Author > Cancer Works – Balancing your career with not dying

Author of book – on Amazon and Audible

Website: www.kinnearmellor.com

Tenure: Ongoing

Description: Alex’s ‘Cancer Works: Balancing your career with not dying’ transcends the conventional narrative of cancer, transforming a personal battle into a beacon of hope and resilience for anyone navigating the complex intersection of professional life and a life-altering diagnosis.

This book is not just a memoir; it’s a guide, a companion, and a source of inspiration for those facing cancer directly or indirectly in the workplace.

“Cancer Works” was published on Amazon and Audible in April 2024 and has received 5 star reviews from medical professionals, business readers, cancer patients and more.

I wrote ‘Cancer Works’ to offer a beacon of hope and practical guidance for anyone navigating the uncertain journey of cancer alongside their career.

This book is born from my personal experiences, a testament to the resilience we can harness even in the face of adversity.

My aim is to challenge the conventional narratives around cancer, showing that it’s possible to continue thriving in our careers and lives despite a diagnosis. Through sharing my story, I hope to empower, educate, and inspire others to find their own path of resilience and strength.

Head of Global Communications > Manufacturing and Engineering

Employer: Doncasters Ltd

Tenure: 2022 – present

Job Description: Define and execute Doncasters’ transformative global communication strategies, supporting the strategic priorities of this £500M turnover Group.

Skills: Strategic Counsel · Investor Relations · Media Relations · Presentation · Communication · Internal Communications · Event Management · Copywriting · Creative Development · Writing · Editing · Marketing Strategy · Brand Development · Social Media · Team Leadership · Corporate Communications · Strategic Planning · Public Relations · Strategy Development · Change Management · Public Speaking · Strategy · Creative Direction · Management · Brand Management · Press Releases · Leadership · Project Management · Business Strategy · Strategic Communications · Market Planning · Influence At All Levels

Highlights:

• Building and delivering world class internal and external communication strategies supporting the global business strategy.
• Raising the profile of the 245 year old manufacturing and engineering business via external and internal channels.
• Working alongside the C Suite, advising on strategic direction and global projects, supporting over 3000 employees across three continents.
• Conceptualising, designing and delivering the new global communications platform, giving the global workforce who are predominantly deskless access to communications first hand.
• Researching the company history and delivering the extensive new historical website experience.
• Writing and delivering internal and external corporate films.
• Delivering global corporate events and exhibitions.

Brand creation > SPOVoice.com

Client: Myself; Alex Kinnear-Mellor

Brief: Create a new movement to support 100,000+ Military Spouses, Partners and Other-Halves (SPOs) to make change to support our careers.

Work: Design branding, copy and website and begin the process of gaining traction with the UK government and MOD. Ongoing in 2022. SPOVoice.com

Skills: Website WordPress (UI and UX). Adobe Creative Suite; Photoshop. Illustrator. SEO. Copywriting. Research. Social Media. GDPR.

Communications, Marketing & PR Manager > National Equine Charity

Employer:  Bransby Horses Rescue and Welfare; one of the UK’s largest equine welfare charities.

Tenure: 2019 – 2021

Job Description:  Manage a graphic design and marketing team, as well as agencies. Working with the SLT to develop PR and marketing strategies which will deliver on the charity’s strategic targets, including fundraising, income generation, HR, operations and welfare, and leading all of the marketing and PR activities.

Skills: Team Leadership. Rebranding (working with agency) online and on site. Brand strategy, including audience profiling, segmentation and targeting. Marketing strategy. Social Media strategy, management and delivery. Fundraising and income generation initiatives. Retail. Internal Communications. Adobe Creative Suite; Illustrator, Indesign and Photoshop. Web design; WordPress. New ways of working conceptualisation and realisation. Copywriting. Press Release writing and distribution. Local and National Press and Television liaison (BBC). Event stand design. Event coordination. GDPR. CRM. Editorial.

Awards: The Legacy Futures Innovation Award 2021

Highlights: 

• Significantly increased brand reach and profile on social media by devising improved targeted, consistent content. This generated an average Facebook engagement rate of 4% compared to the UK average of 0.9%, 8.2% YOY Facebook follower increase and 18.6 YOY Instagram increase.
• Rebranded and overhauled content for the charity website, increasing page per sessions to 5.5 average and 10% reduction in bounce rates.
• Designed and delivered a legacy campaign that won The Legacy Futures Innovation Award, beating shortlist of Alzheimers Society, St Johns Ambulance and Royal Museum’s Greenwich.
• Redesigned and delivered the nationwide charity magazine whilst reworking improved methods for content collaboration, generating increased donations of 53% and sales of 330%.

Testimonial

Branding > New Alcoholic Drink

Client: World Renowned Mixologist, Douglas Ankrah

Brief: Brand a fun, sexy new alcoholic drink to be launched Worldwide – including designing a pin-up girl for the 21st Century.

Work: Designed logo, iconography (including pin-up girl) and bottle design. Created brand guidelines (including advising client on brand direction), business cards, shipping boxes and presentations.

Skills: Adobe Creative Suite; Illustrator. Retail. Research. Project management. Branding. Copywriting.

Global Internal Communications Manager > FMCG

Employer: William Grant & Sons

Tenure: 2009 – 2011 (promoted from First Drinks Brands / William Grant and Sons UK)

Job Description: Manage, develop, and evaluate internal communication processes, co-write and manage global company conferences and deliver a global communications portal, launched with an award-winning campaign.

Skills: Team Leadership. Internal Communications. Strategic thinking and delivery. Market research. Competitor analysis. Presenting. Employer branding. Culture defining. Event planning and delivery. Editorial. Intranet. Script writing. Project Management.

Awards: Institute of Internal Communications (IOIC) Award of Excellence 2010

Highlights:

• Building and delivering a world class internal communication strategy supporting the global business strategy.
• Redesigning and editing the global internal communications magazine.
• Planning and delivering employer recognition awards ceremonies, with attendees from all over the globe.
• Managing the internal communications process and evaluating effectiveness to ensure continuous improvement.
• Supporting the company values development and the externally facing Employer Branding project.
• Devising and delivering a globally streamed live internal employee recognition event.
• Conceptualising, designing and delivering a new, pioneering internal communications portal, launched with an award winning campaign and effective processes for content management and validation.

Testimonial