27 Mar Where are they now? Catching up with former RONIN employees
In celebration of our 21st year, we caught up with some of our former staff – Sara, Clare, Ellie and Milly – to look back at their time working at RONIN and what they’ve been up to in their careers since.
Clare Sutton
Clare took her first steps into the world of marketing at RONIN from 2009 to 2014. She now spends her days working on major PR campaigns for supermarket giant, Aldi, as Deputy Managing Partner at Clarion Communications.
RONIN was my first proper job and foray into the world of PR and marketing. I started off doing work experience and was still there five years later, which says a lot about the agency. It’s a great culture – nurturing, challenging and most of all, fun!
There’s a lot I learnt – from how to write a press release and pitch to media, to how to develop an amazing website with the user at the fore. My experience there has certainly helped me to develop a number of integrated campaigns throughout my career – I’d actually go so far as to say my multi-channel knowledge has helped to set me apart in the modern world of PR.
But if I can pick only one thing, I’d say the key thing I learned at RONIN was that anything is possible – the can-do attitude of co-owner Steve is something that rubbed off me very early on and that I’ll be forever grateful for. There’s many a time in my career where I’ve thought I might be out of my depth but have channelled my inner-Steve and lo and behold, have proved I can do it!
RONIN has had a number of clients for a lot of years so they’re obviously doing something right! I think it’s a combination of the straight-talking consultancy with creativity within their campaigns. They don’t believe in creative for creativity’s sake. RONIN has always struck a positive balance between being innovative and delivering results.
Milly Rose Youngs
Milly worked as an Account Manager at RONIN between 2011 and 2014 and currently runs her own collage and crafting café in Gipsy Hill – Paper Stories.
RONIN taught me the importance of storytelling. Whether we were marketing a construction company, a musician or an estate agent, authentic storytelling was, and will always be, the key to customer engagement. I’ve carried that through my career, and really believe it’s what helps customers value your brand.
Clients loved that they could pop in for a friendly and honest chat. Behind the scenes, the team always worked exceptionally hard to deliver results. But it was really that friendly and relatable approach to marketing that made RONIN so valued by its clients, which I have no doubt hasn’t changed!
I had three adventure-filled years at RONIN. What can I say about working there? Beer cart Fridays, a team-building trip to France(!), hard-grafting together, celebrating the little wins, going big on birthdays… it was the best team culture I’ve experienced!
Sara Laccone
Sara was RONIN’s Head of Digital Marketing from October 2014 to April 2017. She currently works as Head of Marketing for financial management software company, AccountsIQ.
I will always remember my time at RONIN as a wonderful time where I learnt a lot and met some amazing people.
I learnt to juggle different projects at the same time, which definitely helped me with my time management skills. And I have to say a special thanks to Steve for also teaching me the art of presenting in front of a crowd. He is a master at that, and I learnt a lot from him. Thank you boss!
The culture at the company is awesome. It felt like family since day one. Deep down in my heart I still consider myself to be a RONIN Ninja. I met some great friends as well and, let’s be honest, I know Steve and Caroline are still missing my singing in the office!
Since leaving RONIN, I have become a b2b marketer and helped companies around the world with their marketing efforts building amazing marketing campaigns.
Eleanor Healy
Ellie came to work at RONIN at the tender age of 22 in 2016. After a brief hiatus to go travelling, she rejoined the team in 2017 as an Account Executive. These days she works in the charity sector, managing the PR team at blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan.
One of my key takeaways from working at RONIN was the importance of a supportive team. At times, it felt like a crazy, lovely family and I always knew my colleagues had my back. I was always able to have honest conversations with my manager, so now as a manager myself I always try and ensure my colleagues feel they can talk to me about whatever’s on their mind. I also developed my passion for PR! Steve and Judith gave me the opportunity to follow my interests and as soon as I got a taste for securing coverage for our clients there was no stopping me.
Clients like RONIN’s no-nonsense approach. Some agencies just hang their hat on glitzy presentations and vague pitches, which doesn’t really wash with business owners who are looking for quantifiable results. With RONIN, there is a real authenticity to back up the creativity; what you see is definitely what you get. They are experts in their field and have worked across a ton of different sectors which means there isn’t much they haven’t seen before. If clients have a question, they can get straight on the phone to their Account Manager, which I think makes all the difference.
RONIN was a great place to work. I remember in 2016 it was my birthday during my very first week working there and when I arrived at the office there were balloons, banners and cakes all over my desk – my colleagues didn’t even know me yet! So that really meant a lot to me and I knew from then it was a special place. My memories of my time there are full of laughter. I still keep in touch with colleagues from my time there.
See more of how we’re celebrating RONIN’s 21st birthday on social media – we’re on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. Keep up to date with our latest news, tips and tricks.