Our Team

We’re very proud of our team at Stand Agency. Whether it’s securing brilliant press coverage, thinking up that big campaign idea, or offering our clients a different perspective on a challenge or brief, we are an ambitious bunch. But it’s not just about the hard graft. We believe the best way of working with our clients and colleagues is by being open, friendly and supportive. So that’s exactly how we work.

Penny Jones

Penny is an experienced Account Director who has worked with corporate and professional services organisations, notably in the legal sector. Clients have included Mishcon de Reya, where she was responsible for implementing firm-wide public relations activity as well as campaigns for individual groups, including: Litigation, Employment, Insolvency, Intellectual Property, Real Estate, Private Client and Fraud. Penny has also worked with DLA Piper – one of the largest law firms in the world – where she was responsible for the management of public relations activity for the firm’s Intellectual Property & Technology (IPT) Group in the EMEA region. Key focus industries included: pharma, sport, public sector and technology/outsourcing.

As well as strong media relations and writing skills, Penny is expert in dissecting and communicating complicated technical issues to a broad range of audiences.

When not at work, Penny is a keen history and pub enthusiast and spends available spare time combining these passions whilst exploring London’s quirkier drinking establishments.

Blair Grant

Blair is a Politics and International MA graduate from the University of Dundee and has developed a career in public relations over the last three years. He specialises in B2B; stakeholder engagement; media evaluation; social media and energy communications; and has worked with oil and gas multinationals and two of the leading five UK banks.

Blair is a keen football fan and as a native Scot, he supports Dundee United and Tottenham Hotspur as well as enjoying music, running and writing.

Nikki Peters

Nikki graduated from Leeds Metropolitan University with a degree in PR which included two six-month work placements. Shifts at Financial PR consultancy Cardew Group and in-house with management consultancy IDDAS gave Nikki a practical as well as theoretical understanding of PR and the opportunity to work with clients such as Berkeley Homes, Thorntons and JKX Oil and Gas. Nikki also supported Children’s Charity KidsOut on a pro bono basis.

Nikki never leaves the house in the morning without perfect hair or a fabulous one-liner that has the office in stitches.

Stand Agency also works with a talented group of associates which means we can create the perfect campaign for any brief that’s thrown at us, however unusual. This extended team allows us to offer our clients a complete service and expertise in social media, brand strategy, political communications and design, as well as PR and communications. With this pool of knowledge at our fingertips, we can bring your business, brand or organisation to life with a standout position, brainstorm a brief to give you strong and creative ideas for a campaign or plan all your communications activity.

OUR ASSOCIATES

Visualising the ideas

Ben Jory is an award-winning designer with experience in branding and creating and delivering considered and engaging design solutions for a wide variety of clients across both private and public sectors. Ben has worked with small start-ups through to international brands including Formula 1, FIFA, Manchester City Football Club, Waitrose, Shawbrook Bank, Premier Farnell, the New Zealand Olympic Committee and the brand of Abu Dhabi.

Ben is a full service creative, including identity and brand development, print design and production, art direction, advertising, as well as digital and environmental design. Ben’s experience and understanding of integrated communications campaigns means his creativity can be used to enhance and amplify PR messages with striking visuals. When he’s not crafting infographics or designing new websites for the Stand team he’ll be found on the banks of the Thames cheering on his beloved Fulham FC.

 

Giving organisations a voice

Claire Maugham is a senior communications strategist who has spent 15 years shaping policy and helping organisations find and share their voice. Until recently Claire was Deputy Director of the Centre for Cities, the UK’s only thinktank on urban economics. Prior to which she worked for the Foreign Office, the Equal Opportunities Commission and IBM.

Claire has created and managed a range of communications campaigns, one of which included the celebration of 30 years of the Sex Discrimination Act, securing blanket media coverage and a renewed political focus on sex equality. Claire specialises in helping organisations find a voice, creating action and influence via PR, social media, stakeholder relations and political communications and brings an energy and passion to everything she does – however small or large the challenge.

Social yet strategic

Eleanor Treharne-Jones is an experienced communications professional with over 11 years experience in senior Government communication roles managing high profile issues from the MMR vaccine, fox hunting and GM foods to the 2001 Foot and Mouth outbreak and military operations in Afghanistan.

A specialist in risk communication her most recent Government role was advising on how to communicate the threat from international terrorism. Taking this experience to the private sector, Eleanor is currently involved in the creation of a pan-European network of crisis communications professionals.

Passionate about the strategic value of PR and Social Media, Eleanor is now advising a range of global and UK businesses on the successful use of social media throughout their organisation, ensuring seamless integration with existing processes and clear alignment to wider business objectives.

Alongside not outside

Justine Lago has been involved in operational leadership and talent management for the last 18 years. Having worked in several senior operational management positions, human resources, consulting and a number of corporate roles, Justine has a solid understanding of the dynamics of all types of organisations.

Specialising in change and transition and the impact this has on individuals and teams, particularly in their motivation and engagement, Justine uses her blend of sound knowledge of the business world with her background in coaching and training to provide a broad, yet pragmatic picture when working with both individuals and organisations. As an experienced independent coach, facilitator and trainer, Justine has worked with a wide variety of clients, big and small.

It’s all about digital

Jason Caplin is a serious digital strategist with 12 years’ experience in online and offline communications. Jason works alongside Stand’s PR experts to ensure clients are confident with digital development, that their online presence represents them effectively, and that innovation flourishes in tandem with business goals.

Working at some lovely agencies in the past few years, Jason has developed digital strategy for Barclays, Amnesty, AstraZeneca, the Cabinet Office, the Royal College of Midwives, UBS, BPI and Plan UK (amongst others) to win votes, enter new markets, and capitalise on the huge opportunities for engagement that digital provides.

His client The Children’s Society was shortlisted for the CorpComms ‘Best Charity Communications’ award in 2012, and you can read Twitter’s case study on his work with The Queen here.

 

Making an event of it

Laura Jay has more than 12 years’ experience in event and project management and works with Stand Agency providing specialist support for events such as Dementia UK’s Time for a Cuppa tea party at the House of Commons.
Laura’s experience covers all aspects of event operations including managing suppliers, event concept and design and delivery, and has delivered events for large brands and on high profile national campaigns as well as small bespoke parties and exhibitions.
Laura enjoys working with a broad spectrum of clients and takes pride in the relationships she establishes through her work. Her particular strengths are in project management and logistics and she is adept at working in pressurised environments, with varied budgets achieving the same level of seamless delivery and exceptional results whatever the brief.