Aleksis studied Politics with International Relations for his undergraduate degree at the University of York. He then stayed on to complete a masters in Conflict, Governance, and Development. Aleksis is half-Finnish and originally from Suffolk, now based in our Cambridge office.

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Aleksis’s career highlight...

My career highlight would be finishing my masters degree and being lucky enough to get employed by DevComms within the same week!

Best thing about working at DevComms...

Everyone is so welcoming and it feels like a really cohesive team with a lot of forward thinking and new ideas.

a.butler@devcomms.co.uk

Alice provides DevComms with Business Support which encompasses organising project events, project team support and office management. Alice has been with DevComms since the beginning and plays a key role in the day-to-day smooth running of the business.

Alice’s career highlight…

Working with and to support such a diverse team of people at DevComms and to be part of a growing company.

Best thing about working at DevComms...

The transparent work culture. DevComms is always honest, treats their employees as valued team members, and everyone respects one another.

a.dennis@devcomms.co.uk

Bernadette has a background in banking and business management and wanted to bring her experience to an accounting role. She has joined our growing Group team as a Finance Assistant, alongside Ellen. Bernadette has truly embraced the spirit of remote working as she currently lives in Jersey!

Bernadette’s career highlight...

I have been lucky enough throughout my diverse career to make a difference to people’s lives. To be truly receptive to bringing about change and making a positive contribution to their wellbeing. I am really excited at securing this new role, it allows me to develop in a new direction, calling on previous experience, enabling me to continue my love of lifelong learning.

Best thing about working at DevComms...

The whole team are supportive, have clear values, are inclusive, and are receptive to new suggestions and ideas. It’s very refreshing and I feel very lucky to be part of the DevComms team.

b.sims@devcomms.co.uk

Caroline is DevComms’ Head of Finance. She began her career in finance 10 years ago and has been with DevComms since the very beginning. Caroline is a dedicated team member whose knowledge and capabilities are business critical.

Caroline’s career highlight...

Achieving an industry qualification whilst working and home schooling!

Best thing about working at DevComms...

Simple – it’s the team that make DevComms a great place to work.

c.shambrook@devcomms.co.uk

Charles has delivered highly successful property communications strategies across a range of sectors, working with clients including Sainsbury’s, Inspired Villages, Countryside and Highwood. Charles has a degree in History from the University of Exeter, as well as a Masters in International Relations. He has a keen interest in local and national politics, publishing a monthly article for UK Property Forums entitled Spotlight on Westminster. He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and has a track record of effectively overcoming difficult political and local issues. Charles has worked on many significant projects, including major town centre regeneration schemes, large scale residential proposals and the very first planning application to ever be determined virtually by Westminster City Council. Charles’ team has built trusted and constructive relationships with politicians, the media and community influencers in many local authorities across both the South East and London.

Charles’ career highlight...

My career highlight was achieving permission for a new petrol station, office space and motorcycle showroom at a village in Sussex, on a site outside the Built-Up Area Boundary. We achieved over 500 supportive consultation responses (85%) from the local community, as well as a joint letter of support from the local business community. The Parish Council were so impressed with our approach that they noted their appreciation in the minutes of a Council meeting, stating that they wanted to thank us for ‘excellent communication throughout the process and the level of community engagement’. They even wished me well on my wedding day, when it clashed with a Parish Council meeting which I would have otherwise attended!

Best thing about working at DevComms...

We’re an extremely dynamic company and we never rest on our laurels. We’re constantly adapting and improving, using the whole gamut of skills across our team to deliver the best possible service.

c.bushe@devcomms.co.uk

Dom has extensive experience in politics and grassroots campaigning, having been an elected City Councillor on Birmingham City Council and having worked in Parliament for two MPs in the Midlands. He remains politically active and benefits from an extensive political network across the region.

Dom’s career highlight...

As a former Birmingham City Councillor and Member of the Planning Committee, it was a privilege to be involved in the approval process for some of the Midland’s most exciting developments, including Phase 2 of the landmark Paradise Scheme in Birmingham City Centre.

Best thing about working at DevComms...

The variety of projects and clients that DevComms work with. It makes working here really exciting and ensures that no two days are the same!

d.stanford@devcomms.co.uk

Emily has worked her way to Senior Account Manager in her three years with us, having joined in 2021 as an Account Executive, with a degree in Economics, Politics and International Relations. Emily is leading on public affairs support for a range of projects including urban extensions, regeneration schemes and large strategic residential developments. She is leading on day to day liaison with political and community stakeholders and on the preparation and implementation of communications strategies.

Emily’s career highlight...

My career highlight is being nominated for and winning the Berkshire Property Festival NextGen award 2023, and also being shortlisted for the Oxford Property NextGen award 2023.

Best thing about working at DevComms...

The best thing about DevComms is the team. Everybody is friendly and there is always a team atmosphere. It is also a great place to learn and grow, with plenty of opportunities to progress and develop professionally.

e.taylor@devcomms.co.uk

Ellen holds a strong background in Finance and Administration and joined DevComms this year as a Finance Assistant. She brings a wealth of financial knowledge and experience into the office and holds a AAT foundation certificate in accounting.

Ellen’s superb communication skills enable her to deal confidently with the team when it comes to dealing with complex financial tasks. Her relaxed and friendly style makes “number crunching” easy to understand and puts the team at ease. She is a highly motivated and dedicated member of the team which helps drive the team forward when it comes to financial planning.

Ellen is a continuous learner and continues to develop in her role through studying. At present she is currently working on a professional qualification through the Association of Accounting Technicians.

Ellen’s career highlight…..

Whilst on maternity leave, I always knew I wanted to continue my career in finance, after I secured a role a DevComms it was clear I found a great company to work for where I can progress and continue to develop my skills.

Best thing about working at DevComms….

Being part of a supportive team who are very friendly and welcoming. DevComms is a trusting company who believe in their staff and help everyone progress in their career.

e.morrison@devcomms.co.uk

Jack has ten years of experience developing campaign strategies and providing engagement advice - five years in consultancy and five in Party and Parliamentary politics.

He has extensive experience delivering stakeholder and community engagement strategies across a range of sectors, particularly for strategic site promotion and pre-application consultation. He is still actively involved in politics in the midlands and the northwest and has an extensive political network.

Jacks’ career highlight...

I’m not sure about career highlight, but a recent win I’m proud of is that a client asked that I get involved with a project last year after being unanimously rejected by the planning committee, with local councillors opposing the scheme. Within just a month, we turned the committee result around to unanimous approval and with support from local politicians.

Best thing about working at DevComms...

The culture – everyone at DevComms is working together and supporting each other. This means a happy, innovative, and motivated team; satisfied and impressed clients; and positive project outcomes.

j.boyce@devcomms.co.uk

Jade is Associate Director and heads up our East of England office in Cambridge where she has worked on major infrastructure projects, residential schemes and commercial development.

She maintains an interest in politics having previously worked as a Senior Caseworker for an MP and also having served as an elected unitary Councillor where she held the position of the youngest ever female Speaker of the Council as well as having Planning and Healthcare roles.

Jade has a strong background in community public relations roles including at the Federation of Small Businesses where she helped develop, shape and promote local policy and contribute to national policy. She has also worked extensively with the media, helping to develop messaging and campaigns at the local and national level

Jade is a Member of the CIPR.

Jade’s career highlight…..

I have had a varied career with many moments of success. I am most proud of the work I have done which has helped others and provided a lasting legacy. Perhaps the most poignant of these is my role as chair of a community centre in a deprived area of Bedford. The almost derelict centre needed extensive renovation, was at threat of closure and attracted crime and anti-social behaviour. As chair, I attracted nearly £1m of public investment and grant funding to fully regenerate the centre at a time of extensive public spending cuts and centres being closed nationally. I led the transfer of the centre over to a children’s charity who is now providing a range of community services including warm spaces, free meals and education in an area of acute need. I am truly honoured to have seen this long-term aim, become a reality and lifeline for others.

Best thing about working at DevComms….

The wonderful team and culture of support and respect. DevComms is a place where individuals can grow and develop whilst working on major projects with leading developers. I love the fact that we are supporting much needed housing delivery helping to deliver what communities want to see.

j.uko@devcomms.co.uk

James leads our South West office in Bristol. The South West team works with a wide range of developers including Churchill Retirement Living, McLaren Property, AJC Group, Godwin Group, Barratt David Wilson Homes. and Canford Renewable Energy.

James has fifteen years’ experience in achieving Local and Neighbourhood Plan allocations on complex and controversial sites and a range of planning consents for large residential projects, retail and major mixed-use schemes and renewable energy projects.

James also leads on our digital services, including our digital consultation toolkit Consult With You and using online tools to better consult. James develops our digital engagement strategies and ensures their seamless integration into our comms plans.

James’ career highlight...

One of James’ career highlights is working with a local community to demonstrate significant public support at the determination of a planning application, particularly those members of the community that were not able to access the meeting independently. The support made all the difference and enabled local residents to participate fully in the process.

Best thing about working at DevComms...

I love that our closeknit teams collaborate across offices to come up with bespoke and innovative solutions to provide the best for our projects. It is great to work with people who are looking to the future in their approach to stakeholder engagement.

j.mallinson@devcomms.co.uk

Hem is a Politics graduate from the University of Liverpool and joined DevComms this year as an Account Executive.

From analysing legal operations to researching recruitment contracts, Hem brings a wealth of analytical knowledge to DevComms. He is super organised and highly effective when it comes to planning and prioritising.

Hem holds excellent communication skills having worked with various stakeholders in his career and is adaptable when dealing with different levels of people be it members of the public or councillors. His passion in politics makes complex and controversial topics interesting and exciting. e bring

Hem is keen in many sports, especially rugby of which he has represented numerous teams. He also has a keen interest in economics, politics, and current affairs.

Hem’s career highlight…..

Engaging with stakeholders and building trusted, working relationships to help shape proposals to benefit communities.

Best thing about working at DevComms….

I’m able to work on a wide on and contribute to a variety of projects which means I am constantly developing professionally.

h.johal@devcomms.co.uk

Passionate about driving meaningful connections between communities and development projects, Leah brings over three years of expertise in political and community stakeholder engagement to the table. Joining DevComms in 2021, she has become a driving force across a diverse array of projects, with a focus on Residential, Retirement Living, and Leisure sectors.

With a keen eye for detail and a knack for relationship-building, Leah excels in managing significant client accounts, including industry leaders. Her extensive experience spans the nation, which a particular focus on the East of England as she works in the Eastern Branch at DevComms located in Cambridge.

Beyond Leah's professional achievements, her innovative spirit shines through her background in digital marketing. Leah is dedicated to exploring inventive ways to leverage social media for effective community engagement strategies

Leah’s career highlight....

A career highlight for me is generating a database of over 300 supportive residents on a scheme for a client who had been advised by the local authority, at the pre-app stage, that there would be 0% interest both locally and politically for their scheme in their proposed location. Having been tasked by the client to find support, I pitched utilising social media as a method to draw out those supporters as well as commencing early political engagement, to gather the views of local and strategic members. The campaign was incredibly successful and resulted in us establishing there was significant interest for the scheme from both the local community and local politicians. The client was able to return to officers with the evidence of support we had generated, which in-turn helped to reduce some of the concerns they had about the scheme initially.

Best thing about working at DevComms....

I love the company culture here at DevComms. The team have created a really inspiring and positive workspace and I am excited for what my future holds within the company.

l.tompkins@devcomms.co.uk

Lily has joined the team as our Content Creator. She is based in our South West office. She has recently completed a degree in English at the University of Bristol, with experience and interests in photography, videography, and documentary filmmaking.

Lily's career highlight...

I feel extremely lucky to have the opportunity to train with DevComms in the role of Content Creator and look forward to many career highlights with this brilliant company.

Best thing about working at DevComms...

Without exception, every member of the DevComms team has been welcoming and helpful. I am being offered the best guidance and training that I could have hoped for as I start on my career path.

l.priscott@devcomms.co.uk

Maria has 18 years’ hands-on experience in all aspects of successful project delivery, from neighbourhood plan allocations to mixed-use town centre regeneration schemes and remediation planning consents. She has extensive experience of proactively working in the public and private sector with communities and stakeholders to address key issues concerning development and helping to build support from the ground up. Maria specialisms include developing strategies to help increase the reach of DevComms consultations to maximise accessibility, involvement and inclusivity. More recently, Maria is also involved in promoting DevComms as a business and a brand, Maria holds the Chartered Institute of Public Relations Diploma.

Maria’s career highlight...

Working with a community to draw out a groundswell of support for a proposal which had widespread community benefits in order to balance outa vocal minority in opposition. Helping to give the silent majority a voice and encouraging them to engage took time and effort but was transformative in the end.

Best thing about working at DevComms?

DevComms is great for spotting talent in our staff and helping team members achieve their goals, whether they are personal or professional. Our strength is definitely in our team and our ability to work together.

m.allaway@devcomms.co.uk

With a considerable amount of passion and knowledge about the political sphere Nicholas joined the South West team as Account Executive. After studying politics and public policy for four years, Nicholas then worked in the office of his Member for Parliament.

Nicholas’ career highlight...

My career highlight is taking a tour around No. 10 Downing Street and the House of Commons during staff training. It was such an amazing experience to see the inner workings of these important institutions and I felt incredibly lucky to have the opportunity. I even got the pet Larry the Downing Street cat, which could be my career pinnacle.

Best thing about working at DevComms...

The best thing about working at DevComms is the people. In the short time I have been with the company I have felt so welcomed; everyone makes an effort to introduce themselves and each makes a sincere offer to help with anything you get stuck on. You really do feel like you are on a team.

n.roberts@devcomms.co.uk

Paul has over 20 years’ experience working in property communications, with professional qualifications spanning politics and planning. He has a wealth of experience working in stakeholder engagement across sectors such as strategic plan making, retail and mixed use schemes, alongside residential schemes of varying scales. Paul manages some of DevComms’ largest projects including public and private sector JVs, Garden Town projects and strategic urban extensions. Paul’s specialisms include building trusted relationships with stakeholders, running stakeholder forum events and media liaison.

Paul’s career highlight...

Working with my colleagues to establish and grow DevComms into a successful and dynamic company.

Best thing about working at DevComms...

The opportunity to introduce new members of the team from different backgrounds into property related stakeholder engagement and the reward of seeing them grow and develop.

p.vicary@devcomms.co.uk

Rob is the Managing Director of DevComms. He is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and has worked specifically in the planning and property area of communications for 25 years. He has provided strategic advice on proposals across all sectors of property including large urban extensions, strategic planning, retail, sports stadia, urban regeneration, remediation and large scale distribution. Rob frequently chairs property industry panel discussions, writes thought leadership articles for the property press and delivers CPD to the development industry on best practice stakeholder engagement. Rob is particularly interested in drawing out opportunities for social value and inclusion across DevComms projects.

Rob’s career highlight...

Making the decision to start DevComms 4 years ago. It’s been a hugely exciting adventure and learning experience all at the same time.

Best thing about working at DevComms...

The mutual trust and strong, friendly spirit within the team.

r.allaway@devcomms.co.uk

Sam has joined DevComms this year with a strong and experienced background in sales, business development and client account management in the art industry.

Through Sam’s professional experience, he is an exceptional communicator when it comes to dealing with both commercial and private stakeholders. His empathy and quick understanding enables him to build deep rapport and strong relationships. He is highly motivated and driven when it comes to success and uses his out of the box thinking to really inspire those around him to achieve their own successes. When working with clients, Sam strives to deliver the best level of service and maintain relationships that last a lifetime.

Sam’s career highlight

Taking the exciting step to move into a different industry, it constantly challenges but allows me to tackle issues with a fresh approach. It has been a great pleasure to bring skills and experience into DevComms whilst also continuing to develop alongside the wealth of knowledge and experience DevComms has to offer.

Best thing about working at DevComms

Working alongside the incredibly knowledgeable and supportive people at DevComms, we have a great group of diverse individuals each with something unique to offer.

s.oliver@devcomms.co.uk

Tiffany started her DevComms journey as our Business Support Administrator and took her wealth of skills and expertise to the role of Brand Manager. She has a background working as an administrator manager in a fast-paced busy hospitality environment combined with years of experience arranging events in music too.

Tiffany is super organised and proactive when it comes to planning and prioritising. She uses her inventiveness to feed into the management of social media and marketing, and her infectious energy, positive demeanour and excellent communication skills enable her to deal confidently with a range of suppliers to refine relationships for our event and exhibition supplies and needs.

Tiffany has many areas of interests such as singing, dancing, playing sports such as badminton and horse riding, design, and scrapbooking. All of which bring so much experience and creativity into DevComms and make Tiff a fascinating individual to learn from.

Tiffany’s career highlight…..

Receiving bouquets of flowers from a previous customer for recognition of hard work…although a four-page spread and photoshoot for NME with Rihanna’s photographer is probably quite up there also.

Best thing about working at DevComms….

The camaraderie of a strong community, all with a likeminded vision and ambition. It is really inspiring that the team genuinely want success for all, together.

t.evans@devcomms.co.uk