Jennifer Morgan, after gaining a degree in Politics at the University of Warwick, went on to study journalism at post-graduate level. After gaining experience on two newspapers and an NGO focusing on foreign aid, she joined Bell Pottinger in 2000.
She specialises in media relations and reputation management, and has a very international focus, with clients from Russia, Central Europe, the United Arab Emirates and North Africa.
Several of her clients are long term and she has worked over a period of years to build and manage their reputation and help them to campaign and get their message across. "When I first started in this industry, I was told it was all about contacts. But it’s much deeper than that. It’s about building strong and trusting relationships – both with your clients and the media. I really listen to my clients. I empathise with them and get a good understanding of what they are aiming for. It’s the only way to achieve maximum success. I work well with the media because I have a good understanding of their needs and what drives them."
There is no hiding the fact that she finds her job very exciting. "There is really nothing like dashing out to buy a Sunday newspaper – and then the thrill of opening it to see your client’s viewpoint expressed just as you had hoped. And there is long term satisfaction in helping a client develop and maintain a positive profile, or in helping them emerge stronger from a crisis."
Morgan also heads up the country research team, overseeing the country and media analysis that Bell Pottinger Sans Frontières colleagues and their clients receive, something she feels gives breadth and depth in terms of her understanding of countries and issues.
"Our team digest and analyse a huge amount of information, so we really understand both the detail and the big picture and I think that gives us a definite advantage."
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