Karen Browne
Chief Executive
Karen started her career in sales for Unilever and moved into marketing with Allied Lyons. She spent five years at Douwe Egberts as foodservice marketing manager and three years at Brasilia UK Ltd as marketing director before joining William Murray in 1998 as managing director. Two years later, she led a management buy-out. Karen says: "I crossed the fence from client to agency, which means I can really empathise with marketing teams who need to make the most of their communications budget."
Greatest passion outside work?
"Cats, dogs, horses - virtually anything with four legs."
Anita Woods
Managing Director
Anita is a former PR Week Young Achiever of the Year. She has a broad range of experience, working for clients as diverse as Castrol, Compass, Oxford Instruments, IBM and 3M. During her 20 year career, she has built her own £1million turnover full-service agency.
Nagging ambition?
"I'd really like to swim the channel - it's not the swimming that's the problem but the goose fat!"
Stephen Browne
Director
Stephen's retail sales and marketing background has brought an extra dimension to our business over the last eight years. As a board director of the agency and as head of our research arm, he monitors what's on both the supermarket shelf and the restaurant menu and has tracked the convergence of the two. He's also a first-rate strategist and numbers man.
Claim to fame?
"Introducing the PizzaExpress brand into supermarkets, with fantastic results for the manufacturer, the restaurant group and the retailer."
Daren Bach
Creative Director
Daren has spent the last 12 years working in the design and marketing industry, he has a extensive knowledge of the web and online marketing as well as a solid background in brand strategy.
He has worked for Hewlett Packard, Barings Bank, WHSmith as well as many other blue chip accounts and now brings this knowledge to the foodservice industry.
Next big thing?
"Digital paper, allowing interactive newspapers!"
Michelle Diederichs
Senior Account Director
Originally from Preston, Michelle moved down south and joined one of the capital's larger PR agencies. She gained a broad range of experience on health, financial, technology and new media clients, and then switched to consumer work with another London agency. She took seven months out to work in Berlin on a project for the European Commission, managing media relations across 22 member states and heading up campaigns in the UK, France, Poland, Lithuania, Belgium and the Czech Republic. Michelle joined William Murray in July 2007 and says: "I'm working for great clients in a sector I love".
Adjectives that describe you?
"Creative, caring, happy, chatty, energetic, healthy, slightly obsessive."
Annemarie Penderis
Account Director
For over a decade in her native South Africa, Annemarie managed communications for leading brands such as Cadbury, internationally recognised South African wines and world class sporting events. She arrived in the UK in 2005 and joined a B2B agency. Two years later she came to us. Annemarie is a terrific advocate for the agency and for the profession. She says: "I enjoy telling people what I do. When I've finished, they usually say, 'you really love your job' and it's true."
Best part of the job?
"The people. The people. The people. My clients and colleagues - they do inspire you to be the best and I learn something from them everyday."
Charlotte Davies
Account Director
After graduation, Charlotte joined one of the big London agencies and was rapidly promoted from PR assistant to senior account executive, all the while working for high profile food and drink clients. She says: "I gained a huge amount of experience, but after three years I was ready for a move. I joined another agency that specialised in interiors, but it just wasn't me." She stayed for a year, and then came to William Murray Communications. "I was so pleased to be back in food and drink. No two days are ever the same."
Saving up for?
"A road trip around the Golden Triangle in California next Easter."
Clare Basire
Account Director
After gaining her degree in communication studies, Clare decided to see some of the world before settling down. Six months' travelling satisfied the wanderlust and she returned to the UK, joining an integrated marketing agency, where she gained experience with B2B clients. Since coming to William Murray in 2005, she has expanded into foodservice and consumer brands. She has also had the opportunity to work with one of our directors on a special project with Luton Town Football Club. As Clare is a passionate football follower (and Arsenal supporter), this was a dream come true.
Favourite work-related saying?
"Let's get it done."
Berenice Pretlove
Senior Account Manager
Berenice feels she has blossomed since she joined William Murray Communications in 2004. Although for the four years before that, she worked for a couple of top West End PR agencies, the rigid account team hierarchy didn't encourage individual flair. She says her greatest achievement since joining us has been "growing in confidence and finally recognising and believing in my own ability". For our part, we always knew she had it in her. Her daughter Holly has brought an extra dimension to Berenice's life: "Toddlers are so enthusiastic about everything and their excitement is contagious." Natural born PRs then.
The gadget you wished they'd invent?
"A pause button for the day."
Fiona Hamilton
Account Manager
After completing a BA honours in journalism, Fiona joined the Courier Group in Oxford as a reporter looking after news, celebrity and property, before taking a year out to travel around Australia and Fiji. While in Oz, she spent six months working for Funk House, organising barbeques, beach parties, bar crawls, club nights and dinners for fellow backpackers. Returning to the UK, Fiona's cocktail bar experiences landed her a job with William Reed's glossy drinks magazine CLASS and, being a bubbly, sociable kind of a person, it was a short step from there to William Murray Communications.
Happiness is ...?
"Lots of little things - family, friends, sunshine, food, wine, the sea, BBQs."
Natalie Beard
Junior Account Executive
After 11 years spent helping people find their perfect homes (ok, we mean estate agent!). She felt it was time for a change and had enjoyed a successful career in property but felt she'd taken as much from it as she could. Turning 30 felt like a crossroads and spurred her into turning her dream of a career in communications into a reality. Natalie brings her meticulous planning and negotiating skills to the team and has added value to her clients from day one.
What are you saving up for?
"Lots of things… I want to build a house in Croatia - we have the land, now the bricks just need to follow!"
Kelly Atkinson
Account Handler
Kelly has eight years' communications and PR experience, ranging from food and drink to health, beauty, interiors and the public sector. Returning to William Murray after a three year break, she brings broad experience to the team, having worked across a number of brands including Tesco, American Express, Glenfiddich, 3663 First for Foodservice, Barclays, Lloydspharmacy, Pfizer, Roche, Mamas and Papas and The National Lottery.
Cordon bleu cook or struggle to boil an egg?
"I can cook when I put my mind to it - but would rather make vanilla frosted cupcakes with pink icing and sprinkles"
Rachelle Baldwin
Account Handler
With over nine years experience in this industry, Rachelle gained a lot of this working for Caterer & Hotelkeeper magazine. As Event Manager for the Caterer Group, she ran her own events such as the Caterer.com Web Awards and the Hospitality Ball (on behalf of Hospitality Action). She also worked alongside the team on the Catey Awards, Chef Conference, Hotelier of the Year and the Acorn Awards.
Moving on from this role in 2004, Rachelle then spent three years at William Murray working with both existing clients and on new business. In October 2007 she joined a strategic marketing agency working solely on behalf of Heinz Foodservice on both strategic planning projects together with the day-to-day running of the account. She left this agency for the birth of her first baby who arrived in October 2008 and is now delighted to be back at William Murray!
Happiness is ...
"Lots of things, but knowing every day is a fresh start and seeing my daughter smile at me every morning."
Karen McGregor
Account handler
Karen first joined William Murray seventeen years ago. She started as an account executive, having just successfully completed her Chartered Institute of Marketing Diploma. Working her way up the ranks, Karen became an account director before leaving to start a family. But you can't stay away from a good thing for too long and now she's back. She says, "It's great to be at William Murray again - the team is great, the industry is just as interesting as ever and every day brings a new challenge."
Did you ever want to do anything else other than PR? If so, what?
"Horses are my passion. If I hadn't have gone into PR probably a life revolving around teaching and competing in the horse world."
Lara Pearce (on maternity leave)
Senior Account Executive
Lara has a Foundation Degree in fashion marketing and promotion. For two years after graduating, she worked with one of London's leading fashion PR agencies, immersing herself in the world of designer shoes and clothing. She has worked with us since the summer of 2007. We've been listening closely and so far, amazingly, she hasn't once said, "Absolutely fabulous darling".
Best PR moment?
"Securing two front cover slots for my clients in the Saturday Independent 50 of The Best magazine and lots of coverage inside."
Judith Williamson
Office Manager
Judith brings more than 15 years of office management and personal assistant experience to William Murray Communications. She's our anchor and our pivot. Knowing she is back at base taking care of things enables the rest of us to spend our time looking after clients. Starting her career in law and banking firms, Judith moved on to be PA at the Political Lobbying Society. Here she organised national conferences and events including seminars, media conferences and a mass lobby. She joined William Murray in 2007 and keeps us all up to the mark. She's especially hot on recycling.
Gordon Ramsay - spit or swoon?
"Swoon."
Elaine Felix
Finance Manager
Elaine has been a vital part of the William Murray team for 18 years. An experienced bookkeeper, she processes our invoices and payments and makes sure we keep our costs tightly under control. Thanks to her good management, William Murray Communications has remained on a sound financial footing all this time.
Busiest time?
"June - when everyone else is winding down for their summer holiday, I'm tying up all the loose ends ready for our financial year end."
Sue Meeson
Associate
Despite now living in Melbourne, Australia, agency founder Sue is still on call. A journalist by training, she moved into PR in 1986 and launched William Murray PR a year later. Since selling the business in 2000 to spend time with her young family, she has freelanced in the City and for government departments, while maintaining a keen interest in the hospitality sector. With husband Ian McKerracher, the former chief executive of the Restaurant Association, she has first hand operational experience. For the five years until September 2007, they owned a multi-award-winning gastro-pub in the idyllic Somerset village of East Coker.
Favourite new saying?
"No worries."
Alan Coates
Special Adviser
Alan spent 30 years with United Biscuits running everything from factories to private label (for UB, McVities and KP). In 1995, he became group corporate affairs director of the company, which, in itself, would have qualified him for our special adviser role, but it's what he has done since then that has really wowed us.
After leaving UB in 2001, he joined Business in the Community and made a new career out of corporate social responsibility as vice chair of Refugees into Jobs, director of One Stop Shop School Governors, chair of London Business Link, director of Industry in Education, chair of Park Royal Partnership, director of West London Business, chair of Ealing Education Business Partnership and chair of FareShare 1st. He has also served on the board of One London, the LDA Production Industries Commission and West London Economic Development Strategy Committee.
Bigger buzz than business?
"A really tense game of cricket."