At Missive, it’s our people who make the business truly special. Everyone contributes to our strategic direction and takes a personal stake in defining Missive’s success. Each and every person on the team offers something different and we’re proud to boast professionals with backgrounds that span all corners of the PR industry.

To introduce the Missive team, we’ll be posting regular interviews on our blog.

Please meet Julia Madden (née Clarke) – the longest standing Missive employee (other than company founders Emma and Nicola, of course).

Name: Julia Madden  LinkedIn: Julia Madden Twitter: @Julia_B_Clarke

Tenure:  

I’ve been at Missive for coming up to two years, since joining in November 2015.

Background:

I’ve always worked for technology clients, since starting my career back in 2011. I originally worked for a Sydney-based agency, working for consumer tech, B2B and telco clients like Toshiba, Woolworths and Optus. Since moving to the UK in 2015 I’ve left the consumer side of things behind a bit to focus more on B2B clients and of course fintech-focused ones, like Santander InnoVentures and PayU. The fintech industry is a really innovative and forward-thinking area to work in – a definite change in pace as it certainly wasn’t considered very cool when I started out!

PR motivation:

I’m in this industry because I really enjoy talking to people – I love a good human interest story! Working for fintech clients is a win-win for me; I get to learn and talk about all the ways financial services technology is changing the way we live for the better, and I get to meet and work with some of the people driving that change.

Personal stamp on Missive:

I’m proud of developing and helping to implement Missive’s very first CSR programme.

More than any other place I’ve worked for Missive is dedicated to making an impact – on clients, on the lives of Missive’s people, and on the world we live in. We decided to bring this philosophy to life through the annual Missive Impact Programme.

As part of this programme we choose a people-focused charity to support. This month we voted to support ReachOut – a charity that aims to change the lives of young people from disadvantaged communities through one-to-one mentoring. I couldn’t be more excited to kick off our fundraising activity and make a real difference to ReachOut and the children it supports.

Most satisfying responsibility:

I find the most satisfaction in encouraging and supporting the younger members of the Missive team. I love being able to help someone achieve something great – whether it’s securing a fantastic piece of coverage off the back of a well-written pitch or organising a successful event. Their highs become mine – and remind me why I love working in PR.

 Most exciting tech sector (IMO):

I’m particularly excited by how technology is changing the healthcare sector. I’m fascinated by how the digitisation of traditional processes can fundamentally change how – and how many – people across the world access better healthcare. I love reading about how healthcare companies are solving real problems in simple ways. As an example, I recently read about one that turns written prescriptions into visual instructions, helping older, less literate people take their medication correctly. As well as being an exciting and interesting tech sector, it’s undeniably worthwhile in terms of the benefit it offers.

Advice to PR entrants:

Make sure that, whether you’re working in tech PR, fashion PR, sports PR etc., you find the area interesting. Writing content or selling in stories that don’t motivate or excite you will inevitably lead to a career change.

When not in the office, can be found:

In a park, having a picnic.