Lucy Linthwaite Top Executive
Senior communications executive with over two decades of experience across agency and in-house roles, advising UK and global companies in multiple industries. Helping to scale reputation and market presence.
Proven leader of country and international teams, delivering UK, European, and global creative campaigns for high-profile B2C and B2B brands. Extensive experience protecting, enhancing and measuring reputations across a range of channels including media, social, and employee communications. Skilled in developing compelling strategies and narratives that build executive visibility, drive organisational change, and launch cutting-edge innovations.
Beyond my day job...
I play an active role in the wider communications industry. In recent years I’ve proudly served as a judge for the SABRE EMEA Awards, PR Moment Awards and the AMEC Awards.
I'm a keen public speaker and always up for a challenge, regularly sharing my experience and ideas at industry events including PR Week PR360, PR Week B2B Summit, PR Week Measurement Conference, AMEC Measurement Month events, CommsCon X Insights, PR Moment conferences, and The Richmond Communication Directors’ Forum.
Super Industry:
Quantum Technology
Industry:
Information Technology And Services
Headquarters:
Greater London, England
Followers:
1905
Title:
Director of UKI Communications and Global Comms Insights
Company:
IBM
Company Website:
https://ibm.com
Company Linkedin:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/ibm/
Company Founded In:
1911
Company Size:
10001+
Current Job Duration:
1 yr 2 mos
Country:
United Kingdom
Work Experience:
Title: Director of UKI Communications and Global Comms Insights
Company: IBM
Company URL: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ibm/
Industry: Information Technology And Services
Company Size: 10001+
Location: London Area, United Kingdom
Country: None
Employment Type: Full-time
Start At: 05-2025
Ends At: Present
Description: Lead UKI Communications (external, internal and executive) with a team of creative and inspiring pros. Strategy setter, agency relationship lead and everything in between. Responsible for performance, people, results and reputation. Advisor to c-suite and member of UKI business leadership team.
Global lead for the earned media and earned social data and insights programme. Using data to gain insights into performance, strategy and audience engagement, while fostering a data-driven culture throughout the communications function.
Title: Director of Global Communications Strategy and Activation
Company: IBM
Company URL: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ibm/
Industry: Information Technology And Services
Company Size: 10001+
Location: London Area, United Kingdom
Country: None
Employment Type: Full-time
Start At: 04-2024
Ends At: 04-2025
Description: None
Title: Brand, Communications and Social Leader, EMEA
Company: IBM
Company URL: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ibm/
Industry: Information Technology And Services
Company Size: 10001+
Location: Greater London, England, United Kingdom
Country: None
Employment Type: Full-time
Start At: 03-2023
Ends At: 04-2024
Description: Led brand, communications, and social activity across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, supporting a large, multi-market organisation. Member of the EMEA Marketing and Communications leadership team, with responsibility for leading and developing a pan-regional internal and external communications team.
Accountable for setting strategy, execution and protecting reputation across markets, alongside driving performance, building capability, managing budgets, ensuring compliance, and shaping the team’s footprint and impact across the region.
Title: Global Campaign Geo Communications Leader
Company: IBM
Company URL: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ibm/
Industry: Information Technology And Services
Company Size: 10001+
Location: None
Country: None
Employment Type: Full-time
Start At: 08-2021
Ends At: 02-2023
Description: Member of the global communications and marketing team with responsibility for helping teams in APAC, EMEA, Japan and Americas (Canada, Latin America and regional America) tell our hybrid cloud story. Providing strategic counsel to challenge the norm, drive creative thinking and build a culture of co-creation into communications campaign planning and execution.
Title: External Communications Leader
Company: IBM
Company URL: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ibm/
Industry: Information Technology And Services
Company Size: 10001+
Location: London, United Kingdom
Country: None
Employment Type: Full-time
Start At: 08-2014
Ends At: 08-2021
Description: Headed up the external relations team (targeting online, print and broadcast media, influencers, industry bodies and social) for UK and Ireland.
Responsible for IBM's reputation, media strategy and execution in the UK and Ireland. From launching thought leadership and narratives to breaking news and major industry events and sponsorships. Working closely with our business, marketing, sales, government relations and global comms teams to drive business impact from communication campaigns.
I people managed an amazing in house and agency team that cut through the noise and told impactful stories that bring IBM, it's values and people to life.
Advisor to senior execs and reputation management lead for UK and Ireland.
Title: External Media Relations Manager
Company: IBM
Company URL: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ibm/
Industry: Information Technology And Services
Company Size: 10001+
Location: London Area, United Kingdom
Country: None
Employment Type: None
Start At: 07-2008
Ends At: 08-2014
Description: Led external media relations for IBM Consulting in the UK.
I was responsible for developing and implementing communications strategies that protected, enhanced and built the reputation of IBM's services business in national, trade and online press plus broadcast and across social networks.
Worked closely with colleagues around the world to integrate UK activities into global communication plans and secure international media coverage.
Activities crossed many industries including energy, public sector, defence, retail, consumer products, financial services, media and entertainment.
Title: Senior PR & Communications Officer
Company: Olswang
Company URL: https://www.linkedin.com/company/165297/
Industry: None
Company Size: None
Location: London Area, United Kingdom
Country: None
Employment Type: Full-time
Start At: 03-2005
Ends At: 07-2008
Description: External and internal communications for media, technology, intellectual property and employment law divisions. Additional corporate communications and reputation management responsibilities across European operations.
Highlights include:
Working directly with clients on strategic campaigns, including eBay for the first criminal case brought against the platform and Microsoft in its ongoing battle against domain abuse.
Creating and executing integrated campaigns to launch independent research and drive lead generation, for example The Convergence Survey and Digital Music Survey. Coverage included the Financial Times, The Times, BBC News 24 and technology and media trade press.
Securing national press on cases to position the firm as a leader in its field, for example:
- Jerry Springer: The Opera producer accused of blasphemy by Christian Voice.
- Unsigned British band that took legal action against Coca-Cola for IP infringement.
Title: PR Account Manager
Company: Kysen PR
Company URL: https://www.linkedin.com/company/206003/
Industry: None
Company Size: None
Location: London Area, United Kingdom
Country: None
Employment Type: Full-time
Start At: 04-2002
Ends At: 03-2005
Description: Managed a portfolio of leading international, City and regional law firms and barristers including DLA Piper, Stephenson Harwood, Marriott Harrison, Cripps Harries Hall and Seven Bedford Row.
Worked across a diverse range of legal disciplines including litigation, corporate, property, business technology, music, tax, employment, pensions, insurance and private client.
Title: PR & Communications Executive
Company: The Carphone Warehouse
Company URL: None
Industry: None
Company Size: None
Location: London Area, United Kingdom
Country: None
Employment Type: None
Start At: 07-2000
Ends At: 08-2001
Description: Worked in a busy press office when The Carphone Warehouse floated on the London Stock Market. Responsible for handling corporate and consumer media requests entering the press office.
Education:
School: London Metropolitan University
Degree: Bachelor of Science (BSc) Hons, Social Policy and Management
Activities: None
Headline:
Director of IBM UK&I Communications and Global Comms Intelligence