Meet your Essex Universities ambassador Kate Everett

Name: Kate Everett

Position/company:  Managing Partner, The Write Impression (TWI)

Describe your current role/company: I am Managing Partner at TWI, which I founded in 2008. TWI is a full-service PR and marketing agency, specialising in working with medium to large brands. My role is a customer relationship director and very much hands on in the day-to-day running of the business.

Previous roles: I trained as a journalist and feature writer, working for newspapers and magazines for several years before starting my own consultancy in 2000.

Other information (eg. Other positions held, charity roles): I am a Non-Executive Director for Colbea (the Colchester Business Enterprise Agency), serving my second term. I am also a previous winner and judge of the UK Business Culture Awards.

Outside work (hobbies/interests): I have incredibly itchy feet and love to travel; if work allows, I try to do something at least once a month in this country or overseas in Judith Chalmers mode. I also have two Golden Retrievers (Hope and Duke) who we rescued from Turkey in 2020. Rain or shine we are out walking every day and enjoying the lovely Essex countryside.

How long have you been an IoD member? Since 2018

Describe your role as an Ambassador: My ambition is to create a vibrant IoD community in North Essex, particularly focused around the University of Essex and the opportunities for collaboration and innovation.

What part of IoD membership do you value most? A network of people who are there to support and enable one and other.

What are the top three things about your branch area? Essex is a great place to live and work with some incredible businesses, charities and communities. I love the fact that you can travel by air, road, rail or sea to so many places from the county. I am particularly excited by the growth and reach of the University of Essex and how that can benefit enterprise in the region. I have to add a fourth and say how incredibly lucky we are to have Colbea in Essex, supporting new businesses and enabling growth and success.

If you could give one message to the Prime Minister, what would it be? Please look at the SME community and deliver a roadmap of support where it is most needed.

What are you most looking forward to in the next 12 months? We are moving into a brand new office space in Colchester, and have started 2023 with our busiest month to date. I’m looking forward to delivering my 2023 business strategy.

Looking back, what advice would you give yourself when you started out in business? Never lose focus on why you started your business and what you want from your business, and don’t be afraid to make brave decisions.