Louise Kidd
Peebles,United Kingdom
Summary
I am a highly experienced and results-driven senior comms professional with a background in strategic communications, ethical culture initiatives, and digital management. I have worked in a senior leadership position for NatWest Group for nearly 20 years and am also an experienced non-executive director having held Board positions in not for profit organisations.
I have extensive experience in corporate social and digital communications, providing strategic counsel to executive leadership on reputational risk, content strategy, and crisis response. I have demonstrated ability to align internal and external messaging and enhance brand presence through innovative digital advocacy and integrated campaigns. I have developed and managed events, content and communications strategies and led multiple campaigns to demonstrate purpose in action.
Overview
30
30
years of professional experience
Work history
Culture Measurement Lead
NatWest Group
2024.04 - 2026.05
- I lead the implementation of a culture measurement programme in the Group's Markets business, developed in response to regulatory oversight from the US Department of Justice (DoJ). I measure sentiment and behaviours aligned to ethics and compliance and undertake regular reporting with the DoJ to ensure compliance with our obligations under an ongoing Monitorship.
- I work with senior leaders across the bank to ensure the programme is embedded across multi-discipline teams; demonstrate the value of the ethics programme; ensure the values are core to the organisational culture; and measure the culture of compliance and report progress to the business.
- Provide regular progress updates on culture of compliance, with supporting data, to the DoJ and be accountable for responding to their queries and requests for information.
- Represent NatWest Group in face to face engagement meetings with DoJ representatives.
- Create and manage a process for monitoring and reporting changes in conduct and compliance scores in the Markets business.
- Deliver actionable insights and relevant supporting data to the Conduct and Compliance team to empower them to understand progress in improving the culture of compliance.
- Provide suitable tools and interventions to enact improvements in conduct scores.
Head of Digital Communications
NatWest Group
2014.08 - 2024.03
- Responsible for Corporate Social and Digital Communications for the NatWest Group brand. My team specialised in content creation and social media channel management and two matrix-managed team members were web authoring and build experts. A key focus of my role was to provide strategic counsel to Executives, senior leaders and comms colleagues on social and digital best practice and managing the risks associated with this. I worked closely with Internal Comms, Media Relations and Public Affairs to ensure a joined-up approach and consistent messaging across internal and external channels.
- Providing strategic counsel and advice to Exco teams about social media and associated risks.
- Collaborating with internal comms, media relations, public affairs and wider social teams to create and deliver joined up creative campaigns.
- Bringing together internal and external communicators to increase collaboration and re-use of assets and content.
- Owning the content strategy to ensure owned channels are aligned, reflect the bank's purpose, and balance impact against reputational risk.
- Shaping comms to respond to crises and managing teams to deliver against tight deadlines, while balancing views of senior stakeholders.
- Responsible for NWG brand corporate communications on owned channels, including www.natwestgroup.com, ensuring continuous improvement through measurement.
- Rolling-out Exec level advocacy programme for Leaders on LinkedIn to empower them to share bank messaging on their own channels.
- Launched CEO's LinkedIn 'Top Voices' account as a way to share thought leadership content to a wide audience. Grew followers to 26k in 2.5 years with high engagement rates.
Senior Communications and Channel Manager
NatWest Group
2009.11 - 2014.07
- I was responsible for communicating Group level news to colleagues, along with producing the employee magazine and drafting CEO communications. A key focus of the role was ensuring that colleagues were informed of all breaking news, ahead of it appearing in the media - which immediately post-Global Financial Crisis, was a very frequent occurrence.
- Managed the bank's internal communications news team to develop and deliver communications to all Group employees c.130k globally.
- Planned the CEO's engagement activity with staff, including drafting his communications about key issues affecting the Group.
- Communications Lead on set piece projects like Results Reporting, as well as crisis comms and key external issues like ring-fencing.
- Developed creative solutions like infographics, to explain the complexities of the bank in a simple and engaging way.
- Developed and implemented a new Group tone of voice and key message registers, for consistency of messaging across all channels.
HR Communications Project Manager
NatWest Group
2008.08 - 2009.11
- Managed delivery of key communication projects and events to the bank's HR function including design and delivery of new approach to leadership events, executive level communications and delivery of HR recognition scheme.
Publications Manager - UK Retail Banking
NatWest Group
2006.12 - 2008.07
- Managed the creation and production of multiple employee magazines to various parts of the UK Retail business - understood each businesses' strategy to ensure their objectives were supported by the publications.
Communications Manager - Direct Sales
NatWest Group
2006.01 - 2006.11
- Managed all communications to colleagues across RBS Retail.
Project & Account Manager
Rocket Visuals
2004.05 - 2006.01
- Project Management of key communication projects for clients including Clydesdale Bank, Yorkshire Bank, Scottish Enterprise, National Trust for Scotland and City and Guilds.
- Maintained client and studio relations to ensure smooth project implementation of all projects including budget management, scheduling, version control and change request management.
Marketing Manager
Dance Base
2003.04 - 2004.04
Marketing Manager
Assembly Theatre
2000.04 - 2002.09
Marketing Officer
Unique Events
1996.10 - 2000.03
Education
BA - Communications
Queen Margaret University
HND - Communications
Napier University
Skills
- Strategic internal & external comms planning and delivery
- Excellent interpersonal and communications skills
- Strong leadership and senior stakeholder management
- Data-led analysis and problem solving
- Flexible, collaborative approach with strong delivery track record
- Manage third-party agencies and suppliers
- Budget planning and reporting
Board Positions
- 07/2020, 12/2021, Tiny Changes, Board Member
- 06/2014, 07/2019, All or Nothing Aerial Dance Theatre, Board Member
Interests
Open water swimmer - a loch will do but ideally the warm, deep blue
Languages
Conversational Mandarin Chinese
Elementary
Timeline
Culture Measurement Lead
NatWest Group
2024.04 - 2026.05
Head of Digital Communications
NatWest Group
2014.08 - 2024.03
Senior Communications and Channel Manager
NatWest Group
2009.11 - 2014.07
HR Communications Project Manager
NatWest Group
2008.08 - 2009.11
Publications Manager - UK Retail Banking
NatWest Group
2006.12 - 2008.07
Communications Manager - Direct Sales
NatWest Group
2006.01 - 2006.11
Project & Account Manager
Rocket Visuals
2004.05 - 2006.01
Marketing Manager
Dance Base
2003.04 - 2004.04
Marketing Manager
Assembly Theatre
2000.04 - 2002.09
Marketing Officer
Unique Events
1996.10 - 2000.03
BA - Communications
Queen Margaret University
HND - Communications
Napier University