The c8 team is the very heart of our business, so we are proud that we have been recognised as an Investor in People - the national standard, which sets good practice for the training and development of people to achieve business goals.

Paula Elliott (c8 Managing Director)

 

Paula is a PR and marketing specialist with over 20 years’ experience in running marketing businesses.  A full Member of the Institute of Public Relations, and the Chartered Institute of Marketing, she holds a post-experience Diploma in Business Management Studies. Before Paula founded C8 Consulting in April 2004, she was a Main Board Director at Kaizo, a very successful London based marketing consultancy. At Kaizo, Paula ran a B2B division, which generated over a third of the Company’s income and exceeded all financial targets. Paula has gained experience across a broad range of market sectors including technology, retail, financial services, legal, professional services and public sector.  In 2006, Paula set up a very successful executive level business networking forum, The Twenties Club, which continues to thrive today.

David Bicknell - Director of C8 Corporate Media Bureau

 

David is a writer with over twenty years experience covering the business, technology and IT sectors. He has a journalistic background, having begun his career working for a news agency in the East Midlands, before joining BBC local radio in Leicester. On moving to London, he began writing about IT, eventually spending 17 years in the weekly IT press, working for Computer Weekly as News and US Editor, then launching a sister title to Computer Weekly, e-Business Review. For a number of years since then, he has been a freelance writer, contributing magazine articles, editing titles and specialising in corporate writing across a range of subjects and sectors. He is also co-author of a successful book about IT projects.
 

Bridgette Dewar – Account Director

 

Bridgette has more than seven years experience in developing integrated marketing and PR campaigns for a variety of clients within the UK and New Zealand. Before joining C8 in June 2009, she freelanced for two years at a number of leading marketing and PR agencies based in London and worked across clients in the financial services, technology, and building and construction industries.

Prior to moving to London in 2007, Bridgette worked as a Senior Account Manager at nbpr, which is part of the Acumen Republic - New Zealand’s leading integrated communications agency. She has an eye for detail and a passion for writing; and has strong experience in strategy and campaign planning; brand development; production management; advertising and copywriting; event management; and media relations.
 
 

Annette Finch – Account Manager

 

Annette joins us from ITV where she worked in the Midlands for four years as an on-screen Correspondent. Annette has covered a wide range of local, regional and national stories ranging from the collapse of Jaguar Land Rover to the arrest of Birmingham FC board members. Working for the biggest ITV region Annette has interviewed many high profile business leaders and MPs as well as sports personalities and celebrities giving her a wealth of experience in getting the best out of people. As an accomplished presenter Annette can advise clients on media training for broadcast interviews. Annette’s experience in the field as a reporter will prove invaluable in advising clients what reporters require from features and press briefings. Prior to moving to ITV Annette worked for the GCAP radio group in the Midlands and in Reading as a reporter and newsreader having won a scholarship ahead of her peers on her Post Graduate Diploma in Broadcast Journalism. Whilst studying at the London College of Communication Annette was selected to receive a bursary from the Arts and Humanities Research Board in recognition of her writing skills. Annette graduated from Leicester University in 2003 with a 2:1 BA (hons) in History.

Outside of work Annette is a keen gym bunny and horse-rider, she also enjoys cycling and is currently learning to ski. Annette enjoys watching sport too and is a regular at racecourses and cricket and football.
 
 

Katie Astbury – Marketing Executive

 

Katie graduated from Nottingham Trent University in June 2009 with a 2:2 degree in Real Estate Management BSC (hons) and promptly joined the C8 team in the following July. As part of her degree Katie spent 12 Months’ working for national Chartered Surveyors Colliers CRE as a trainee surveyor. Katie’s role at the company was predominantly property agency and she particularly enjoyed the marketing aspect of her job which involved using the website, trade press and local media to promote investment opportunities. Along with her keen interest in media relations this experience prompted Katie to broaden her marketing experience and join the C8 team.

Katie is a sports enthusiast, and in her spare time plays for Reading RFC. Prior to graduating her interest in sport led her to work at numerous high profile hospitality events including Royal Ascot, the RFU Six Nations, the British Open, and the Cricket Test Series. This experience has provided her with an invaluable insight into the functionality of corporate hospitality.
 

Nigel Elliott - Finance and Operations Director

 

Nigel joined C8 Consulting in July 2007, having previously worked for worldwide software company, Microsoft.   Nigel has excellent commercial and business acumen and a proven track record spanning over 20 years, working with Fortune 500 companies. During this time, he has held senior sales and business management positions both in the UK and internationally. He is a good problem solver, with a pragmatic down to earth approach, which combined with his first-rate customer relationship management skills, means he is well liked and respected by clients. Nigel is responsible for the management of C8 Consulting’s business operations, but continues to work closely with clients, both in a business development and consultancy capacity.

Richard Hall - Board Advisor

 

Richard Hall graduated from Oxford in English. He worked as a client first in HR and then in increasingly senior marketing roles with Reckitts, RHM Foods and Corgi Toys and in advertising with French Gold Abbott, FCO and Euro RSGG. Richard has chaired a leading film and stunt company and a PR consultancy. He is currently chair of Shaftesbury Young People, Showcase Presentations and RH&A and non-executive director of C8 Consulting and Ballet Black. Currently working on his fourth book - the first three were: “That Presentation Sensation”, “Brilliant Presentations” and “Success”. Published in English, Chinese, Korean and Romanian, Richard says this doesn’t make him a global citizen but it’s a step in the right direction!

Tatiana Miller – Associate Consultant

 

Tatiana is an independent communications consultant with over 14 years experience in the IT sector – both agency and in-house.  Prior to becoming a consultant, Tatiana worked at Symantec where she was responsible for enterprise public relations across the Northern region. In addition, Tatiana developed and managed Symantec's pan-EMEA corporate communications programme, focussing on executive speaker and media relations programmes, executive tours and managing media plans around M&A activity.  Prior to Symantec, Tatiana developed and managed Veritas Software’s EMEA corporate communications programme across 18 countries in EMEA. Tatiana started her communications career at London PR agency Brodeur where she ran media relations programmes for IBM Global Services, IBM Networking Systems EMEA, IBM Software EMEA, AMP and Claris.