Meet Leila, our queen of client coverage and positive sentiment. From her PR pitches to her killer pipes on karaoke, she makes an impact in everything she does.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR ROLE...
As Senior PR Specialist, my role is to deliver top-quality results for our clients. One day, I can be pitching in a news story to the press, the next I’m sitting down with a client’s teams to uncover powerful insights for thought leadership. I’m also involved in shaping the PR strategies for our clients, from leveraging their business goals to identifying proactive value-added opportunities across the year. I work closely with the client services team to report on our success, using data-driven insights to show the impact of our work.
HOW DID YOU GET INTO marketing & YOUR ROLE?
I started as a temporary copywriter at a local agency during my summer holidays from university when I was 18. They kept me on, and I worked remotely before deciding to work there full-time when I left university. I stayed there for five years in total and worked my way up to lead the content and outreach team.
I studied PR at university and knew I wanted to explore more of that side, so I got a job at one of Manchester’s biggest media agencies, working on PR and influencer marketing for national brands like TransPennine Express, Imperial Leather, and Swinton Insurance, which was exciting and cemented my passion for PR.
I then went to work in-house for an interior brand during the pandemic, where I loved being able to be creative – before spending just over a year working at another agency, managing high-budget clients and a team of interns and executives. And then, in August 2022, I came to AP!
What’s one of your biggest achievements while working at AP?
I think it would be the work I’ve done around developing the PR strategy process. It’s something I’m really passionate about, and I love to get under the skin of a brand’s overall business goals and uncover how PR can help, finding opportunities for them to put their experts out there and get results!
Tell us a highlight from your time at AP...
It would be our summer glamping trip. I really hate camping, but despite this, it was great to spend time together outside of the office environment and have a laugh with everyone!
What’s your favourite thing about working at AP?
The team, I’ve met some really great people and everyone works so hard and pitches in to make our work a success.
I also love the ability to work flexibly. I have a few chronic health issues and being able to work from home when I need to is so valuable to me.
What would be your death row meal?
A Greek feast! Halloumi, courgette fritters, souvlaki, tzatziki and Greek salad. The LOT!
Embarrassing moment?
I have plenty, I’m naturally a very clumsy person and I’m always falling over so probably one of those (many) occasions.
Favourite song on your playlist?
Anything by my girl Taylor Swift. I’m loving the vault tracks from 1989 Taylor’s Version at the moment and the shady hints to Harry Styles hidden in the lyrics!
How do you spend your weekends?
You can usually find me tucked up on the sofa with my Spanish rescue dog, Paco, a Dalmatian cross. We’re usually watching something light like Gilmore Girls and playing the Sims or Hogwarts Legacy. I love to cook too, and usually make something more fancy on the weekends when I’m not in a rush, like a Greek mezze or a homemade pie. I’m also planning my wedding, so I often fall deep into wedding planning TikTok holes.
When I do leave the house, I love to spend time with my nieces and nephew or have a rummage around the charity shops for bargains!
What’s a favourite place you’ve visited?
New York. I’ve been three times now and I just adore it. I grew up watching Friends, Gossip Girl, and Sex & the City and I just think it has such a magical aura about it – like there’s so much potential bubbling up in one city.
What’s one thing people might not know about you?
During the pandemic, I went back to education and studied a master’s equivalent diploma in PR with the CIPR.
It really taught me so much about the strategy side of PR, and it was a huge personal achievement for me when I passed, particularly as I’d dealt with an endometriosis diagnosis and a surgery right in the middle of doing my final assignment. Two of the three pieces of work I produced were used as a case study on their website too, which was incredible. I’d really recommend going back to education as an adult if you can afford to, it gave me so much confidence.
