The A List 2009

35 agency players under 35

C&IT's first-ever A List began as a quest to seek out the future leaders of the events industry. We've scoured the UK, approaching the key decision-makers of the country's most profitable and creative event agencies, and asked the bosses to share their best talent - tomorrow's leaders of their businesses. Just 35 agency professionals, who are 35 and under, form the A List, and here they are in alphabetical order by agency.

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Vicky Anderson, 25
Operations executive, AOK Events
Biog: Anderson set out on a career in PR. In March 2006, she freelanced at JCPR on Shell’s new diesel launch. Her work on three events for the brand got her hooked and she joined AOK as operations executive in 2006. The post sees her run everything from incentives to corporate hospitality events.
Boss says: Vicky is one of our best event managers. She’s confident, organised, multi-lingual, clients love her and she’s great fun, says AOK Events managing director Alex Hewitt.


Lucy Kendall, 31
Account director, AYMTM
Biog: Kendall studied hotel and catering management then worked in the Hilton Hotel Cobham from 1995 in a range of posts and left in 2001 to join Motivation Travel Management (which merged with Archer Young to form AYMTM in 2007), first as account manager, progressing to senior account manager and then account director.
Boss says: We had an internal vote for The A List and Lucy was nominated – she has an excellent relationship with clients, suppliers and her colleagues, and is great at her job, says AYMTM director John Lawson.



Chris Jeffery, 31
Financial controller, (UK and EMEA), BCD M&I
Biog: Jeffery studied hotel and catering management in Bournemouth, working as corporate event manager at Legoland in his industry year out. He joined BCD predecessor Talking Point in 2001 and became financial controller last July.
Boss says: Chris now holds total responsibility for financial reporting across Europe. In particular, his skills in pricing and VAT recovery have won him respect from all operational colleagues, says BCD M&I director Ian Wilson.



Kim Hickson, 31
Senior project manager, BI
Biog: Hickson’s career has been split between two of the UK’s biggest agencies. She joined Grass Roots as a project manager in 2000, progressing as aviation and event support executive to account manager (research operations), then operations executive and operations manager. She took on a temporary contract at BI in January 2008, and was made permanent in May. Her exclusive work with GM has recently broadened to take in several other clients.
Boss says: Kim is an asset to BI and always grasps opportunities with both hands, adding her own style and intuition. She has a balanced perspective wrapped up with calm professionalism – attributes that were tested during the recent Mumbai terrorist attacks, says BI operations director Rachel Stevens.

Lucy Collins, 28
Senior account manager, Black Tomato
Biog: Collins studied international conflict before a stint at Morgan Stanley in 2004, then headed to South Africa to work for an NGO researching conflict. She returned to London and Morgan Stanley in 2006 before joining Black Tomato in 2007.
Boss says: Lucy is a great ambassador and an integral part of the team. She has also worked on and won a large number of key accounts, says Black Tomato director Matt Smith.



Jade Austin, 28
Event director, CI Events
Biog: Austin started out in her native Australia in 2000 at The Event Centre, becoming an international event manager by 2002. A working break in the UK followed, before Australia–headquartered CI called her home in 2005. She became event director and in 2007 took on the same role in CI’s UK office.
Boss says: "Jade is forever raising the bar and her proactive client strategy is something she pursues like no other," says CI Events general manager (UK & Europe) Penny Lion.



Jemma Peers, 26
Account manager, Corporate Innovations
Biog: Peers joined Corporate Innovations in 2001 and when an account manager left, Peers took on the role temporarily and was requested by the client to take it on full time. It is now the most profitable account.
Boss says: "Jemma is a great motivator and manager and is excellent at bringing out strengths in others," says Corporate Innovations managing director David Watt.



Matt Franks, 29
Senior project manager, DRP Group
Biog: Franks spent two years as an assistant purser for Princess Cruises before joining Birmingham City Council in 2002 to run its events, initially as management support officer and then as marketing and promotions officer. In 2005, DRP Group recruited him as a project manager and he was promoted to his current position in 2006.
Boss says: "Matt has an ability to understand clients’ needs, and challenge them when needed, looking at the strategy behind every event and delivering a fantastic event while running a strong team," says DRP Group project management director Jane Jones.



Emma Stoker, 28
Senior account manager, Euro RSCG Skybridge
Biog: Sinclair Mason recruited Stoker straight out of university as account executive in 2001. She began studying toward an MSc in event management before joining World Events as account co-ordinator in 2002, progressing to account executive in 2004. Skybridge appointed her account manager in 2006 and senior account manager last year.
Boss says: "Emma is a great team player who loves a challenge and always delivers the goods for our clients," says Euro RSCG Skybridge managing director Paul Stoddart.



Cressida Taylor, 33
Business development director, The Event Business
Biog: Taylor began her career in 1998, working in Moscow and St Petersburg, running exhibitions for ITE Group. She returned to London in 2000 to work for Ark as exhibition manager. A four-year stint as director at Live Interactive was followed by time out travelling before taking up her current role in 2007.
Boss says: Cressida has broadened our offer and opened doors to a number of new clients – always with a smile and a can-do attitude, says The Event Business commercial director David Bland.



John Bastock, 31
Conference and events executive, Expotel
Biog: Event management graduate Bastock began his career at Tradewinds in 1999 before becoming sporting events coordinator for Fanfare Events in 2000. He joined Expotel in 2003 and took on his current role last March.
Boss says: "John is a key member of our events team. He’s hard working, dedicated and his creativity and project management skills are second to none," says Expotel customer service director Steve Hall.



Kim Dale, 26
Account manager, The Finishing Touch
Biog: Born in Wales, Dale got a taste for events at university when she helped organise the Filipino International Emergency Services Training Association festival each summer. She took a temporary job, organising accountancy events at CCH in 2004, which was later made permanent. The Finishing Touch recruited her to the post of event administrator in 2005, working on public sector events.
Boss says: "Kim has been responsible for taking one account from 50 events a year three years ago to more than 600 in 2008. She’s one of our most reliable account handlers, always looking to improve service delivery and everyone loves her bubbly personality," says The Finishing Touch director Carli Pollard.



Nisha Virani, 26
Business development manager, First Event
Biog: Having graduated in Business and Japanese, Virani went to Japan and worked in local government as coordinator for international relations, which involved a lot of festivals – at least one a week, they didn’t need too much of an excuse. Returning in 2006, she worked for DMC Japan Tourist Bureau before moving to First Event in 2008.
Boss says: "Nisha has brought a fresh perspective. As well as securing two new accounts, she has been key in securing preferred-supplier status for three more," says First Event director Richard Murphy.



Melanie Delaplanche, 32
Account manager, First Protocol
Biog: The Frenchwoman spent five years at Parisian agency Market Place as project manager before joining her partner in London in 2005. A successful freelance stint at First Protocol was quickly made permanent.
Boss says: "Melanie is well respected and a brilliant example of  our talent. She delights our customers, is a leader on CSR and is a shining example of achieving a work/life balance," says First Protocol managing director Mark Riches.



Graham Lehr, 28
Producer, Fitch Live
Biog: Lehr started in events in 2002 as a stage manager for Activated Image, working on Edinburgh Fringe Festival events. Aspect recruited him for production work in 2003, and he moved to Clever Media as a producer in 2006. The firm merged with PCI Fitch to form Fitch Live in 2007, where he remains as a producer.
Boss says: "Graham is intelligent, strategic and creative and adds value for clients at every level. This year, he headed our successful team that broke into the Hewlett-Packard EMEA roster. I half suspect I will end up working for him one day," says Fitch Live managing director Paul Cowan.



Barney Gardiner, 31
Group operations manager, Grass Roots
Biog: Gardiner joined Maritz’s Ford incentives team as an account manager in 2002 and progressed to group project manager before leaving for a year to go to channel marketing agency I-Group. He rejoined Maritz in 2006 following the Grass Roots acquisition and, in 2007, was briefly seconded to the New York DMS office as general manager. Since July, he’s headed teams in Fleet and Marlow.
Boss says: "Along with his can-do attitude and flexibility, Barney’s keen understanding of brand requirements plays a key role in delivering bespoke delegate-management services for client events," says Grass Roots DMS managing director Giselle Ripken.



Brian Tan, 32
Event designer, Imagination
Biog: Born in Singapore, Tan moved to the US to study interior architecture at the Rhode Island School of Design, then took up the post of visual merchandiser for H&M. He relocated to London in 2005, and Imagination snapped him up as an event designer.
Boss says: "Brian has fast established himself as a cornerstone of our creative offer. He delivers great work and is an inherent networker who keeps us grounded in youth culture and what’s going on in the creative marketplace," says Imagination event group director Guy Stevenson.

Caroline Wurfbain, 34
Account director, Jack Morton Worldwide
Biog: Born in the Netherlands and raised in Hong Kong, Wurfbain speaks five languages. Prior to joining Jack Morton in 2005, she held posts including F1 account manager for Foster's, account manager for the Shell World Rally Championship and the Paris Dakar Rally. She was promoted to her current post at Jack Morton in 2007.
Boss says: "Caroline is an excellent relationship builder and is passionate about ‘getting it right'. She adds value to our clients' business and their experience of Jack Morton," says Jack Morton Worldwide EVP managing director EMEA Julian Pullan.



Natalie Bark, 30
Production manager, Iris Experience
Biog: The performing arts graduate's event career began at Peter Rix Management (now part of GPJ) in her native Australia, working mainly with Toyota. In 2006, she worked in Doha on the Asian Games, coming to London in 2007 and hooking up with Iris.
Boss says: "Natalie combines creativity and forward thinking, challenging traditional formats to deliver the best results," says Iris Experience executive producer Richard King.



Simon Hance, 33
Account manager, Kuoni Events
Biog: Hance joined Status Meetings (now MCI) in 1999, then Kuoni DMC in 2004 before moving to Kuoni Events in 2007.
Boss says: "Simon has been instrumental in assisting with the integration of Kuoni Events into the DMC part of the group. A real star," says Kuoni Events manager Anna Knowles.




James Wilkins, 31
Group director, Logistik
Biog: Wilkins spent more than ten years in retail brand marketing and sales at Marks & Spencer, working directly with the main board on strategic alliances and joint ventures. He joined Logistik in 2005 and is credited with helping drive a 400 per cent rise in turnover since 2005.
Boss says: "James is an asset to the business and has been a key player throughout Logistik's rapid growth," says Logistik founding director Dirk Mischendahl.

Alan Doyle, 27
Event producer, Line Up
Biog: Doyle's passion for events began at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he worked on the May Ball, becoming head of the organising committee in his final year. He joined Aspect as a trainee producer in 2005, and moved to his current role in 2007.
Boss says: "Alan continually impresses us with how he approaches the huge amount of latitude we give Our producers. Some can find this challenging but he takes it in his stride," says Line Up managing director Duncan Beale.



Rebecca Lowman, 27
Event coordinator, MCI (UK)
Biog: When the newly graduated Lowman was spotted working in a pub in 2005 by MCI's operations director, she was asked to interview and joined the agency.
Boss says: "Since joining, Bex has worked tirelessly to understand the role and has developed into one of our most trusted, talented and knowledgeable event co-ordinators. Despite all the stress, she always has a smile on her face and is a great asset," says MCI (UK) account director Martin Richardson.



Aoife Delaney, 25
Business development manager (UK & Ireland), Ovation
Biog: Having graduated in International Business and French, Delaney spent four months travelling in the US before returning to Ireland in 2006 to join Ovation as an account executive. She moved into business development in 2007 and her current role in 2009.
Boss says: "Aoife is highly focused, hard working and absolutely dedicated," says Ovation Global DMC managing director Padraic Gilligan.



Susannah Sheffield, 35
Team leader and senior account manager, Oxford International
Biog: Sheffield's entire events career has been spent at Oxford International. Her 11-year stint began in 1997 as an account assistant, while her current post draws on her experience in pharmaceutical, financial and association events.
Boss says: "Susannah has always been inspiring, innovative and enthusiastic, and her experience and excellent people skills have resulted in her recent and well deserved appointment as team leader," says Oxford International managing director John Walker.



Frankie Goulding, 26
Producer, P&MM
Biog: After studying interactive media production at Bournemouth University, Goulding joined THA in 2003 as a production assistant and left as a producer in 2007. She was recruited by P&MM to head its production department within the events and travel team - her current post.
Boss says: "Frankie is a huge asset to the business by managing a production brief from its initial stages right through to operating the event, even incorporating the sales process," says P&MM director of events Chris Clarke.



Laura Capell, 25
Senior account manager, Sledge
Biog: Wise Monkey gave Capell a taste of experiential marketing before travelling for six months. In 2005, she joined Brand Width as account manager before moving to Exposure a year later and Sledge in 2008.  
Boss says: "Laura is an exceptional account director. Her attention to detail, passion and enthusiasm make her a true professional and she is a pleasure to work with," says Sledge commercial director Ian Irving.



Tim Jones, 26
Planner, RPM
Biog: Jones started in events as self-titled marquee "erection specialist" at Greenhill Events in the school holidays. He then studied event management at Leeds Metropolitan University, with a year work placement at Excel London. He joined RPM in 2007 and has worked on  the Strongbow festivals and Stella Artois World Draught Master Programme, and for clients including Red Bull and Cadbury.
Boss says: "Tim's inquisitive mind, creativity in the face of adversity and passion for producing great work regardless of deadlines, budget and sector are what make him stand out," says RPM managing partner Hugh Robertson.



Tom Cordory, 28
Senior technical producer, Smyle
Biog: Cordory's career began at Stage Electrics in 1998, where he became warehouse manager before moving to Smyle as technical manager in 2000 and taking on his current role in 2008.
Boss says: "Tom has been with us eight years and developed along with the company. He is now involved in almost every senior client project," says Smyle director Rick Stainton.



Alex Hill, 29
Senior designer, TRO
Biog: Hill first worked for the Design Council in 2002 before going agency-side with Ignite the following year. He then moved to TRO as a designer, then senior designer, working for clients such as BMW.
Boss says: "Alex adds value at an increasing level at TRO. He combines creative talent with an appreciation of our clients and their target audiences," says TRO managing director Keith O'Loughlin.



Christian Knott, 31
Account manager, Top Banana Team
Biog: Knott worked in a variety of sectors before moving into events at Top Banana Team in 2004. He spent two years running events across Europe for a major IT client before taking on his current role in 2007.
Boss says: "Christian shows exceptional commitment to making our programmes work and was also voted Employee of the Year by his fellow colleagues in 2008 for the second time in the five years," says Top Banana Team director Pete Saunders.

Vicky Gardner, 29
Client and strategic project manager, Venues Event Management
Biog: After a stint with hotels including the Bath Spa Hotel and Hotel du Vin's Bristol property, Gardner joined Venues Event Management as client manager in 2005, and was promoted to her current position in 2006.
Boss says: "Vicky has consistently shown outstanding commitment to clients and colleagues. She strives to exceed client expectations and ensures she's available to assist them 24/7," says Venues Event Management operations manager Jan Taylor.



Sallie Coventry, 31
Account director, W&O Events
Biog: Coventry was set to join Peugeot but events stole her heart while temping for Janet Mundell Meetings Management. The role became full-time and was followed by stints at European Events, McGarvey Russell, Medical Action Comm's and TFI. In 2008 she moved to Eclipse, now W&O Events.
Boss says: "Sallie is a great example of the professionalisation of events. She has excellent communication and project management skills and an in-depth understanding of the industry," says W&O managing director Paul Bowie.



Vicky Pratt, 30
Sales and marketing executive, World Events
Biog: After two years at White Young Green as marketing assistant, Pratt went to Irwin Mitchell for a year in 2003, then joined World Events in 2004.
Boss says: "Vicky is enthusiastic and in addition to new business and marketing activities has shown an enormous commitment to CSR and is a real authority on the subject," says World Events sales and marketing director Mark Saxby.



Hannah Wilkinson, 30
Account director, Zibrant
Biog: Studied hospitality and catering before joining County Mark House as a conference assistant in 1998. After a stint at the then Posthouse Rochester as catering manager, she went corporate side, as venues co-ordinator for IIR in 1999. She then joined Peter Rand Group briefly in 2002 before going freelance as Hannah Wilkinson Associates. Zibrant recruited her to her current post in 2007.
Boss says: "Hannah constantly goes above and beyond to understand clients' needs, working with them to realise their strategic visions and deliver exceptional events and strategy," says Zibrant sales director Morag Alabaster.