WE UK Launches Strategic Advisory Board to Deepen Expertise

Members Include ex-BBC Journalist Jane Wakefield, Max Pemberton of the Daily Mail, and Futurist & AI expert Bernard Marr

LONDON – JULY 3, 2024 – WE Communications, an independent communications agency, today announced the formation of a local strategic board in the UK deepening its core sector expertise with specialties in AI, tech, sustainability and health. This new initiative aims to provide external insights and advisory support to clients and team members navigating a complex and fast-moving business environment through seminars, events, and training.

"In today's volatile business and political landscape, it's crucial for organisations to not only be prepared for the unexpected but think about what’s next," said Laura Gillen, Managing Director of WE Communications UK. "Our strategic board will play a vital role in helping our clients and teams address pressing issues such as rapid technological advances, regulatory challenges, and political instability."

The founding group members will advance the agency's commitment to driving people to positive action and will be formed of independent experts and influential leaders from across multiple sectors:

• Jane Wakefield, former BBC technology reporter with two decades of experience in journalism, said: "I hope my many years of experience as a technology journalist can help inform WE's clients and make sense of the ever more complex tech landscape we live in." Wakefield's deep expertise will help clients navigate emerging technologies and their implications.
• Dr Fiona Adshead, Chair of the Sustainable Healthcare Coalition, bolsters the group’s expertise in addressing sustainability and healthcare challenges. "I'm excited to bring my wealth of experience as an influential wellbeing, public health, and sustainability leader to this new initiative," she said. Her insights will help clients understand the intersection of health and sustainability.
• Bernard Marr, best-selling author and futurist, brings his forward-thinking perspective on the applications of AI. "In an era of technology and business transformation, it's crucial to anticipate and understand emerging trends," Marr said. "WE Communications' commitment to innovation aligns perfectly with my own values."
• Dr Max Pemberton, Daily Mail columnist, said, "With my experience both working in the media and on the NHS coal-face, I hope I can bring valuable insights into the ever-changing healthcare landscape for both the WE team and their clients."
• Saeed Atcha, MBE, CEO at Youth Leads UK, adds the important voice of younger generations to the board. "I'm excited to be bringing the perspectives of young people to the forefront," Atcha said. "Gen Z and Gen Alpha are incredibly socially aware and engaged, and they are actively contributing to their communities."

As Gillen concluded, "Our strategic board members, as knowledge leaders, will empower our clients and team to see beyond market complexities and seize new opportunities with confidence."

About WE Communications

WE is one of the largest independent communications agencies in the world. We’re all about people — both our clients and employees — and we believe in the power of communications to move audiences to positive action. Women-founded, women-led, and fiercely independent, WE has spent more than four decades helping world-class brands tell technology-led transformation stories that shift perceptions and change behavior.

Our global reach includes a presence in more than 24 cities, partner networks that expand our footprint and client capabilities, and a team of more than 1,400 media and content strategists, creatives and data scientists across our technology, health and corporate sectors. Our work with global brands like Microsoft, McDonald’s and Volvo has been recognized by Cannes Lions, PRovoke Media SABRE Awards and PRWeek Awards, just to name a few.

For more information about the strategic board email: [email protected]