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James Kingsley - City PR

James Kingsley discovered his passion for communicating while studying English Literature and International Politics at the University of Manchester, though it was only after graduating in 2006 he realised that passion made him perfect for a career in public relations.

His first job was as PR Executive for PRUPIM, the global property investment arm of Prudential. Having a few years of good PR experience at a big firm under his belt, he decided to look for a new challenge in a smaller firm – and it was during that search that Unicorn Jobs placed him into the role of Communications Manager at investment fund managers Marwyn.

We spoke to James about his career to date, the differences between a PR role at a bigger and smaller company, and his average day at Marwyn.

By Unicorn Jobs

Why did you choose a career in PR?

At university I was intrigued by both the disciplined use of the written word and, paradoxically, inventive approaches to the expression of ideas. I have always enjoyed putting together an engaging presentation, debating it, and learning from the conflicting arguments.

After graduation I didn’t fully know how to put these elements to good use. Then a good friend who worked at [financial PR agency] Buchanan sat me down and pointed out that I should seriously think about PR. I investigated the industry a little and rapidly learnt that those two letters stand for many things.

What was your first role?

My first role was as PR Executive at PRUPIM, a company that runs the Prudential property portfolio. It has about £20bn AUM [assets under management] and 900 properties, with 5m square feet of land under development. It was a traditionally stoic brand in comparison with bolder competitors. When I joined, the PR beast was very much awakening so it was a great place to get involved and learn the trade, while being supported by some of the most experienced property professionals around.

What was the best part of that role?

At the time the biggest initiatives at PRUPIM concerned the environmental impact of a portfolio of that size, and ‘futureproofing’ the performance of its assets. The company is the leading advocate and innovator in sustainable investment in the industry, and working on these projects was particularly rewarding.

How did you get your job at Marwyn?

I had an ideal job in mind when searching for a new challenge: to undertake a communications role in a small (so, less than 50 people), entrepreneurial and listed firm. Marwyn provided exactly that opportunity and I jumped at the chance to interview.

At the time it was a departure for me, having worked for a large and very structured firm, but when I met the managing partners and the head of comms, who has an extra sensory ability I called Fleet-Street-vision, I remember being keen to start that afternoon and learn from the best.

Tell us about Marwyn

Marwyn offers sophisticated investors access to ‘acquisition-led growth strategies’ that benefit from a unique combination of investment and corporate management skills. We apply private equity disciplines to our publicly quoted buy-and-build projects, making sure that our stakeholders enjoy the best of both worlds.

It is an extremely entrepreneurial firm with an agility that attracts investment from 60 of the largest institutions and a range of high net worth individuals. Our portfolio consists of companies varying from an aggregates and construction firm, film distributor to adult gaming, so on any given day I could be working in multiple sectors.

The company was founded by some exceptionally innovative characters, and as a result the firm has a feel of positivity and a pioneering nature to the core.

Give us an idea of your typical day at work.

It starts with a quick Blackberry check of meetings and key news over coffee; I then run to work, speed decided by how urgent that first look at the inbox seemed! Typically I get in around 8.15am and begin to look at the headlines and key stories from the key journalists I talk to.

Next, I focus on the ‘planned communications’ across the portfolio and funds, and consider ways to ‘gel’ items into sector news. I then distribute cuttings, Regulatory News Service summaries for our investors, speak to journalists with the latest stories from our companies, and ensure that our websites are up to date with whatever has happened.

In the afternoon I generally have meetings to discuss forthcoming products or corporate developments across the portfolio, and likely strategies for communications with our investment managers, taking care of general admin before I leave around 6pm.

What’s the best thing about your job?

The wider team show on a daily basis how exceptional and ambitious they are, often in tricky situations and against a tight deadline. They understand where I fit in as a PR and that enables me to do the best job with the information they provide. Having confidence in the foresight and leadership of your firm is a huge plus too, it sustains the commitment of everyone on an individual level.

What’s the worst thing about your job?

Being labelled a ‘spin doctor’. It just doesn’t accurately portray the profession anymore and in a literal sense the term implies that deception fixes problems. In my experience, it worsens problems.

Some people might think that financial services PR is rather dry and serious. Is it?

The industry is serious in that ultimately your product has an impact on your brand internally and externally, but in general, most people I meet and work with are energised at the prospect of handling communications around a deal for example, and that is where individual personality and initiative shine. I wouldn’t be working in the industry if it was dry and serious!

What tips would you have for a new PR person?

Two quick tips. Firstly, always apply the K.I.S.S. rule – Keep It Short and Sweet. Second, always ask a journalist early on: “What do you know about our organisation?”

What are your opinions on the issues of diversity in the communications industry and how do you think they should be tackled?

At a recent event held by [PR network] Gorkana I must admit that I actually thought the 100 or so PR professionals represented a pretty diverse spectrum of people, so it would be improper for me to charge into commenting on such an important debate holding such an uninformed position as a basis.

I do think that in general PRs need to spend more time at school career workshops and university rounds talking to bright young people about what a fantastic career they could have. Too many people find it by accident and I am sure much of that talent would have arrived earlier with the right grassroots awareness.

Tell us something interesting about yourself that we couldn’t find on the internet

Surfing, squash and rugby are my passions. I believe all three should be Olympic sports.