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Hello, I’m Dawn, a Fractional Chief Communications Officer, board advisor and former BBC journalist. For more than 25 years I’ve helped leaders at No.10 Downing Street, the Bank of England, FTSE 100 companies, global NGOs and high‑growth startups make difficult decisions and explain them clearly.​
 

I’ve worked with a Prime Minister, HM King Charles and Queen Elizabeth II, central banks, regulators and founders taking companies from pre‑revenue to millions in revenue. Today, most of my work is with funded startups and scaleups in fintech, healthtech, climate and other regulated spaces that can’t afford to get communications wrong.​

 

Where I’ve Worked
 

Startups and scaleups

 

I’ve helped a healthtech scale from pre‑revenue to £5M+ by aligning the fundraising story, board communication and external narrative. I’ve led campaigns for tech and Web3 brands like Avalanche, Polygon and Coinbase, including a global event that generated 61+ articles and 450M+ impressions.​
 

Government, regulators and high‑stakes environments

I was Communications Lead for the UK’s Central Digital & Data Office, launching the UK’s Digital Technology Strategy with 35+ media pieces (including a Tier‑1 front page) and all‑day social coverage. I’ve advised seven regulators and multiple departments on sensitive issues, with campaigns contributing to legislative change across three continents. I’ve supported events like the “Finance of Tomorrow” summit, where world leaders met to agree joint economic and climate priorities, and helped shape the Prime Minister’s public narrative around the economy and labour market.​
 

Central banks and FTSE‑level institutions

At the Bank of England, I protected £7M+ in programme funding and secured an extra £1M from global banking CFOs during a multi‑billion‑pound payments overhaul. I’ve delivered sustainability, risk and impact communications for AstraZeneca, Roche, Unilever, Rabobank and others across dozens of markets.​

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NGOs and mission‑driven organisations
 

For Plan International, I twice led the flagship International Day of the Girl campaign, securing 1M+ video views and increasing donations by 65%. I’ve supported campaigns that grew donations by 12–65% and helped shift policy on child protection and trafficking, contributing to children being placed in new adoptive families.​

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Why this mix matters to you
 

If you’re a founder, you get someone who understands investor decks and Cabinet Office briefings, board papers and Twitter threads, term sheets and regulators. You don’t have to translate your world to me—I already know how these systems think and where the real communication risks are.​

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If You’re Here, This Might Sound Familiar

You’re probably not on this page for fun. You’re here because something important is at stake.​

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• Your story doesn’t quite match reality anymore. Different investors, team members and customers are all hearing their own version.​

• You’re raising or under more scrutiny and can’t afford a misstep with investors, media or regulators.​

• You’re growing fast and people are confused about what’s happening and what you stand for.​

• You’re facing something messy and reputationally risky—a pivot, restructure, layoffs, board tension, negative press or regulator interest.​

• You want a senior comms brain, not just “more PR”. Someone who can sit comfortably with your board, investors and leadership team.​
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If any of this sounds familiar, schedule a no-obligation communications review, and understand your gaps.

 

 

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How I Work With Founders and Boards

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1. Start where you are
 

We begin with where you are now. What situation are you in—fundraising, regulation, rapid growth, a reputational issue? Who are you most worried about—investors, regulators, employees, customers? By the end, we share a clear picture of the problem we’re solving, in plain English.​

 

2. Get to the story that fits

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Next, we find the story that actually fits your business. What problem are you really solving? Why now? Why you? What proof do you have today? That story becomes the spine of how you talk to investors, team, customers, partners and regulators.​

 

3. Align the people who matter most
 

Good stories fall apart when different people hear different versions. We turn your core narrative into simple, specific messages for investors and the board, for your team, and for external stakeholders. You spend less time firefighting misunderstandings and more time running the company.​
 

4. Handle the difficult moments well
 

Most leaders bring me in when something is messy. A pivot. A restructure. Layoffs. A story in the press. A regulator asking questions. My job is to help you decide what you can say with integrity, what you can’t say yet, and how to communicate decisions in a way that protects trust. This is the same calm, structured approach I’ve used with prime ministers, royal households and central banks.​

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5. Make you genuinely investor‑ready

If you’re raising, we focus on making you both look and feel investor‑ready. We work on how you talk about your market, traction, risk, governance and team. We make sure your deck, data room and founder narrative fit together, and that the way you explain the round internally and externally doesn’t backfire later.​

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6. Protect culture and communication as you grow

Growth is where many good companies lose clarity and culture. I design practical internal communications and change frameworks so people know what’s happening and why, and leaders know what to say, when and to whom. The same approach that delivered 3,567% engagement and multi‑million‑pound savings in government can be scaled to a 20‑, 50‑ or 100‑person startup.​
 

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Think You Might Need Senior Comms Expertise?

You don’t need a perfect brief. If you’re raising, entering a regulated space, dealing with something messy, or growing fast enough that people seem confused, a 30‑minute call is a good place to start.​
 

On that call, we’ll clarify your real story, identify your biggest communication risk, and decide whether you need a fractional CCO on an ongoing basis or just a focused project. From there you can decide if I’m the right partner, or if you simply take the clarity and run with it.​

 

I can only work with 2-3 clients per quarter.

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No obligation - just clarity.​