Speakers
Molly Bliss
Alex Owen
Danielle Starling
Case Study
Over the last two years, Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) - the part of the Ministry of Defence delivering equipment and support services to our armed forces - have been implementing organisational reform to make sure the UK’s soldiers, sailors, aviators and allies have the battle-winning kit they need, when they need it. This complex change, involving 12,000 people across over 20 sites, was delivered alongside unprecedented operational demand in response to fraught global security. For two years DE&S’ small comms team have worked to build the case for change, increase understanding of the new organisation and support people through transition into the new DE&S. This was delivered amid the pressures of a war in Europe, a change of government and despite the constraints of outdated channels and a dispersed, overworked, hard to reach audience. This talk will showcase the approaches used to cut through institutional change apathy.
Three takeaways from the session:
Aimed at the following practitioner levels:
As part of her four-year apprenticeship scheme which sees Molly earn a degree and chartership in Professional management, she’s also worked full-time in the high-pressure environment of the Strategy Communications team since 2023. Molly has consistently demonstrated her creativity in finding solutions to reach complex audiences. She’s most proud of designed and delivering targeted events to reach over 1,500 employees across dispersed regional sites. Outside of work, Molly not only captains a men’s adult cricket team but built a women’s team from scratch - they’re in their third year of playing and came second in their league last year.
After time in the army riding tanks and horses from Helmand to Horse Guards, Alex left to chase a career in comms. At the Royal British Legion, the UK’s largest Armed Forces charity, he was heavily involved in the iconic Poppy Appeal, thinking up new ways to mobilise the public in support of veterans. Tribute Ink, an experiential campaign exploring modern remembrance through tattoos, was his brainchild. Achieving nearly two hours of coverage, the campaign climax saw Alex drop his trews on live TV to show off his regimental ink! Now at DE&S, Alex and his team have been finding new ways to land a change that will have profound positive implications for UK security. Outside work Alex has bagged a History Masters which he puts to use as a director for the Household Cavalry Museum in London.
Danielle has spent 13 years working in internal comms across public sector organisations, including housing, education and defence, always aiming to put employees at the heart of everything she does. As a resolute realist, and the team’s ‘Sergeant Major,’ she’s the one who brings ideas from the clouds back down to the ground so the team can find ways of actually making them happen. Danielle spends most of her free time negotiating with a toddler, singing Taylor Swift loudly and badly, and indulging her tabletop and console gaming hobbies when she can.
Mark has worked across numerous sectors over a career spanning 44 years - from pubs to factory floors to the civil service. As the only septuagenarian on the Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) comms team he delights in breaking the mould and finding new and creative ways to reach employees. He’s passionate about employee engagement and winning the hearts and minds of his audience so they can deliver more for our armed forces. As a proud Bristolian he speaks like a pirate and spends his evenings sparring on World of Tanks or walking his dog Digby.