Ashleigh Clark
London,UK
Summary
Public relations and communications professional with just under 5 years' experience working within the fast-paced London media environment. Having started my career at a PR agency supporting clients across a range of industries including arts and culture, health and social care, sustainability and education, I moved to an in-house role at a fully-licensed UK challenger bank in 2024.
Throughout my career, I have quickly carved out a reputation as highly knowledgeable and dependable within my team, providing expert counsel to clients and subsequently to key stakeholders within the Bank. I have been instrumental in launching national media campaigns and sharing important business and product updates, securing coverage in titles such as The Guardian, The Times, Daily Express, Bloomberg, The Financial Times as well as a range of trade titles specifically tailored to our target audience. Within my role, I also act as the secretariat for the Islamic Finance for Growth UK taskforce which brings together industry stakeholders and political figures to support growth and demonstrate the real, economic value of the sector for the wider UK economy.
With an academic background in both English and journalism, I am a highly capable writer and content creator with extensive experience of crafting a narrative that is insightful, engaging and hits the right notes for business objectives. I spearhead the bank's editorial content calendar and have drafted over 20 long-form articles in 2025 which have been published in target trade publications.
Overview
4
4
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work history
PR and Communications Officer
Gatehouse Bank
London
09.2024 - Current
- Lead on all external communications activity for the bank. This includes drafting press releases for business and product updates, community initiatives as well as responding to media enquiries and drafting reactive statements, where necessary.
- Liaise with key journalists within the financial services sector to build strong relationships and secure opportunities to amplify brand image.
- Plan, develop and draft all editorial content on behalf of the bank's key spokespeople, producing over 20 published articles in 2025 which were placed strategically in trade publications such as The Intermediary, Mortgage Solutions, Mortgage Strategy and Financial Reporter.
- Regular and proficient use of media monitoring platform Cision to protect brand reputation, monitor media mentions and produce monthly reports including coverage highlights, interesting data analytics and any reputational risks to be aware of.
- Briefing spokespeople including the CEO and CFO ahead of industry events and panel discussions, ensuring key messages and suggested responses are prepped and available ahead of time.
- Instrumental in refreshing the bank's key messaging and building a strong narrative to align with business objectives.
- Acting secretariat for the Islamic Finance for Growth UK Taskforce which brings together stakeholders from across the Islamic finance sector to demonstrate the growth potential and economic value of the UK Islamic finance market. My role involves direct correspondence and management of MPs, Lords and other high profile individuals.
- Heavily involved in the creation and strategic planning of social media content across the bank's social channels, ensuring the correct tone is employed for each platform and monitoring for any negative mentions or reputational risks.
Senior Account Manager
Stand
London
11.2021 - 09.2024
- Lead several client accounts, spearheading initiatives that amplify brand awareness and supporting organisations in reaching their unique goals. In the past, these goals have included customer acquisition, event ticket sales, recruitment and retention and reaching an investor audience.
- Empowering businesses and helping to craft a distinctive voice in a dynamic media environment.
- Securing media coverage across a wide breadth of platforms and outlets including print, online, radio and broadcast such as the Martin Lewis Money Show, Channel 5 and ITV News. On two separate occasions, coverage I've been instrumental in securing has led to a 700% surge in applications and a 2021% increase in searches for a client service.
- Developing innovative and creative publicity campaigns in line with key business objectives for multiple clients, from literature festivals to a national digital bank, simultaneously managing all with ease and professionalism.
- Delivering high level of service to clients to maintain and extend relationships for future business opportunities.
- Producing exemplary written copy in the form of press releases, social media posts and long-form op-ed pieces for a range of titles including the Evening Standard and Metro, as well as more niche trade titles such as Finance Monthly.
- Delivering media training to expert spokespeople, helping to ensure they are set up for success by supplying key tips and tricks and hosting mock interview sessions.
- Ability to adapt and tailor tone of voice effectively to match the style of each individual client.
- Maintaining awareness of, and relationships with, key journalists in each client sector, having also been instrumental in the organisation and running of a media networking event for a digital banking client in the past.
- Daily tasks included content creation, team leadership and collaboration as well as orchestrating full-scale media campaigns and devising fresh, new ways to share client work and expertise.
Education
Master of Science - Media, Communications and International Journalism
University of Glasgow
Glasgow 09/2020 - 09/2021
Bachelor (Joint Honours) - English and Film
Edinburgh Napier University
Edinburgh 09/2016 - 05/2020
Skills
- Media management
- Communication skills
- Client and internal stakeholder relations
- Journalism and copywriting
- Editing and proofreading
- Public affairs and relations
- Communications strategy
- Written and verbal communication
- Critical thinking
- Brand development
- Team leadership
- Time management
- Social media marketing
- Media reporting
Additional Experience
Powerful Social Media Marketing for Beginners - March 2024
- The course completed via SkillShare covered the different social media platforms, important aspects of branding and content marketing, social media strategy, optimising workflows, paid ads strategy, measuring success and utilising analytical tools as well as how it all fits together in the business and marketing space.
Reading Group Facilitator at HMP Edinburgh - January 2020
- Involved the selection of texts and the leading of a reading group in the learning centre of the facility with incarcerated individuals over a six-week period. This was a hands-on work experience which involved closely controlling the flow of conversation while also ensuring participants were able to share their views and build their confidence in analysing literary works.
Senior Barista - Waterstones - August 2017-August 2019
- Learnt valuable skills in working under pressure and building a rapport and relationship with the general public which has been useful when transferred to my current professional career in managing relationships with journalists and key media contacts.
Certification
200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training in Ashtanga and Vinyasa - July 2019
- Spent four weeks completing an intensive training course in Rishikesh, India gaining skills in yogic philosophy, asana, physical anatomy and alignment. This is a practice I remain dedicated to and incorporate into my daily life.
Timeline
PR and Communications Officer
Gatehouse Bank
09.2024 - Current
Senior Account Manager
Stand
11.2021 - 09.2024
Master of Science - Media, Communications and International Journalism
University of Glasgow
09/2020 - 09/2021
Bachelor (Joint Honours) - English and Film
Edinburgh Napier University
09/2016 - 05/2020