What they say
Professor Arman Eshraghi, Professor of Finance and Investment at Cardiff University.
I am impressed by Derek’s skills in creating engaging narratives based on research articles, working with the media and writing impactful and gripping stories.
On a number of occasions, his help was crucial to me and my colleagues in promoting our research which eventually found its way to leading business publications such as Forbes and the Harvard Business Review.
Dr Nigel Spencer, Former Senior Client Director, Oxford Saïd Business School
Derek worked with us on a high-profile project which involved crafting a story about the impact of a leadership development programme with a client.
Over a number of months, he listened closely to the needs of the client and helped us to develop a narrative which was both accessible and impactful.
I was very impressed at Derek’s written style, and how he focused around the criteria set.
Beth Gormley, Communications and PR Manager at UCD College of Business
Derek’s depth of knowledge from working in higher education communications is evident as he is a true “all-rounder” that is highly skilled at composing a range of communications from PR pitches to faculty features to distilling complex research into “click worthy” news articles.
Stephanie Mullins, Account Director and Deputy Head of Education Practice at BlueSky PR
I thoroughly enjoyed working with Derek - his unwavering professionalism, quick responses, and knack for knowing what's newsworthy impressed me from the beginning.
He has a natural talent for storytelling and creating engaging content.
Hélène Murphy,
Senior Manager, Research Communications at The Open University
Derek was recommended to me while he was writing REF impact case studies for another colleague, who praised him highly and said he was the best research writer she had come across. Having worked with him over a three-year period, I share that view and found he could do a lot more.
He joined me in Research Communications to work on and implement strategy, generate content, revamp the research website, manage videos, and run an event. He is a real all-rounder, able to turn his hand and sharp mind to anything and always willing to take ideas away and work them into a plan.
I felt very supported by Derek and learned a lot from his methodical approach and his ability to navigate complex content and multiple stakeholders in a calm, efficient way.
I also benefited greatly from his insights into what audiences need rather than what communicators want to feed them, which is essential for demonstrating effective engagement when evaluating a communications strategy.