With an extensive background in journalism prior to setting up shop at H&H, it’s safe to say words have played a leading role in my career. As a copywriter, I love playing around with language to communicate exciting messages in the most compelling way. I find great joy in interpreting complex client briefs and finding the best words to condense them into simple but inspiring communications that everyone can understand. And with journalism in my blood, I love meeting new people and understanding what makes them tick – perfect for getting to the heart of the stories people are trying to tell! When my fingers aren’t tapping away on my well-worn keyboard, they’ll be busy mixing ingredients for my egg-free baking (my son’s allergic – and egg-free bakes aren’t as strange as they sound), or gripping the steering mechanism of some sort of vehicle (I’m not choosy) as I take in the sights across Europe (my favourites being the Black Forest and the Italian Lakes).

My journey to landing my role as H&H’s Creative Engagement Specialist probably hasn’t been exactly what you might be expecting. Beginning my career as freelance graphic designer and full-time make-up artist, I’ve since taken the reigns on everything from business improvement and marketing to data visualisation, communications and brand management – so it’s safe to say, my experience certainly matches up nicely with my job title. Especially where the ‘Creative’ aspect is concerned!

And it’s a great fit for me too. Whatever the challenge, I love to turn ideas on their head and find different and unique approaches to our way of seeing the world. Something which lends itself particularly well to engaging people in the workplace. Somehow, it seems like all roads have been leading me here – including the M1, M18 and M62, which transported me up from my native home in Milton Keynes to H&H’s neck of the woods in East Yorkshire!

To me, employee engagement is all about ensuring that people have their voice within their organisation. It’s so important to allow people to be able to express themselves and have a clear understanding in how business decisions will affect them.

And while it may have been my calling, engaging people in the workplace isn’t my only passion. If you happen to catch me outside the beautiful surroundings of Hesslewood Hall, you might find me indulging my love of creativity in other ways, such as crafting handmade floral home-décor with my lovely mum Alli at Pea&Pod or illustrating published books. Or failing that, I’ll likely be familiarising myself with the stunning scenery of the East Yorkshire countryside with my mad and forever loyal puppy companion, Lady Dotty Darling (Lady for short).

I’ve been an L&D specialist and enthusiast for as long as I can remember, and I get a real buzz out of supporting and developing people to reach their full potential in the workplace. A lot of what I do is based around transforming behaviours to enable people to be at their productive best. I advise on the psychology and strategy behind H&H’s creative internal comms projects, so that they really make an impact and engage the organisation.

I’ve racked up plenty of experience in internal communications along the way too, which made H&H a perfect fit for me. It’s great to be able to spread the message that actually, internal comms is vital to business success, through the projects that H&H deliver to drive productivity, growth and employee engagement in organisations across the world. And the icing on the cake here is the sheer creativity and imaginative flair that goes into each and every piece of work – it’s stunning to see!

Rather like my passion for unlocking others’ potential, I’m always looking to further mine by burying my head in a good non-fiction book. I love learning something new in everything I do – it’s a wonder my brain can cope with the strain!

I like to think of myself as the H&H Pit Stop. I'm the go-to gal for all office supplies, meeting bookings, phone and IT equipment, diary management, inductions and of course, ensuring we have a constant supply of coffee for the H&H crew. In short, I keep the agency running like clockwork!

Whenever anyone asks me 'how can you spot a disengaged employee?', I always enlighten them with this particular story. My local pub once underwent a complete refurb. During the re-opening week, I went down for some food and got chatting to one of the employees at the bar. I asked her about some of the exclusive drinks they had on offer that week, and she gloomily replied, "I don't know what they are, nobody tells me anything". To me, this was a classic example of an organisation with an employee engagement problem. The lack of clear internal communication meant that ultimately, the customer - me - suffered as a result. That's why I think the work we do here at H&H is absolutely vital to organisations who want to see better success on the bottom line.

We're a massively animal-friendly agency (we have two resident dogs and a resident peacock), so I fit right in with my own love of furry critters. I help out at the Hull Animal Welfare Centre as often as I can, and frequently pamper the special furry friend in my life - my guinea pig, Hamish.

I’ve always been a big lover of words. Whether it’s tackling complex client linguistic challenges, writing research-intensive industry articles, or crafting imaginative and engaging communications, words are as much a part of my DNA as sonnets were a part of Shakespeare’s. In fact, I like to think one of my greatest achievements was when I penned a 90+-page Harry Potter novel at the age of seven! I’m also a huge grammar nerd, and my obsession with the correct usage of hyphens has earnt me the affectionate nickname around H&H of ‘the hyphenation king’.

I think H&H do very important work – tackling a workplace function which is so critical to success but which is often left floundering by the wayside with frugal budgets, zero resources, and next to no support. That's why I'm so passionate about working here – because, at the end of the day, what could be more fulfilling than playing a part in helping people across the globe to be more happy and engaged?

When I’m not utilising my inner thesaurus, spending time with my wife is what brings me the most joy. She’s also managed to convert me into a cat person, so we now have four – which does a lot for keeping me on my toes!

*and in case any Shakespeare fans out there are wondering, no, there isn’t a clown in the original play – so technically it wasn’t even a real role. But let’s just ignore that for now, shall we?

I’m usually found surrounded by hectic schedules and cups of tea, making sure we deliver all our projects on time and keep our clients smiling. I’m friendly and approachable (so people say!) which has served me well in my 12 years in customer service. I’ve just finished my MBA, which combined English and Business Studies – I’m a bit of a language nerd (quite fitting for a communications agency). When I’ve got some free time on my hands, I love seeing my friends and keeping up with exercise at weekly classes. It can be rather gruelling at times!

I’m H&H’s Junior Digital Developer, bringing my unique skills and experience in music production to the table to add extra flair, energy and inventive creativity to our ambitious projects and programmes. My day-to-day mainly involves website management and development, which includes experimenting with code to create digital assets which break the mould and create new innovative possibilities for our clients. I also get hands-on in our New Product Development process, taking a front-line role in researching and developing digital applications like our quickfire survey tool Push.

From my very first day, I’ve always found the culture at H&H to be welcoming, empowering, and uniquely energising – qualities I’ve never experienced in previous roles. Every day brings something new, exciting and challenging, which pushes you to achieve beyond what you think is possible, and makes the time go by before you’ve even been able to catch a breath!

I’d describe internal communication as the life blood which flows through the arteries of organisations. And to add to that – I’d say that poor communication is the cholesterol that blocks them up, and prevents things from working effectively! One of the things I like about H&H is the fact that our internal comms are so structured and well-designed – it really does make a massive difference. And being treated as an equal and valued member of the team is the icing on top of the cake.

When I’m not busy talking in code, you’ll find me speaking the language of video games – something that has connected me with countless people across the globe, which is really awesome. One game I’d recommended right now is Mirrors Edge: an intense first-person parkour platform game, which is great for letting off a bit of steam at the end of the long day!

I’m H&H’s resident Digital Marketing Apprentice. I came to H&H fresh out of a photography degree, looking for fresh opportunities to broaden my creativity and pick up new skills – and it’s safe to say I picked the right place to achieve both.

H&H has such an exciting, innovative and inventive culture, and that’s partly what appealed to me in the first place. I’m having a swell time cutting my teeth in all things Digital Marketing, learning how to build a successful brand on social media and create engaging, high-ranking content for the web – with our Michael showing me the ropes!

I’m a newcomer to the world of internal comms and employee engagement, but my past experience of working for different organisations alongside my studies has taught me just how important it is to create the best culture possible for your people – whether that’s communicating consistently, offering great perks and benefits, or providing the right opportunities for growth. And it’s so exciting that I get to be a part of a company that makes people happier at work every day, all while developing my own skills as I go!

Outside the workplace I enjoy socialising with my friends at our local pub ‘The Star’ (which certainly to me lives up to its name), and hijacking other people’s tastes in music to widen my own playlist (my favourite listen at the moment is the soundtrack to The Greatest Showman!).

I come from a background in interior design, and I’m really interested in style, design and structure. As Head of Creative I put my heart into making sure our creative projects have a real edge, and that our designers are happy and producing their best work for our clients… even if it takes baking them ‘medals’ so they do their timesheets! I’ve been described as a ball of energy fuelled by coffee, and I’d say that’s pretty accurate! Give me a challenging project and I’ll find a way to breathe fresh, creative life into it. I’m always knee-deep in scribbles and flipchart paper (my notebook is illegible to anyone but me). I also love getting to know our clients – building good relationships is a huge perk of the job. But the biggest love of my life is my labradoodle, Maya. She’s part of the H&H family too – she even has her own desk!

I’m in the H&H driving seat when it comes to all things finance and HR. I’m often forehead-deep in invoices and spreadsheets (yes, I shoulder that particular burden), making sure everything is always running smoothly, establishing budgets, and keeping the pipeline flowing seamlessly. And crucially, making sure the rest of the team can do their jobs without having to worry about whether payments have actually come in for the work they’re doing!

I love what I do because I’m part of an amazing team, and being at H&H makes you inspired to come into work every day and really give your all. I’ve always been aware of the importance of internal comms in ensuring that everyone understands the role they play in the organisation, so it’s nice to be working for an agency that’s constantly bringing that to life for others, as well as for the team right here.

When I’m not managing bank accounts or balancing the books, yoga is my biggest hobby – probably because of the craziness that comes with raising four little ones!

I'm H&H's brainbox for all things PRINT. I'm a Master Coach, Trainer and NLP practitioner (so I guess you could say that Personal Development and I go hand in hand), and I love using my skills to facilitating learning and awareness with the PRINT tool. My role involves a whole lot of coaching and facilitating, particularly PRINT Discovery Sessions where I help people to uncover their Unconscious Motivators and find their Best Self (you can learn more about PRINT over on the website).

Helping people grow and develop to fulfil their potential really makes me tick. I'm incredibly proud to have kept PRINT in the spotlight, bringing huge advantages in employee engagement and productivity to all kinds of organisations. The way I see it is - if you haven't got happy, productive employees, you don't have a hope in having a happy high performing business.

Outside of work, you can usually find me clutching my trowel, growing beets, parsnips, garlic and many other veggies on my home allotment. I also keep 4 chickens - Glitzy, Eta, Beyoncé, and Nina.

I’m H&H’s Digital Developer, which means I’m the agency’s jack of all IT trades. But my role goes way beyond sorting out little gremlins in the works. I’m involved extensively with both client-facing and internal projects, devising inventive digital solutions and applications to take our clients’ internal comms projects to the next level, and also helping to progress our New Product Development pipeline by designing and developing innovative new products and systems for the IC market. For instance, I’m the tech mind behind Push, our latest instant feedback tool that’s helping internal communications professionals to get real-time results on the success of their comms. Needless to say, coding and web development takes up a big chunk of my time. You should see the size of my monitor.

My role applies my experience in strategic internal communications with my natural love of building relationships with others. Not only do I deal with clients directly on their day-to-day needs, but I also come up with inventive and practical ways to connect with new clients and opportunities.

The best thing about H&H is that we dig deep into how IC can really help organisations to achieve better results. We focus resolutely on the role internal comms plays in improving employee engagement, productivity and performance, and translate this understanding into IC programmes that always leave our clients beaming. That's what gets me up in the morning: because happy employees lead to equally happy customers, and at H&H I've got a unique chance to really make a difference to employees across the globe. Who wouldn't be happy about that?

Speaking of communication, I'm not just adept at talking to people - I'm a trained in classical opera! When I'm not obsessing over internal comms, you'll likely find me on the road travelling around Europe, getting up close and personal with nature, or browsing supermarket aisles (don't ask - food and wine takes up a lot of my time).

As Managing Director of H&H, much of my time is devoted to constantly improving the way we do things at the agency, ensuring we offer the best service and value for our clients. There’s process-y and backroom things that need constant tending to, but my biggest buzz comes from leading our strategy and direction and inspiring and supporting our marvellous team to achieve it.

I feel enormous pride, satisfaction and fulfilment at what we’ve accomplished together at H&H. The team here are so special, giving everything they’ve got to ensure we not only deliver extraordinary results for our clients, but that H&H isn’t just a great place to work, it’s a great place to be – full stop. As for me, I’m constantly reading, learning, studying and developing my knowledge of communication and employee engagement, looking for ways to apply new ideas to our business and approach – to ensure we remain the best internal comms agency in our field. Even tarot cards have been brought in as a potential tool for us to use!

When I’m not burning the candle at H&H, you can find me trotting about on horses – I recently won my first rosette at a dressage competition – or eating scrambled eggs with Eamon Holmes (okay, that was only one time). And after 15-or-so years ‘umm’ing and ‘ahh’ing about it, my hubby and I finally took up ballroom dancing recently – it’s so wonderful to know that we could pull off a fairly competent waltz, foxtrot or tango should the need ever arise!

I’m H&H’s Engagement Specialist, combining my passion for psychology with my newfound fascination with all things IC. I love delving under the surface of what makes people tick, especially at work – where we spend a staggering 37% of our time. My role involves taking the psychological science behind engagement and translating it into accessible and tangible strategies for our clients that get results. I also love getting stuck in with the creative side too, meaning I can help bring an imaginative wisdom to our programmes that sparks the science into life.

I realised there was a strong connection between psychology and IC when I stumbled across Internal Communications at another IC agency earlier this year, which led me to land my ideal role at H&H. I love questioning the unquestionable and finding answers to challenging existential conundrums – what drives people to behave the way they do? How can we cross cultural and societal boundaries to help people work more effectively together? These are the types of questions we’re always pushing ourselves to understand and discover at H&H. It’s a great fit for me!

To me, internal communications is everything, and everyone in an organisation does it – we just didn’t have a formal name for it until fairly recently. It’s just about creating that self-awareness and capability for people to get messages across in an impactful and engaging way that inspires the desired outcomes. For me, it’s all about creating human connection.

Outside of the office you’ll either find me embracing my inner athlete, indulging in a spot of globetrotting and exploring new places and cultures. I love a spontaneous road trip, discovering all the hidden gems the world has to offer – and in my passenger seat you will usually find my very cute, yet crazy sidekick puppy Lexi! Even though my sense of direction is pretty questionable, we always make it back home one way or another!

Coming from a background in illustration I’m told my drawings and designs have set the bar high for the rest of the creative team (a snail with a big wrinkly forehead was a particular favourite!). I try and pack my illustrations with genuine character and personality to communicate concepts – sometimes an image is more powerful than words. Every day is interesting and fun, and I’ve got really high standards for myself to make sure I’m always improving. In my spare time, you’ll find me swirling about doing ballroom and Latin dancing. I have my gold medals in sight...

I’m one of H&H’s Account Managers, helping to build close relationships with every one of our clients – really exciting when you work with some of the biggest brands from around the globe! I’m often the main point of contact when organisations partner with us, and keep constant tabs on every deliverable that gets sent back to them – ensuring they’re always of the highest quality standard, and meet the brief to a tee.

My background in IC means I can really connect and empathise with the challenges our clients face on a day-to-day basis. This is super helpful when trying to dissect a brief, or figure out what the client actually needs us to deliver. And of course, it makes building strong relationships pretty easy too!

It also means I have an acute understanding of the difference IC can really make within organisations. As an IC professional, you play a major role in shaping a solid culture – encouraging transparency, openness, and inclusivity so that everyone feels they can be themselves, connect with the organisation’s journey and make their voice heard. This is why being a part of H&H is so rewarding for me – because I have the opportunity to help make this a reality for our clients.

When I’m not helping to solve comms challenges, drafting budgets and filling up the coffee pot, you’ll likely find me hitting the gym, moving the furniture around in my new house, or organising pseudo-Come Dine With Me’s with my friends (quesadillas and guac, anyone?).

My role is deeply rooted in the strategic thinking behind H&H's IC programmes. Essentially, you could say I'm a bit of an architect, building them from the foundations up and making sure they're structurally sound, tick every box of the brief, and will exceed the client's expectations and objectives. I'm at my best when I'm thinking strategically, and internal comms and employee engagement is definitely a passion - having spent most of my career working in IC from inside the walls of a diverse range of UK and global organisations.

IC's importance is likely to keep growing as organisations have to learn to adapt more rapidly to a variety of changing circumstances. Change is now a constant in the workplace and it makes the job of engagement tougher than ever before. IC has a critical part to play is helping organisations and their employees to flourish during turbulent times - so how exciting, to be at the forefront of thinking around internal comms and change management right here at H&H!

Aside from my love of internal communication, at some point in my life I'd love to own a cocoa plantation - mainly so I could have all the dark chocolate I wanted right at my fingertips (what can I say, milk and white simply don't cut it for me).

Putting my passion for great design into results that impress and inspire our clients (and put smiles on their faces) encourages me to constantly improve. I guess my biggest achievement so far has been putting us on the shortlist for some of the IC world’s biggest design awards – as well as winning an Award of Excellence from the IoIC. Having the creative freedom to experiment and find the perfect visual look to bring brands and messages to life is better than a bag of Hula Hoops… and I really love Hula Hoops. Elsewhere, my main loves are cooking tasty vegan food, anything animal related, horror films, travel, delicious gin, loud music and my lovely friends.

That happened during a round-the-world trip in ’94 after finishing my art and media studies. With my life in a rucksack I travelled clockwise around the globe, sparking a lifelong passion for experiencing new places and different cultures. I knew at the age of seven that my career was in art – I reckon my mum spotted that too as the house was covered in doodles! But it was at a youth hostel in Hong Kong when I met two incredibly talented designers whose work really inspired me, that I realised graphic design was my true calling. And I’ve never looked back! Over the years my passion has extended well beyond design, stretching into the strategy and theory behind communications. Understanding how powerful it can be in making people feel connected and engaged. The world of IC, particularly around change, can be complex and challenging, but I absolutely thrive in it. I love leading and inspiring our team of creatives, strategists and psychologists to be innovative and original. And when times get tough I can de-stress by making beautiful sparkly creations, thanks to my qualification in silver jewellery making.

It’s safe to say that digital design is a big part of my life. I love being creative, and when I can fire up Adobe Creative Suite and get stuck into some exciting new visuals, I know I’m in for a good day. Working at H&H brings so much vibrancy and variety to the projects I’m involved with, but what I find most exciting about my work is the blending of creative design and comms strategy – it just brings that extra substance to the visuals we create.

It’s the potential to really be your creative best that I think sets H&H apart. We’re always thinking – how can we make these internal comms innovative and different? And I think it helps that H&H have such a clear, inspiring purpose. It certainly helps to keep me focused on developing my skills in my role, since I know that the designs I’m creating are having a positive impact on people all over the world.

Ollie
DIGITAL CREATIVE

Pixel precision

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When I’ve got a spare few minutes at home, I often pretend to be a successful DJ performing for a crowd of fanatic revellers – but in reality, the only crowds I draw in are my cat (and he’s only there for the food…)

As part of the creative arm of H&H, I get stuck into everything from design concepts to giving our artwork and designs their final flourishes. Primarily though, my role is to bring the creative team’s ideas to life through animation and innovative digital approaches.

My passion for animation lies in its versatility – there are so many elements and components that can be used to visually tell a compelling story and capture people’s emotions beyond just a static image. I’m constantly on the lookout for and being inspired by new and exciting approaches to telling stories through animation.

But the best thing is that I’m able to put my capabilities in digital to good use every day in helping to make people’s working lives more fulfilling and rewarding. Everyone deserves to feel engaged at work, and the opportunity to make that happen is what makes being a part of H&H so uniquely special for me.

Outside of H&H I use my animation and digital design prowess to help promote local music events and club nights. I’m a massive music geek, and it's great to get involved in Hull's vibrant music scene and get the word out about local arts projects that are trying to create something a little bit different. You can check out some of my work here. I’m also an outdoors-type (there’s plenty of us here at H&H) and can often be found often whizzing through the local forest on my mountain bike. Although you probably wouldn’t recognise me, as I’m usually caked in mud!

I’m on a personal mission to get people properly engaged in the workplace, and I’ve definitely found my calling in internal comms! Connecting people through the power of effective communication is something I’m hugely passionate about. Meeting comms challenges head-on and overcoming them is probably what I enjoy the most about working here – it’s safe to say I like getting things done! It’s great to be able to see the bigger picture of internal comms from all angles – something I’ve had tons of experience in – to find the best IC strategies for our clients and ensure they always pay off. When I’m not playing with my kids, you’ll likely find me playing several musical instruments (though probably not at the same time!). I’m a master of the piano, double bass, and clarinet.