A Bit of Background

Creative industries experience

After graduating from University of Stirling with an Honours degree in English, Aileen’s early career (1989-2002) revolved around creative industries – freelancing as a journalist (sub/production editor and project manager) in consumer and client magazines. She honed her organisational skills in account/project manager roles in creative and marketing agencies in Edinburgh and London. Her passion for compelling visual design and succinct messaging arose from her experience as a graphic designer and marketing executive in publishing houses.

London years 2001… 

From a London base, Aileen operated as an independent marketing and communications consultant for the next eight years, working with clients from Abu Dhabi to Paris and Edinburgh as well as the shires of England, spanning sectors including charity, energy, financial services, government, publishing and technology. Navigating the complexities of many of these financial organisations (Barclays, RBS, VISA Europe, BNY Mellon), which were highly regulated and had substantial issues with reputation, required diplomacy, determination and creativity. 

International energy – UAE

Headhunted by a UAE based recruiter as a result of shuttling back and forth to spend time with family, led Aileen to an Abu Dhabi base in 2009. Creating and delivering an internal communications strategy for GASCO, the largest government-owned gas processing and distribution company in the world with a multi-national workforce on four industrial desert sites was thoroughly enjoyable.

In May 2010 Aileen launched Dynamic Heart – dynamic because effective marketing never stands still; and heart because sustainable companies put marketing and customers at the heart of their businesses. Clients included technology provider of ultrafast broadband network dedicated to research and education – Janet (now part of JISC). 

Back to Edinburgh 2013…

In 2013, Aileen returned to Edinburgh, to put roots down and reconnect with family and old friends. Clients ranged from clinical software providers (Hospedia & Extramed) to social enterprise start-up Brightstripe Cultural Health, and the ICT division within the Digital Directorate of Scottish Government, as well as Prudential and Citizens Advice Scotland.

After leading the establishment of the first Member Service and Engagement Directorate in the Law Society of Scotland, she achieved her CIM level 7 Professional Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing with Oxford College of Marketing in 2017. The College invited Aileen to be a support tutor for Level 4 and 6 students, which she did until March 2020 with a 100% pass rate and 92% of her students achieving top two grades.

Working through the pandemic with clients at opposite ends of the scale from a boutique technology-led translation business to a FTSE 30 renewables energy giant, kept Aileen very busy and challenged. She delivered a new corporate identity and full guidelines for renewables energy giant SSE, plus a full suite of brand and value proposition messaging and new digital and content marketing approach for Rubric.

In 2021 Aileen worked remotely for Dumfries & Galloway Council, and in 2022, Aileen was engaged by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow to lead the team and strategic development of communications and marketing. Most recently, Aileen was head hunted for the UK’s first fintech to lead and develop a marketing function (3 FTEs) within a B2B SAAS space. She created an ambitious integrated marketing strategy targeting growth through ABM, requiring three pillars of investment – people, technology and insight.

Now seeking her next opportunity as a strategic marketing leader in an organisation with a genuinely supportive culture and an innovative, open and collaborative environment where marketing is recognised as the engine at the heart of customer and commercial success.