Joe Churcher

Joe Churcher

Associate

Joe is a writer and editor with more than three decades’ experience of producing highly-engaging written material on a wide array of subjects.

His career in journalism included 16 years covering Westminster politics for the Press Association (news agency) and six at the UK’s biggest selling regional daily paper, helping lead its transformation into a digital-first news operation.

Now working for himself as a copywriter and consultant (from his home on Scotland’s north-east coast), he puts a keen understanding of how to reach target audiences, an eye for detail and an ease with meeting deadlines to work for clients from businesses and industry groups to charities and community projects.

Steven Stewart

Steven Stewart

Associate

Steven has more than 30 years’ communications experience, from working with entrepreneurs and FTSE-listed corporates to public services and media.

A former Director of Communications with Stagecoach Group, Steven has specific experience of the public transport and logistics sectors, as well as local government and sustainability. He has fostered positive connections in local and national government, with business organisations, and community and campaigning groups.

His expertise includes communications strategy, storytelling, and stakeholder engagement, working with businesses and organisations to develop lasting partnerships. He also has extensive experience of managing high-profile crisis incidents in the UK and overseas.

Steven has been a Chamber of Commerce Director for 15 years and has undertaken leading roles in regional leadership, sustainability, skills development, and ambassador programmes in Scotland.

Gail Downing

Gail Downing

Associate

Gail is our media trainer and crisis communications specialist for clients wanting real experience and insight into how journalists and newsrooms operate. Having worked in national news, current affairs and the regional media for BBC and ITV, she uses those skills to help clients tell their story. She’ll challenge woolly thinking but is excellent at building rapport and confidence in clients facing everything from Panorama to local radio, print and specialist media. As a TV and radio reporter, Gail works in the UK and overseas with government bodies such as the FCDO, multinational companies, logistics, pharmaceuticals, academia and charities, and has made films with us for the British Council, ODI, universities and government organisations.

ODI Summit 2020

Recreating the Open Data Institute’s annual Summit event in a virtual environment and cementing the ODI’s position as the leading data authority

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Iain Aitch

Iain Aitch

Associate

Iain is a highly-experienced journalist, media consultant and copywriter with 25 years of professional experience. He has written features for the Guardian, Financial Times, Daily Telegraph, Times and Independent, as well as a vast array of magazines and periodicals.

His commercial clients have included Nesta, Arts and Humanities Research Council, Transport for London, Channel 4, University of Kent, Debt Hacker, Borkowski, JLL, Economic and Social Research Council, Microsoft, Rated People, Red Bull and the Child Poverty Action Group.

His work varies from consulting on thought leadership to ghost-writing for CEOs and from placing stories to staging newsjacking or guerilla events. He is an experienced interviewer and known for his original ideas as well as being able to create engaging copy from complex or hard-to-grasp information. 

Iain is the author of two books and contributor to a dozen more. He is also co-director of a Community Interest Company working with creative social histories and popular culture.

Vicky Bristow

Vicky Bristow

Associate

Vicky has over 15 years’ experience in PR and communications, having worked at leading UK PR agencies and in-house at large organisations, including Direct Line Group and the University of Hertfordshire.

She develops PR and communications strategies that connect businesses and organisations with their target audiences and stakeholders, using audience insights, her nose for news and creative storytelling to grow clients’ positive reputation. She specialises in consumer financial services, consumer health and research communications.

Rachel Fernandez-Vidal

Rachel Fernandez-Vidal

Marketing Manager | Senior Account Manager

Rachel has over 15 years’ experience in multimedia consumer marketing, delivering award-winning campaigns for brands such as Starbucks, John Lewis, Change4Life and Sony Music.

She specialises in strategic communications and content, creative solutions, brand narrative and storytelling.

Prior to joining Allegory, Rachel spent three years working as Marketing Director for an independent beauty brand, leading a strategic branding, marketing and design function in-house.

Kristin Hadland

Kristin Hadland

Associate

Kristin is a former television journalist who recently moved into communications after a long career as an award-winning producer-director.

She spent 10 years on the staff of the BBC, starting as a reporter in regional news, progressing rapidly into news editor roles, and later working on the flagship current affairs programme Panorama.

As a freelance producer-director and series producer Kristin has worked for all the major broadcasters, where her credits include Channel 4 Dispatches: Britain’s Cheap Clothes, BBC1’s Helicopter Heroes, and ITV1’s The Murder of Rhys Jones: Police Tapes.


Throughout her career Kristin’s goal has been to produce television programmes that make a difference to peoples’ lives and she is continuing with that ambition by sharing her journalistic insights and storytelling skills with people whose values align with her own.

Her first clients include Donna Ockenden, who is leading the Independent Review of Maternity Services at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, and Allegory, where she works on the Open Data Institute & The Alan Turing Institute accounts.