Award-winning technical, digital, international PR agency
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Richard Stone - CHART.PR, MCIPR
Richard Stone
CHART.PR, MCIPR MANAGING DIRECTORStone Junction is managed by Richard Stone, a chartered member of the CIPR whose previous experience includes campaigns for Arup, AIT Plc, CIENA, Parker Hannifin, Schneider Electric, SIG, SKF, Roche and WorldCom.
Twenty years in technical and technology PR has taught him that he is only just starting out.
He is a very slightly geeky father of two who lives in Stafford with his long-suffering wife, aforementioned children, dog and cat.
Richard likes talking about books, sci-fi and Liverpool FC. Often to himself.
e-mail richards@stonejunction.co.uk or tweet him using @RichieStone
JESSICA PHILLIPS - BA/BSc, MCIPR ACCREDITED
JESSICA PHILLIPS
BA/BSc, MCIPR ACCREDITED ACCOUNT DIRECTORDuring her seven years in technical PR, Jess has worked with a variety of clients including Finning UK & Ireland, National Grid and SingularityNET. She is an accredited PR practitioner and holds a Dual Honours in Media, Communications and Culture and Psychology. In 2021, Jess was named Professional of the Year at the PRCA Midlands DARE Awards.
Outside of work, Jess can usually be found with her a head in a book or a gin in her hand. She also loves exploring new places — even more so if it’s somewhere hot.
Email her at jessica@stonejunction.co.uk.
LAURA ENGLAND -
LAURA ENGLAND
ACCOUNT DIRECTORLaura is one of Stone Junction's account directors and part of the agency's board of directors. With 10 years of marketing experience and seven specialising in technical PR, Laura leads on some of Stone Junction's largest accounts. Sandvik Coromant, the Graphene Flagship, Crosser, Ovarro and TM Robotics are within her client roster.
Her campaigns have achieved eight industry awards from the Public Relations Communications Association (PRCA) and the Chartered Institute of PR (CIPR) and she was named Outstanding Young Communicator by the CIPR in 2021.
E-mail her at laura@stonejunction.co.uk
LEAH ELSTON-THOMPSON - BSC, MCIPR ACCREDITED
LEAH ELSTON-THOMPSON
BSC, MCIPR ACCREDITED ACCOUNT DIRECTORPassionate about STEM communications, Leah has worked on clients ranging from a FTSE 250-listed business to industry-disrupting start-ups. She also oversees the company’s training scheme and media relations team.
Leah holds a first-class degree in Natural Sciences from the University of Birmingham. She is an accredited PR practitioner and several of the campaigns she has worked on have won industry awards.
Leah spends her evenings coaching korfball, an unusual Dutch sport that can only be described as a mixture between basketball and netball.
e-mail her on leah@stonejunction.co.uk or tweet her on @leahet.
CAROLINE LAW - FCIM
CAROLINE LAW
FCIM NON-EXECUTIVEPassionate about personal development and business growth, Caroline has worked with Stone Junction as a business consultant since 2014.
During that time she has supported the company’s growth of 700% in revenues and her role as personal coach and mentor has been integral to our team’s personal development.
Caroline has personally managed multi-million pound budgets and developed international marketing strategies. She is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing.
You’ll find her lifting weights after work and trying not to kill things in the garden at the weekend.
You can email her on caroline@carolinelaw.co.uk
Zafar Jamati - BSC, MBA, CHART.PR, MCIPR
Zafar Jamati
BSC, MBA, CHART.PR, MCIPR HEAD OF CONTENTZafar is a chartered member of the CIPR and joined Stone Junction in 2013. He specialises in longform content such as books, whitepapers and case studies in areas including advanced manufacturing, clean technology and smart devices.
With a BSc in information technology and an MBA in international business, Zafar wants to change the way people think about tech.
He also speaks Urdu and Punjabi and enjoys collecting vintage watches.
e-mail zafar@stonejunction.co.uk or tweet him on @StoneJunctionZ
LORNA WILDE - BA
LORNA WILDE
BA HEAD OF PAID SOCIAL AND ACCOUNT MANAGERLorna spent her early career travelling around the world working as an operations and entertainment manager, before returning home to study events management.
With experience creating relevant and profitable pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns in previous roles, Lorna’s background in B2B marketing has enabled a seamless transition to the world of technical PR.
Outside work, you will find Lorna playing video games, reading a book or falling off a climbing wall.
e-mail her on lorna@stonejunction.co.uk or tweet her on @Wilde_Lorna.
TRACEY VALE -
TRACEY VALE
FINANCE MANAGERTracey has worked in finance for over 20 years and is a whizz at everything from processing VAT to payroll and Sage accounts. There’s nothing she loves more than a good paper trail.
Tracey loves to travel and has visited Kenya, Jamaica and Mexico to name a few.
Outside of work she enjoys good food and drink with family, gin is a must.
Email her on tracey@stonejunction.co.uk
COURTNEY COWPERTHWAITE - BA
COURTNEY COWPERTHWAITE
BA ACCOUNT MANAGERCourtney delivers international PR expertise to a wide portfolio of clients across the globe. Heading up a team of language speakers and international campaigns, Courtney’s media contacts span from France and Italy, to Japan and Singapore.
She holds a degree in French and English Literature, and has spent time working in Paris.
Courtney may no longer live in France, but she is still partial to a wine and cheese night.
e-mail her on courtney@stonejunction.co.uk or tweet her on @courtneyrhiac.
SARY PARMAR -
SARY PARMAR
OFFICE MANAGERSary has worked in the Rail & Construction industry for over 15 years and held many senior positions throughout this time.
With a passion for project management and organisation, she has been a welcome addition to the Stone Junction team.
Outside of work, she enjoys country walks, drinks with friends, yoga and travelling to hot faraway locations.
Email her on sary@stonejunction.co.uk
KELLY DOBLE - BA
KELLY DOBLE
BA SENIOR DIGITAL DESIGNERKelly started her design career after graduating with a graphic design degree from Derby University. Kelly’s experience is incredibly varied, having worked with clients such as Cancer Research UK, Motul Lubricants and even Stoke City football club!
For Kelly, no two jobs are ever the same. In the morning, she can be designing a business card for a chemical engineering company, by the afternoon she is designing an entire trade show display for an international automation start-up!
When she’s in the office, you’ll find her with a milky brew. Outside the office, she likes to spend time with her family and walk her two dogs.
She won’t bite, say hello at kelly@stonejunction.co.uk
DR. PATRICK BALL - MChem, PHD., CIPR MEMBER
DR. PATRICK BALL
MChem, PHD., CIPR MEMBER ACCOUNT MANAGERPatrick came to Stone Junction with a wealth of experience in scientific communications. He holds a PhD. in Chemistry, with his research focusing on new cancer prodrug therapy strategies.
Patrick has always had a passion for scientific subjects and enjoys sharing this passion with others. Now, he does so through the world of scientific and technical PR.
He splits his personal time between his love of Warhammer, supporting Liverpool FC and being a father to a wonderful little girl named Alice.
e-mail him on patrick@stonejunction.co.uk or tweet him on @pball92.
STEPHANIE WOOD - BA
STEPHANIE WOOD
BA ACCOUNT MANAGER
Following a year in industry at a Munich-based technical PR firm, Stephie joined Stone Junction to bolster the company's international offering — delivering a wealth of media knowledge for Pan-European campaigns.
With a degree in graphic and communication design, Stephie's varied background allows her to provide creative flair to technical campaigns.
In her spare time, you will find her running, taking photos or tending to her growing cacti collection.
e-mail her on stephanie@stonejunction.co.uk or tweet her on @stephieewood.
ALISON GARDNER - BA, MCIPR
ALISON GARDNER
BA, MCIPR ACCOUNT MANAGERSpecialising in SEO, Alison has worked with clients in a range of industries, such as construction, automation and manufacturing, to increase their online visibility.
She’s also a part of the company’s mental health and wellbeing team and is a Mental Health First Aid Champion.
Alison loves to travel, especially to Spain where she can put her BA in Spanish to good use. When she’s not travelling you can probably find her binging the latest true crime series with a glass of wine (or three).
e-mail her on alison@stonejunction.co.uk or tweet her on @aleejgardner.
ALEX MANFORD -
ALEX MANFORD
SENIOR CONTENT SPECIALISTAlex has worked with blue chip clients across a range of industrial manufacturing sectors as a PR and marketing specialist, copywriter and as a journalist since 2005.
Most recently, he was acting chief editor of MPT International magazine, a leading technical journal based in Germany.
He has built a reputation for producing outstanding technical B2B content and arranging media visits in Europe, particularly in Scandinavia.
Outside of work, Alex enjoys drinking real ales, reading books and travelling abroad to music events.
e-mail him on alexm@stonejunction.co.uk or tweet him on @Alex_Manford.
FRANCESCA AVIGO - BA
FRANCESCA AVIGO
BA ACCOUNT MANAGERFrancesca's interest in PR was sparked during a placement at another Midlands PR agency, after which she took the reigns as head of the media relations team in the 2018 Staffordshire University Future Journalist competition. She now uses her media relations skills to generate lots of coverage for her clients, spanning as far as China and New Zealand.
Francesca is half Italian and unsurpirsingly loves eating copious amounts of pasta. Besides this, she's obsessed with skincare, ASOS and her fur kitty, Luna.
e-mail her on francesca@stonejunction.co.uk or tweet her on @francescaCavigo.
MARTIN DEAKIN - MRes, MCIPR ACCREDITED
MARTIN DEAKIN
MRes, MCIPR ACCREDITED ACCOUNT MANAGERAfter spending four years serving as a Borough Councillor on Cheshire East Council, Martin swapped local government for the world of STEM PR, where his accumulated experience working with journalists and media outlets could benefit international industry.
With a degree in Politics and International Relations at Keele University, Martin has a knack for effective communication across a wide range of audiences.
In his spare time, Martin can be found running, flying vintage aircrafts or supporting Stoke City FC!
e-mail him on martin@stonejunction.co.uk or tweet him on @martin_deakin.
GEORGIA COTTERILL - BA
GEORGIA COTTERILL
BA ACCOUNT MANAGERLanguages lover Georgia joins Stone Junction having achieved a first-class degree from Bristol University in Spanish and Russian (with a hint of Catalan!). During this time, she completed a four-month stint in both Barcelona and Saint Petersburg, where she put this knowledge into practice.
She hopes to use her passion for languages and cultures to boost the company’s international PR offerings.
Outside of work, it comes as no surprise that she loves travelling. In fact, scratching off her whole Scratch Map is her main goal in life. Aside from globetrotting, she loves spending time with family and friends, chatting over a black Americano (or five!) or a vodka, lime and soda (or six!).
Email her on georgia@stonejunction.co.uk
JIM KEEBLE - BA
JIM KEEBLE
BA ACCOUNT MANAGERJim has hands on experience in managing some large accounts based around the world and has five years of experience within digital PR. He's always thinking about the next press release he is working on or the next link to secure.
If not caught practicing Spanish on Duolingo, Jim can probably be found tending to houseplants or playing/walking with his miniature poodle, Olive.
Email him on jim@stonejunction.co.uk
AHNGELI SHIVAM - BA, MA
AHNGELI SHIVAM
BA, MA SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVEAhngeli has a passion for cross-cultural communication, fostered throughout her international studies in linguistics and American studies, and several PR experiences in Southeast Asia and Germany
She is currently doing a dual PhD in Germany and the United States and uses her transnational skills to help Stone Junction’s clients grow their presence across the DACH region.
In her spare time, Ahngeli loves to travel, spend time with her pet chipmunk Mangoberry, do yoga and try out new recipes.
You can email her at ahngeli@stonejunction.co.uk.
DR. PHIL MORGAN - PHD. MCIPR
DR. PHIL MORGAN
PHD. MCIPR SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVEPrior to joining Stone Junction, Phil completed a PhD in International Politics. His doctoral research analysed Britain’s response to the crises in Libya and Syria. During his time at university, Phil won four different academic awards including the Ede & Ravenscroft award in 2016.
Phil developed a keen interest in communications and the media during his research, making PR a natural fit. His research skills and experience of writing to a high technical standard enables him to produce first-class content for clients.
Outside of work, Phil likes to spend time with his pet Lurcher, Red, who is also ginger and skinny.
Email him on phillip@stonejunction.co.uk
TOM FALLOWS - BA
TOM FALLOWS
BA MID WEIGHT GRAPHIC DESIGNERFresh out of University, Tom graduated with a BA in Graphic Design from Staffordshire University and a Creative Conscience Award. Having specialised in branding with UX/UI and animation experience, he is eager to establish himself as a creative force to be reckoned with here at Stone Junction.
As a junior graphic designer, you can bet Tom will bring an exciting angle to projects — but he'll be sat upright, don't worry.
In his spare time, you will find Tom trying to add to his trainer collection (Nearly 20 pairs at the time of writing) and making excuses for Stoke City FC’s most recent poor result.
You can email him at tomf@stonejunction.co.uk
BECKY SNOW - BSc, MSc
BECKY SNOW
BSc, MSc SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVEBecky is from a scientific background, holding a first-class honours degree in biological science and a master's degree in molecular biology from Staffordshire University. Her favourite area of science is environmental microbiology, and she has spent time in the Netherlands at their ecology institute conducting research on microbial interactions in freshwater systems.
After working as a molecular biologist in Jersey and London, Becky decided to use her passion for science and writing to pursue and internship at Stone Junction in 2021. She liked it so much she decided to stick around!
In her spare time, you can pretty much guarantee that she will be lifting weights at the gym. On the off chance that she isn't there, she will either be playing video games, reading or exploring outdoors!
You can email her on becky@stonejunction.co.uk
ERIN SOFTLEY - BSc
ERIN SOFTLEY
BSc SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVEErin’s interest in research and technical writing began when she started her degree in Human Biology at Keele University. With a minor in English Literature too, the world of PR has allowed her to put her knowledge and creativity to good use in creating content for a plethora of clients.
In her spare time, you probably won’t find her easily. She’ll be rowing a boat, running up a steep incline or crying over the dumbbells in the gym.
She’s also a private in the British Army Reserves, so don’t cross her… she knows how to use a rifle!
Email her at erin@stonejunction.co.uk.
Georgiana Marian - BA
Georgiana Marian
BA ACCOUNT EXECUTIVEGeorgiana’s interest in international communication and writing began when she started simultaneous degrees in Politics & International Studies and Security Studies at Warwick University and Universitatea din Oradea respectively. With her command of two languages, Stone Junction has allowed her to put her range of skills to the test, joining our entirely international team!
When she isn’t in the office, you’ll probably find her back in Romania, running her own mini-zoo — complete with three dogs, two cats, plenty of rabbits and a pond with a fish. Oh! And a turtle.
She can also sing ‘Je ne regrette rein’ word perfect. So challenge her to a karaoke battle if you dare.
Email her at georgiana@stonejunction.co.uk.
STACIE PLAST - BA
STACIE PLAST
BA ACCOUNT EXECUTIVEStacie joined Stone Junction in 2021 after graduating from Staffordshire University with a BA (Hons) in English Literature and Creative Writing.
Along with her love for writing, Stacie’s super speedy skills make her great for completing a high volume of tasks.
Outside of work, Stacie loves to sew, roller skate and blissfully ignore her shopping addiction.
Email her on stacie@stonejunction.co.uk
Nadia Williams -
Nadia Williams
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVEAfter graduating with a first-class degree in Chemistry, Nadia worked in both industrial and educational laboratories before joining Stone Junction. She found her interest in science communications while working on her dissertation project.
In her free time, Nadia is usually being walked by her dog or playing videogames. She also loves to travel and has been as far as New Zealand.
Email her on nadia@stonejunction.co.uk
Maren Gregg-Burkhart -
Maren Gregg-Burkhart
PR ASSISTANTMaren has over 18 years of experience in administrative office roles in various industries, including the automotive, fashion and training sectors. A new addition to Stone Junction’s international team, Maren is a native German speaker and has been living in the UK since January 2004.
With her organisational experience and an amazing attention to detail, Maren supports the team with PR and marketing administration, including distributing news to the media, recording media coverage for clients, and creating reports.
Outside of work, Maren likes to read crime novels. She also loves visiting stately homes and gardens, camping and spending time with her husband and two young sons.
Email her on maren@stonejunction.co.uk
Encarna Nunez -
Encarna Nunez
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVEHer passion for languages and discovering other cultures made Encarna pursue a career in translation. She is a Spanish native speaker, but she can also speak English, German, and a bit of Russian! After completing her master’s degree in Editorial Translation, Encarna came to the UK to start an internship in Computational Linguistics at the University of Wolverhampton. During the last few years, she has been working as a digital marketing executive for the translation industry. Her experience in machine learning, coding and AI made her a great fit for a technical PR role.
During her spare time, she enjoys reviewing restaurants on her Instagram page or redecorating her animal crossing island.
Email her on encarna@stonejunction.co.uk
Tom Howarth - BEng, MPhil
Tom Howarth
BEng, MPhil ACCOUNT EXECUTIVETom holds a First-Class BEng Chemical Engineering degree and an MPhil in Advanced Chemical Engineering from the Universities of Manchester and Cambridge.
Tom’s passion for science and technology communication began when he started writing articles for Cambridge’s student paper on topics including interstellar exploration and renewable technologies like concentrated solar power.
When not working, you can find Tom tending to Pepe, his pet tortoise, sifting through LPs in a record store (Hip-Hop's his personal favourite!), or cooking up a feast in the kitchen.
Email him on tomh@stonejunction.co.uk
Philip Taylor - BA
Philip Taylor
BA ACCOUNT EXECUTIVEPhilip discovered his love for languages when he moved to Spain with his family aged ten, where he was immersed in both Spanish and Catalan for eight years. He enjoys talking to people and learning about new cultures, so the more languages he learns, the better.
Since then, Philip has achieved a first class degree with honours in combined languages from the University of Hull, where he consolidated Spanish language skills while also learning French and German. During his time at university, he worked as a freelance photographer and even became the treasurer of the photography society.
Philip is excited to join Stone Junction, as he will have the opportunity to put his language skills to the test, learn and write about amazing STEM companies and also use his photography experience.
During his time off he likes to binge on Netflix, go for walks in the countryside and travel to historic cities, preferably in warmer climates.
Email him on philt@stonejunction.co.uk
BARNEY HALLAWELL -
BARNEY HALLAWELL
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVEBarney studied Marine Science at the University of Plymouth and Zoology at the University of Exeter, which sparked his interest in STEM communications. After some time volunteering abroad, he returned home to Cambridge to spend a few years teaching English and giving punting tours.
In 2019, he retrained as a chef, working aboard sailing yachts around the planet. Now he’s hung up his whites and has returned to life on land, bringing his passion for communication and science to Stone Junction and its growing client base.
Outside the office you can find him tinkering on his grandpa’s old VW campervan or driving it at eye-wateringly low speeds.
Email him on barney@stonejunction.co.uk
Greg Coppack - BSc
Greg Coppack
BSc ACCOUNT EXECUTIVEAfter studying a Medicinal and Biological Chemistry BSc at the University of Sheffield, Greg identified a love for science, but was searching for a way to express it outside of the lab. Staying in the Steel City for his Science Communication MSc, he realised that engaging audiences with scientific content was what he’d been looking for. Among the topics he wrote about are historical discriminatory medical experiments, novel metal-based antibiotics and why you can’t put forks in the microwave.
Greg spent 15 months teaching English and travelling in Vietnam in 2021-22, fostering a desire to see the world. When he isn’t reaching for his passport, you’ll find him coaching American football or experimenting with new recipes.
Email him on greg@stonejunction.co.uk