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Meet the Team

Meet the team of PR and communications professionals with a wide-ranging skill set and over 100 years’ collective sector experience to our names.

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Ceris Burns FCIM, Founder & Managing Director

Ceris Burns FCIM

Founder & Managing Director

Ceris has 30 years’ experience in B2B international PR and marketing. Having studied German and Spanish languages and international marketing at postgraduate level she started out in medical electronics. Over the years she has managed multilingual campaigns across America, Asia and Europe in sectors ranging from cleaning, hygiene, FM and environmental, to equestrian, healthcare, property, oil & gas, automotive and security.

Ceris has built strong editor relationships and made industry connections that offer clients a powerful network in PR terms but also in terms of partner synergies. With nearly 15 years’ experience to her name already, Ceris started her own business – Ceris Burns International.

She has ridden since the age of six, enjoys amateur eventing and hacking with CBI’s own feisty mascot FatBoy and training his cheeky mini stablemate Blake.

Ceris is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM)/ex-Chair of the Sussex branch and a member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR). She is a Liveryman and Court Assistant of the Worshipful Company of Environmental Cleaners and Loriners Livery Companies, and a member of the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM).

Likes: Horses and fresh air
Dislikes: Bullshit and laziness
Favourite phrase: “It’s a two-minute job!”

Sam Humphrey

Senior PR Account Manager – B2B & B2C

With almost 20 years in the public relations and communications industry, Sam is a senior PR professional with a wealth of expertise. She has vast experience of directing and implementing national trade and consumer communications campaigns for a variety of brands. Her client experience spans a range of sectors, including health, beauty & wellbeing, charity, food & drink, and environmental. Some of the leading brands she has promoted include Bio-Oil, Burt’s Bees and Southern Comfort. Proactive and enthusiastic, Sam combines passion, skill and creativity to deliver results!

Likes: Chocolate, Prosecco, and time with my family
Dislikes: Marmite, rainy weather and being cold!
Favourite phrase: “Nothing is impossible, the word itself says “I’m Possible!”” (Audrey Hepburn)
Michelle Eastty

PR Consultant B2B & B2C

Michelle has worked in the PR industry since 1998, managing award-winning public relations campaigns primarily for business to business organisations. The sectors she has specialised in, within both PR agency and in-house roles, include cleaning and facilities management, environmental and waste management, technology, health, and charity campaigns.

The range of leading brands she has helped to promote include Boots Hearingcare, pharmaceutical manufacturer, Thornton & Ross, ISS Facility Services, BT and Notting Hill Carnival. She has a postgraduate diploma in public and media relations, as well as a postgraduate diploma from the Chartered Institute of Marketing.

Likes: Coffee, holidays in the Greek islands, the Lake District and Scottish Highlands
Dislikes: Snakes, spiders and cold callers
Favourite phrase: “Purposeful storytelling isn’t show business, it’s good business.” (Peter Guber)
Nicola Martin

PR Account Manager

Nicola has been a B2B communications professional for over 20 years. Her career began in the construction industry. As Communications Manager for a world-leading design firm, Nicola ran campaigns to launch some globally iconic buildings, including 30 St Mary Axe (‘Gherkin’) in London and Porto Opera House in Portugal. This has provided a wide platform to refine her skills in B2B media relations, communications strategy, copywriting and account management.

Nicola has worked in agency environments and as an independent consultant. She invests effort into translating client aspirations and growth, into good PR. Nicola has a Post Graduate Diploma from the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and a law degree.

Likes: Making, doing and creating, whether for work or play, reading a gripping book, walks with my dog in the forest, a good round of golf.
Dislikes: An absence of good humour, a lack of variety, the threat of boredom, a bad round of golf.
Favourite phrase: “The power of imagination makes us infinite” – John Muir.
Rebecca Elvin

PR Account Manager

Rebecca has over 13 years’ experience in PR and communications, leading award-winning campaigns for national and international brands, and working across a range of sectors including cleaning & hygiene, retail, property, professional services and manufacturing.

Starting her career as part of the NHS communications team, and then moving into PR agency roles where she progressed from account executive to account director level, Rebecca has honed her skills in account management, strategy and planning, media relations, copywriting and social media.

Working in both B2B and B2C markets for almost a decade, she has built up excellent relationships with journalists and editors, and with a Masters Degree in journalism and a stint as a feature writer for a group of lifestyle magazines, she knows how to craft a newsworthy story and secure coverage in all the right places.

The range of brands and businesses that she has helped promote include Disposables UK, Northwood, Marks & Spencer, Westfield, Notonthehighstreet.com, St. Modwen Properties, MRB Consulting Engineers, HSBC, YPO and the NHS. From supporting clients at trade shows and awards, to opening shopping centres, launching new products and profiling business leaders, Rebecca always brings creativity and passion to every project to generate strong results for her clients.

Likes: Prosecco. Baking. Retail therapy. Family days out.
Dislikes: Everything about bananas.
Favourite phrase: “Believe you can and you’re halfway there.”
Eugene Silke

Specialist Copywriter – Built Environment

Eugene is a copywriter who combines a ready grasp of the technical with a lightness of touch.

A business studies graduate, he trained as a sub-editor and worked in various business publishing roles, including editor.

He ensures clients communicate clearly in the right tone of voice what customers need to know. A keen understanding of business and marketing messaging informs his work.

Eugene has worked for clients across many sectors, subjects and media. He brings fresh insights to topics, as well as particular knowledge of construction, transport, environmental services and corporate responsibility. Whatever field or channel, one constant is his capability to create credible and compelling content.

Likes: Runs with the dog (on an empty beach), Connemara, cinnamon, Van Morrison
Dislikes: Arrogance, waste, verbiage & hype (‘very unique’, ‘awesome’, ‘…going forwards’)
Favourite phrase: Inter faeces et urinam nascimur
Helen Preece

Financial Administrator

A CIMA-qualified accountant with over 20 years’ accountancy experience, Helen has been chief bean counter at Ceris Burns International since 2011. Equipped with a wealth of experience in audit, practice and industry across a variety of industries including manufacturing, PR, marketing, retail, recruitment and hospitality, Helen uses her expertise to help ensure the financial stability of the company.

As well as being adept at using a range of different accounting software packages, Helen is also a Xero Partner. At Ceris Burns International, Helen has drawn on her deep knowledge of accountancy to introduce efficient new processes that have streamlined the financial workflow.

Likes: A bacon and egg sarnie on a Saturday morning, snuggles with my kids on the sofa
Dislikes: Traffic jams and Mornings!
Favourite phrase: “Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain.”
Iain McBride

Consultant Crisis Management and Media Training

Iain has valuable experience in all aspects of the media, having spent over 30 years working in radio, newspapers and television as a reporter, news editor, producer, news reader and presenter. After training at the South Wales Echo, he moved into radio as a reporter for the BBC in Sheffield and the West Midlands.

Iain then became a familiar face on local ITV stations, including Television South West, Yorkshire Television and Meridian. He has also worked as a freelance producer for Sky and ITN, and spent two years as Head of Media Services for Kent Police, advising senior officers during critical incidents.

Likes: Countryside
Dislikes: Rudeness and bad manners
Favourite phrase: “Anything is possible if you want it badly enough.”
FatBoy

Our Mascot

With 13 years PR and communications experience under his saddle, FatBoy is a hit with clients both males and fillies alike. After a short-lived showing career in his home-town Tipperary, aged 5 he moved to England and jumped legs first into the world of PR.

A skilled member of the business development team, FatBoy is great at breaking the ice and contributes to creative thinking and forest brainstorms too. Semi-retired from eventing, he continues to live up to his name by being a dedicated foodie.

Likes: Guinness and the fast life.
Dislikes: Standing still and early appointments.
Favourite phrase: “There’s something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.” (Sir Winston Churchill)

Meet the Team

Smallish and perfectly formed, we are a carefully chosen bunch of PR and communications professionals with a wide-ranging skill set and over 100 years’ sector experience to our names. A mix of full time staff and consultants we share a strong work ethic, a desire to make a difference and a love for delighting our clients.

We trust and expect to be trusted and believe the best client relationships are built on mutual understanding and honesty. If you treat us as an extension of your team then job done.

With ex-journalists, agency and client-side backgrounds there’s not much we don’t know about PR and communications. From construction and cleaning, to equestrian, FM and security, we’ve worked in it or on it. A clever lot, we speak ten languages amongst us in addition to industry lingo of course.

Our H.Q is based in the beautiful countryside of North Nottinghamshire, England. A great spot for creativity while being located for easy access to the M1/A1 corridor.

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