Hilary Cross

For those reaching me as the partner of Michael Wrightson, who died in September, please message me and/or donate in his memory at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/hilary-cross8. Thank you very much. I'm an experienced executive and non-executive director with a substantial record delivering award-winning, creative and successful marketing, communications, brand and external relations for over 25 years. I’m now working as a consultant on strategy, communications, brand, marketing, leadership and teamwork, including with Rewilding Britain. Until 2018 as global Marketing Director at the British Council I led brand and strategy, policy and government relations, marketing and corporate, crisis and internal Comms across 113 countries. This included a major transformation programme to professionalise global marketing and to build brand affinity and impact. I'm Deputy Chair of the Board of Trustees at Prisoners’ Education Trust, chairing its Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Committee and a marketing industry judge and speaker. I help organisations engage people with their brands, stories and missions and to build teams and leaders to embrace innovation. This includes working with Rewilding Britain to help shape its strategy and rebrand to help reconnect with nature, tackle the climate emergency and extinction crisis. Company culture matters to me. I enjoy building and working with ambitious and happy teams. I’m a strong believer in equality and the value of embracing a range of perspectives and experiences at work - especially encouraging young people from diverse backgrounds to work in the creative industries and charities. From 2007-2015, as executive Director of Marketing and Comms at Macmillan, I led significant growth in brand awareness and engagement with one of the UK's best loved charities, winning Marketing Society Brand of the Year 2014. My senior experience also includes governance, recruitment and futures thinking. I’m passionate about social justice, environment, arts and culture (RSA Fellow) and Tottenham Hotspur FC.