PR, digital marketing content and copywriting expertise.
Tom Willcox is a professional communications specialist with over 25 years' experience in business management, PR, marketing communications and media relations. He has worked in the public and private sector in both consultancy and ‘in house’ roles throughout Northern England.
Tom serves a mix of private clients and PR agencies in the North East and North West of the country. He has specific PR, media engagement, marketing and copywriting expertise in the following sectors:
Energy & environment
Government & public sector
Healthcare & NHS
Education & training
International trade
Local enterprise growth
Manufacturing & engineering
Legal & financial services
Regeneration & property management
Rural development
Travel, tourism & leisure.
The provision of digital and website content for new and existing businesses across many different industry sectors has also become a mainstay of his work. He has written website content for clients in diverse sectors such as logistics, healthcare, accountancy, commercial property and e-commerce.
Tom started his career at Northern Rock in 1994, rising to the post of customer services manager with responsibility for a department of 40 staff. He subsequently became the company’s press officer following its conversion to plc status in 1997, acting as spokesperson and the first port of call for financial journalists.
In 2000, he was appointed senior press officer at the regional development agency, One North East. He later took a sabbatical to freelance in Sydney. On his return, he worked in PR consultancy in Newcastle, copywriting for the North East Chamber of Commerce, px Ltd, Gateshead Health NHS Trust, the Learning & Skills Council, South West Durham Training and Business Link North East.
Tom rejoined the development agency in 2005 and took on responsibility for promoting the European Regional Development Fund 2007-13, working with project beneficiaries to help them meet European Commission publicity requirements and exploiting PR opportunities with both the media and ERDF stakeholders in the region.
In supporting the agency’s ‘Real Help for Businesses Now’ campaign in 2009-10, Tom generated over 450 separate news articles across a range of local newspapers, regional and national media, trade press and European publications.
As well as a BA (Hons) degree, Tom has qualifications in Financial Law and Practice and Marketing of Financial Services. A former CIPR award winner, he has been operating as an independent PR consultant since 2010. He is based in Whitley Bay, Tyne & Wear, and serves clients in Newcastle upon Tyne, Leeds, Windermere, Carlisle and Preston.