In the news Head of New Business appointed

Q: How long have you been working at Mills & Reeve?

A: I have been working at Mills & Reeve for 9 ½ years.

Q: When did you start your new role as Head of New Business?

A: April 2020 but I had been working in an external facing role well before then.

Q: What are your main responsibilities?

A: As head of new business at Mills & Reeve, I’m responsible for developing our firm profile, professional networks, partnerships, new business opportunities, location and sector based business development activity and supporting lawyers by coaching BD and sales skills.

My nearly twenty years’ experience in marketing and business development enables me to work with lawyers helping them to think differently about how they approach new client relationships and referral partnerships and have a passion for coaching on a variety of business development topics and developing new ways to approach the market.

I have built a strong network of likeminded connections to help share profile among our peers, make introductions and generally support each other with introductions, business intelligence and insights.

Q: What are the most enjoyable projects you’ve been involved in this past year?

A: I have been working with the lawyers based in our new Oxford office to grow our profile in Oxfordshire and the wider Thames Valley Region. We started with almost a blank contact list and have grown this through targeting individuals, businesses and other professionals and getting out and about in the market through attending events and getting to know what makes the region tick. We’ve had fascinating meetings and events, from tours of facilities researching Fusion technology that’s hotter than the sun, quantum computing and vaccine laboratories to attending start-up and spin out pitch events in a pub! We are now six months in and are hosting our first networking event. We are experiencing a very nice problem to have that is we have too many people accepted for the size of the venue! This just shows the value of raising profile and being present in the market.

I’ve also been involved in lots of lawyer and network training. It’s something I’m passionate about, particularly supporting the development of younger professionals and students by coaching on personal brand, networking and utilising LinkedIn as a sales tool. I present these sessions internally but also have spent time with clients, contacts, other professionals and a range of NextGen and business networks. Giving confidence to those at the very start of their career and others looking to step up to the next level is one of the best parts of my role. Please contact me if you know of any opportunities for me to speak on these topics.

Q: What hobbies do you have outside of work?

A: I love being by the sea. I live in Norfolk with a stunning coastline only 30 mins from home. Walking, exploring, surfing or just taking time out to read a book by the sea is my way of getting down time. I also love music and, although I have a classical music background, I have a wide musical taste and love going to gigs, particularly those in small venues where you can be up close and personal with the bands playing.