital Marketing Agency, Social Inbox, demonstrating her entrepreneurial spirit. She has also served as the Head of Marketing for South Africa’s largest private hospitality training provider, The International Hotel School, and as the Sales and Marketing Manager for a group of luxury 5-star hotels in KZN, South Africa, under Best of KZN.
Chris is an energetic senior communications professional with a wealth of experience. He excels in new media cultures, social media content creation and internal communications. Chris specialises in showcasing that it’s simple for brands to adopt new content practices, with the right expertise, the passion for content and a basic understanding of digital media, you can create ‘wow’ content.
Chris has been part of award winning teams, gaining accolades from CIPR and PRCA, Think Student Awards. He’s a robust background in Media Production, with experience producing content for the BBC, and leading Internal Communication teams with Loughborough University SU and City, University of London SU where he’s currently the Head of Communications and Business Development
With 17 years of experience in the PR industry, Sophie worked at multiple award-winning agencies before setting up her own comms consultancy in 2015. She has a strategic head, a passion for campaign creativity and an eye for what makes a great story.
Through working for a range of clients including Unilever, Sony, TK Maxx, Marriott, Selina, Bacardi, Serco and Cancer Research UK, Sophie has handled everything from global crises to product launches and from experiential events to rebrands, firmly believing that this practical experience is just as important as her Master’s Degree when it comes to training others within sessions.
In addition to PR, Sophie is also a freelance travel and food journalist, which helps arm her with experience from the other side of the fence.