Interim Communications Director & Head of Communications

Senior communications leadership when you need it, without the commitment of a permanent hire.

Organisations don't always need another permanent senior hire. Sometimes they need an experienced communications leader who can step in quickly, understand the organisation and its priorities, and take responsibility for what happens next.

I provide interim and fractional Communications Director and Head of Communications support during maternity or parental leave, a leadership gap, a major project or launch, a period of change or growth, international expansion, or while recruiting a permanent communications leader.

With more than 25 years' experience across in-house leadership and consultancy roles in the UK and internationally, I provide senior counsel to CEOs and leadership teams while taking responsibility for communications strategy and delivery. I align communications with organisational priorities, identify reputational risks and opportunities, strengthen positioning and visibility, and give internal teams, agencies and other partners clear strategic direction.

My experience spans corporate, consumer and B2B communications, including reputation and issues management, media relations, stakeholder engagement, internal and external communications, executive profiling and thought leadership, integrated campaigns and international communications across multiple markets and audiences.

When to bring me in

You may need interim communications leadership when:

You need Communications Director-level expertise on a fractional or part-time basis rather than another permanent senior hire
Your Communications Director or Head of Communications is on maternity, parental or extended leave
A senior communications role is vacant while you recruit a permanent replacement
Your organisation is going through growth, change or international expansion
A major launch, campaign or business priority needs experienced communications leadership
A reputation, media or stakeholder issue requires senior judgement
Your existing communications or marketing team needs temporary senior leadership and direction
You need someone who can set the strategy and also help deliver it

What I Can Take Responsibility For

Communications strategy and leadership

I develop integrated communications strategies aligned with organisational objectives and advise CEOs and senior leadership teams on communications priorities, reputation, opportunities and emerging risks. I provide clear strategic direction for internal teams, agencies and other partners, ensuring communications activity is focused, consistent and commercially relevant.

Brand positioning and messaging

I help organisations clarify what they want to be known for, whom they need to influence and how to communicate that clearly across different audiences and markets. This can include positioning, messaging frameworks, narrative development and communications planning, particularly where complex business, technical or organisational priorities need to be translated into clear and relevant communications.

PR, earned media and reputation

I provide senior counsel on reputation, media strategy, sensitive issues and crisis communications, helping organisations protect credibility and communicate clearly when the stakes are high. I can also lead proactive earned media programmes that build visibility, authority and trust, working within an integrated PESO approach where appropriate.

Thought leadership and leadership visibility

I help CEOs and senior leaders build visibility, credibility and influence with the audiences that matter to their organisation. This includes thought leadership themes, LinkedIn content, speaking opportunities, commentary, articles and stronger opinion-led content that positions leaders as recognised voices in their field.

Stakeholder engagement and internal communications

Strong communications is not just about media coverage. I work across stakeholder engagement and internal communications with boards, members, staff, customers, partners, regulators and wider sector audiences, helping organisations build trust and communicate more effectively with the people who matter most.

Measurement and evaluation

I build in measurement and evaluation from the start, so communications is assessed properly and improved over time. That includes KPIs, reporting frameworks and practical evaluation linked to outcomes such as awareness, reputation, stakeholder engagement, messaging, lead generation and overall communications effectiveness.

What I bring

I bring more than 25 years of communications experience across in-house leadership, consultancy and agency roles in the UK and internationally.

As Head of Communications at Seafish, I led UK-wide communications, advised the CEO and served as a non-executive board member.

I later built and led my own Hong Kong communications consultancy, advising organisations across sectors and international markets. Across my career, I have supported more than 100 organisations and worked with CEOs, founders, business owners and senior leadership teams.

I spent more than 17 years working in Asia and have delivered communications across the UK, Asia, Europe and North America.

That combination of in-house leadership, consultancy and international experience means I can understand an organisation quickly, provide an independent senior perspective and work effectively with leadership teams, internal specialists and external partners.

25+ years in PR, communications and marketing
Former Head of Communications and non-executive board member
Experience advising CEOs, founders, owners and senior leadership teams
In-house, agency and consultancy experience
Corporate, consumer and B2B communications expertise
Reputation, issues and crisis communications experience
Reputation, media strategy and stakeholder engagement
UK and extensive international experience, including 17+ years in Asia
Experience supporting more than 100 organisations
Senior strategic judgement combined with hands-on delivery
Leadership of internal teams, agencies and external partners

Working together

If you need experienced communications leadership for a defined period, on a fractional basis or while you recruit or cover a permanent role, I provide support tailored to your organisation, priorities and timescales.

Assignments can range from intensive support during a transition, launch or period of change to longer arrangements where I work alongside your leadership and internal teams for an agreed number of days each month.

My role is to understand what the organisation is trying to achieve, establish the communications priorities, provide clear senior counsel and ensure the right work gets done, whether that means leading directly, guiding an existing team or coordinating agencies and other specialist partners.

The aim is to leave you with stronger communications, clearer priorities and greater confidence in how your organisation manages its reputation, visibility and relationships with the audiences that matter.

Fractional and interim Communications Director support from £7,000 per month, depending on the scope, time commitment and level of responsibility required.

Mandy is one of the smartest marketing professionals I’ve worked with. She is forward-looking, innovates and is a capable department manager. In addition to her obvious communications talent, Mandy possesses strong analytical skills, continuously measuring and adjusting her campaign work to improve results. She keeps herself up-to-speed with emerging marketing channels and works quickly to understand and successfully apply them. She is a professional that can be relied upon to change business for the better.

Graham Kelly
Former General Manager, Global Sources