Job-title & company:

Head of Investment Communications at Kames Capital

The main areas of the financial services/City/business arena that I cover are:

I cover asset management media relations and internal communications for Kames Capital in the UK and continental Europe.

I decided I wanted to work in financial PR/communications when:

The head hunter from Aegon came calling.

The best financial services campaign/report/thought leadership initiative that I've worked on is:

This is a difficult one to say as there has been too many to hightlight over the years, but one of the most recent was establishing the Kames Capital Journalism Awards which is now in its second year and aims to recognise outstanding investment journalism.

The biggest influence on my career to date is:

From a journalist point of view, which led to my PR job, then it is the legend that is Steve McDowell, who gave me my first chance on the Money Marketing news desk many, many years ago. And from a PR perspective the equally legendary Scott White who gave me my chance in PR and is still someone I turn to for advice when I need it.

The piece of advice I'd give to someone starting out in financial PR/communications is:

Work hard, know your subject matter and enjoy it. I suppose that is three bits of advice!

The best thing about working in financial PR/communications is:

The people. I love seeing and talking to lots of journalist friends and also meeting new journalists embarking on their career in the industry.

And the worst thing is:

This is a difficult one as I enjoy most of what I do, although as a general trait I hate arrogance and people who lie. Just be nice and tell the truth!

To establish and/or maintain links with financial journalists I'm most likely to do this by:

Over a lunch and a bottle of wine or two when I have the opportunity, but nowadays I am travelling a lot and people are busy so I often have to resort to email, although Whatsapp can be a good way of catching up with people.

To keep abreast of financial news, the media outlets/channels I read/listen to/watch most frequently are:

I am a news junky so I look at multiple financial outlets/channels but for more general and world news you can't beat the BBC website.

My view on the rise of branded content in financial services media is:

I suppose it is a necessary evil but I really despise the stuff that is dressed up to look like proper editorial. If I was still a journalist I would be throwing a wobbler at the advertising sales team.

Over the next 12 months, the biggest financial stories will be on subjects involving:

Brexit, Trumponomics, and the geopolitics within the EU with all the elections to come in 2017.

Over the next 12 months, what campaigns are you going to be working on? (Optional)

I wouldn't want to give the game away, although Kames Capital's development of its Italian business would be high on the list.

Given a half-decent story to pitch, a budget of £500, and a brief to reach as many members of the financial press as possible, I would:

Send out a press release as a good story will always attract attention  and lead to coverage and then put the £500 to possibly re-instigating Strictly Kames Dancing after a three year absence!

You won't know this, but I'm really good at:

I wouldn't claim to be really good but pretty good at mountain biking. I have lots of woodland and the London 2012 Olympic Course in my hometown as my playground for biking.

You won't know this, but I'm hopeless at:

Saying my 'R's.

If I wasn't answering these questions I would be:

Considering plastic surgery after a German journalist I just met asked me if I was related to Tony Blair as I apparently look like him - I honestly can't see it myself! Or arguing with my colleague Roisin Hynes over whose turn it was to make the 10^th cup of tea of the day.