Leadership Team
THE BOARD
Hayley Goff
Chief Executive Officer
Hayley joined Whiteoaks in 2004 as a project manager. Since then she has held several senior posts within the company, before becoming a board director in 2013. She moved from her role as Chief Operating Officer to Chief Executive Officer in 2023.
At the helm, Hayley drives the business towards fulfilling its mission of guaranteeing better results from integrated B2B PR and communications campaigns. She is passionate about Whiteoaks’ deliberately different approach, and uses her strategic and creative consultancy to strengthen the agency’s position in the market and advise clients.
She has extensive experience in creating and managing international campaigns for some of the world’s leading brands, including Autodesk, Clarivate Analytics, OKI, SAS, Pulsant and Telehouse.
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Suzanne Griffiths
Managing Director
Suzanne joined the business in 2002 and rose quickly through the ranks. She has been managing director since 2013, taking day-to-day responsibility for the successful management of Whiteoaks. She is one of Whiteoaks’ top strategy consultants, experienced in providing expert advice and guidance to clients across global IT, telecoms and technology sectors. She is also responsible for actively driving the HR, resourcing, marketing, office and operations function within the business.
With a BA Hons in International Marketing Management, Suzanne has offered communications and marketing consultancy to leading technology players around the world, including Autodesk, DTS, OKI, SAS, Technicolor, The Vitec Group, Vodafone and Xero.
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John Broy
Chief Client Officer
As Chief Client Officer, John has the ability to lead his teams so that they can deliver strong results for clients from day one onwards, leveraging both traditional and emerging PR and marketing methods. This approach ensures that John quickly wins the respect and trust of clients.
Having joined Whiteoaks in 2011, John has a reputation for providing high quality, business-focused advice and consultancy to clients. As a member of the board since November 2018, he is responsible for the high-level strategic and creative consultancy across the communications mix on clients’ communications campaigns. John oversees his clients’ ongoing account development, financial planning and reporting as well as new business.
With his team’s support, John is able to create and lead compelling campaigns which meet and exceed clients’ objectives, ensuring they always deliver to deadlines. John has over 15 years’ experience in journalism and public relations, including three years’ experience as editor of Retail Systems.
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James Kelliher
Non-executive Director
James became chief executive officer of Whiteoaks in 2013, following a management buyout of the business. With overall responsibility for the management of Whiteoaks, he provided high level strategic and consultative guidance to major clients and their senior internal stakeholders. In 2021 he spearheaded the move to transform Whiteoaks International into an employee-owned business. He stepped down as CEO in 2023, moving into the role of non-executive director on the Whiteoaks board, providing counsel and support to the business.
James has been providing communications consultancy to a wide range of clients across the IT, telecoms, B2B and professional services sectors for more than 20 years.
THE MANAGEMENT TEAM
Practice Leads
Hannah Buckley
Head of Content
With almost a decade of experience in marketing and communications, Hannah joined Whiteoaks in 2018 as a content creator. In July 2020 Hannah was promoted to Head of Content where she is responsible for leading the development and execution of Whiteoaks’ content strategy, managing and developing the wider content team, and ensuring the delivery of compelling written assets that will drive client satisfaction and exceed campaign targets.
Hannah started her career at Xbox Live as a publishing assistant before moving into SEO where she got her first taste of agency life, acting as an SEO and content manager for clients across a range of industries. Adept in writing all types of content for both PR and marketing, Hannah has experience in both the B2B and B2C industries.
She holds a BA (Hons) in French and English from the University of Reading.
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Hugh Cadman
Interim Head of Content
After a long and varied journalistic career, Hugh joined Whiteoaks as a specialist content writer in 2014, using his expertise to elevate client messaging, translating technical information into entertaining and informative content that speaks to the needs of different audiences.
Hugh is equally adept at drafting hard-hitting, diverse content assets and providing insight to shape wider content strategies. The latter in high demand in his new role as interim head of content.
Hugh previously worked as a news editor for a newspaper group in the South of England, after spells as a news, health and political reporter.
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Vicki Curtis
Senior Client Consultant
Vicki joined Whiteoaks in January 2022 as Head of Media. Vicki is responsible for leading and developing Whiteoaks’ media practice and the media team.
She has worked in B2B tech PR for over 16 years and has previously held roles at Liberty and Berkeley Communications. During her career she has worked on campaigns for high profile brands including Qualcomm, Staples, Autodesk and Grass Valley.
Vicki previously worked for Whiteoaks from 2006 to 2009 and is delighted to be back!
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Mark Wilson
Creative Director
Mark joined Whiteoaks in January 2020 as the agency’s first Creative Director. Mark holds a Master’s degree in Creative Advertising and has experience working for both large and boutique agencies. As an award-winning Creative Director for OgilvyOne, he has worked on brands including BA, British Gas and Drinkaware. He has also worked on campaigns for well-known B2B brands including Oracle, Ciena, CenturyLink.
Mark is passionate about strong, simple ideas that can change behaviour.
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Account Leads
Sophie Sadler
Associate Director
Sophie has a broad range of experience in B2C and B2B PR, both agency and in-house, having worked with variety of brands, from household names such a retail-heavyweight John Lewis through to respected global technology vendors. She joined Whiteoaks in October 2019 as an account manager and quickly progressed, building strong client relationships and using her media expertise to deliver outstanding results. Sophie holds a First Class Degree in Public Relations from Leeds Beckett.
As Senior Account Director, she continues to nurture those client relationships and leads a team that specialises in the broadcast, fintech, and medtech sectors.
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Alex Kent
Senior Account Director
Alex has more than 10 years of B2B and B2C PR experience, the majority of which spent within B2B agencies, with a particular focus on technology companies. He has a broad range of client experience from blue-chip household brand names to small start-ups. Alex also spent nearly two years as a national press officer for the Royal British Legion, working on major projects such as the annual Poppy Appeal.
He holds a First-Class Honours degree in Business and Marketing from Southampton Solent University.
Alex joined the Whiteoaks team in June 2022.
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Zachary Hodges
Account Director
Zachary joined the Whiteoaks team in 2018 as a junior account executive and spent over three years working with the agency across B2B client accounts. After a spell with PR firm Brands2Life, Zachary re-joined the Whiteoaks team at the beginning of 2023.
Zachary has a broad range of client experience from working with industry leading enterprises such as SAP and top 10 global law firm White & Case, right through to fintech start-ups such as Hastee.
Zachary also spent much of 2022 seconded at global cloud computing enterprise, VMware, where he managed the company’s EMEA presence at events such as MWC and its own conference, VMware Explore.
He has a degree in creative and media writing from Portsmouth University.
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Business Support Heads
Adam George
Head of Finance
Adam started with Whiteoaks in January 2019 following 12 years spent working in finance within the recruitment industry, most recently in the role of CFO. Adam is a member of the ACCA, having qualified in July 2018 and has a background in financial management, management accounting and payroll – amongst other disciplines.
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Tara Williams
Head of HR
Tara became Whiteoaks’ first HR Manager in April 2017. She is committed to helping Whiteoaks become recognised as an employer of choice in the technology PR industry and become an organisation that inspires all people to reach their full potential by delivering HR programmes and strategies to support the business goals. Tara has over 18 years’ experience in HR working across a variety of industries.
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