My day starts off with...

A black coffee, a banana and a double-check of which office of ours I’m heading in to. On a good morning, I make time to read for at least fifteen minutes before work, but I don’t always wake up early enough! I’ve currently got two books on the go – Frank Herbert’s Dune, a psychedelic sci-fi epic, and Jeremy Hutchinson's Case Histories by Thomas Grant, a biography of the criminal barrister who defended Christine Keeler, Howard Marks and Penguin during the Lady Chatterley’s Lover obscenity trial.

I am responsible for...

I’ve been in this role for a year and the sheer variety can be head-spinning! It’s partly about ensuring that the Penguin brand is expressed consistently and compellingly across the board – no small task. However, there are countless other projects that require input from the Brand Team. From extravaganzas like Penguin Presents and work around company culture and visual guidelines, to collaborating across departments on consumer campaigns and creative workshops.

I applied for this job because...

Penguin is the most recognisable and resonant name in publishing and a truly iconic brand. It’s one that I’ve been aware of since I started reading and the opportunity to work with it was too good to pass up. Our eighty-five years of heritage give us an incomparable story to tell, but I’m most excited about the possibilities of our future.

My day looks like...

Post-coffee and banana, one day very rarely resembles another. The Communications Team (of which I’m a part), work across all of our sites, so I go where my calendar tells me to. We also collaborate with a lot of creative partners, so it can be further afield too. There are many meetings to be had, from regular catch-ups and ongoing check-ins (the penguin.co.uk meeting is fascinating), to creative sessions and pitches. In between everything else, I respond to all sorts of queries and quandaries related to the Penguin brand.    

My most surreal work moment…

Pleasingly, surreal moments occur rather often around here. Unexpected minor crises, overheard snippets of conversation and outlandish email subject lines all serve to remind me that this isn’t a typical nine-to-five. In recent memory, loitering around backstage at Penguin Presents last year with Malorie Blackman, Stormzy and Ai Weiwei was something I never would have predicted!    

My biggest 'oops' moment...

OK, being honest… I’m absolutely hopeless at remembering names. It takes at least a couple of face-to-face interactions before I can fix someone’s name in my head. That isn’t ideal in a job that involves meeting dozens of new people a month! However, our online phone directory has become an invaluable friend and I’ve found numerous memory exercises online that seem to be helping…    

I love my job because...

Of that head-spinning variety I mentioned and, of course, the people. The Comms Team have a truly infectious enthusiasm that always serves to perk me up and I never cease to be impressed by the energy and creativity found in every corner of the company. No day is the same and I always manage to have at least one illuminating (or eccentric) conversation before heading home. Oh, and I’m never short of something to read!

My daily toolkit

I’m constantly on the move and less is most definitely more, so this is all that’s necessary!

Inspired by Will's role? Why not take a look at other jobs in publishing, or at our current vacancies – who knows, you could be featuring in a future My Penguin!