Difference between revisions of "Paul Smyth"

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[[Paul Smyth]] is founder of [[River PR]] and works as a Major in a [[Territorial Army]] role in media operation for the [[British Army]], having served in Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan. Smyth deployed with [[11 Light Brigade]] to Helmand on a six month tour of duty between October 2009 and April 2010<ref>River and Rowing Museum [http://mediacentre.kallaway.co.uk/rrm-press-release63.htm Shooting on the Front Line: One Soldier’s War in Afghanistan - A New Photographic Exhibition at the River & Rowing Museum], accessed 19 December 2011.</ref> where he was the media ops centre director for the British Army at Camp Bastion, Helmand province, Afghanistan. According to ''PR Week'' 'Smyth's main role is to chaperone journalists... However, if it is deemed too dangerous, he takes out a combat camera team to gather information and report back on the action.'<ref name="profile">Gemma O'Reilly, [http://www.prweek.com/uk/features/987870/profile-major-paul-smyth-media-ops-centre-director-british-army/ Profile: Major Paul Smyth, media ops centre director, British Army] ''PR Week'' UK, 03 March 2010, 6:00am  </ref>
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{{Template:Revolving Door badge}}{{Template:Lobbying_Portal_badge}}
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'''Paul Smyth''' is a freelance strategic communication consultant and an officer in the British army reserves.
  
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==Background==
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He's a former director at [[Hill and Knowlton]] and the UK [[Ministry of Defence]].
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According to ''PR Week'':
 
  
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:Smyth decided to become a soldier relatively late in his life, after seven years spent in various PR roles in the UK. He recalls that it was a childhood ambition, but it was not until he realised he could transfer the skills he had achieved in his PR career to the Army that he decided to enlist. He has now completed tours in Iraq, Kosovo and Afghanistan. Despite telling his wife, with whom he has two children, that he 'just needed to get it out of his system', he is still loving the role seven years later: 'In terms of experiences, the things that I'm doing at the moment are once in a lifetime.'<ref name="profile"/>
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==Career==
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Smyth started his career as a PR manager, first at [[Dennis Publishing]] in 1996, then [[Gameloft]] in 2000 and finally at [[Konami]] in 2001.<ref name="LI"> [https://uk.linkedin.com/in/paulsmyth Paul Smyth] ''Linkedin'', accessed 16 January 2015 </ref>
  
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Among his roles Smyth was involved in the British retreat from Basra:
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In 2003, having worked in the industry for around seven years, Smyth decided to open his own PR company called [[River PR]].<ref name="LI"/>
  
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:Smyth was heavily involved with the comms planning for the withdrawal of troops in Iraq, which is one of his proudest achievements from his Army career.
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In 2008 he was appointed media director at the UK [[Ministry of Defence]]. During this time he served with [[11 Light Brigade]] in Helamand, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan.<ref>[http://mediacentre.kallaway.co.uk/rrm-press-release63.htm Shooting on the Front Line: One Soldier’s War in Afghanistan - A New Photographic Exhibition at the River & Rowing Museum] ''Kallaway'', accessed 16 January 2015 </ref> Most notably he was worked as media ops centre director for the British Army at Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, and according to ''PR Week'' 'Smyth's main role is to chaperon journlaists.. However, if it is deemed too dangerous he takes out a combat camera team to gather information and report back on the action.<ref name="PR"> Gemma O'Reilly [http://www.prweek.com/article/987870/profile-major-paul-smyth-media-ops-centre-director-british-army Profile: Major Paul Smyth, media ops centre director, British Army] ''PR Week'', 3 March 2010, accessed 16 January 2015 </ref>
  
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:'To have the honour of orchestrating events in our British history like that is absolutely amazing. Deep down, although I'm a tiny cog in a massive team here, I am hoping that I'm making a valuable contribution and a bit of difference.'<ref name="profile"/>
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After this, Smyth became some freelance work as a strategic communication consultant, occasionally working on behalf of [[Bell Pottinger]].<ref> Melanie Newman [http://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/2011/12/01/pr-uncovered-bell-pottingers-links-to-government/ PR Uncovered: Bell Pottinger’s links to government] ''The Bureau of Investigative Journalism'', 1 December 2011, accessed 16 January 2015 </ref>
  
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He was then appointed director and senior consultant at [[Hill and Knowlton]] Strategies in August 2012.<ref name="LI"/>
  
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He is currently a freelance strategic communication consultant and an army reserve officer in the [[British Army]].<ref name="LI"/>
  
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==Background==
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According to ''PR Week'':
  
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:Smyth decided to become a soldier relatively late in his life, after seven years spent in various PR roles in the UK. He recalls that it was a childhood ambition, but it was not until he realised he could transfer the skills he had achieved in his PR career to the Army that he decided to enlist. He has now completed tours in Iraq, Kosovo and Afghanistan. Despite telling his wife, with whom he has two children, that he 'just needed to get it out of his system', he is still loving the role seven years later: 'In terms of experiences, the things that I'm doing at the moment are once in a lifetime.'<ref name="PR"/>
  
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==Biographical Information==
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Among his roles Smyth was involved in the British retreat from Basra:
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===History===
 
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*Owner River PR August 2003 – Present (8 years 5 months)
 
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*Consultant [[Bell Pottinger]] Special Projects March 2011 – December 2011 (10 months)
 
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*Media Ops Specialist and Advisor UK Ministry of Defence April 2010 – April 2011 (1 year 1 month)
 
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*Media Ops Centre Director, Camp Bastion, Helmand, Afghanistan UK Ministry of Defence September 2009 – April 2010 (8 months)
 
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*Media Ops Director for UK Forces withdrawal from Iraq Ministry of Defence March 2009 – May 2009 (3 months)
 
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*Head of Media & Coalition Spokesman, Iraq Ministry of Defence August 2008 – October 2008 (3 months)
 
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*Head of Influence & UK spokesman, Kosovo UK Ministry of Defence May 2008 – August 2008 (4 months)
 
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*General Manager – Communications & PR Konami April 2001 – January 2003 (1 year 10 months)
 
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*Communications & PR Manager [[Gameloft]] June 2000 – March 2001 (10 months)
 
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*Divisional Marketing & PR Manager [[Dennis Publishing]] January 1996 – June 2000 (4 years 6 months)<ref>LinkedIn [http://www.linkedin.com/in/paulsmyth Paul Smyth], accessed 19 December 2011</ref>
 
  
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===Current activities===
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:Smyth was heavily involved with the comms planning for the withdrawal of troops in Iraq, which is one of his proudest achievements from his Army career.
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:'To have the honour of orchestrating events in our British history like that is absolutely amazing. Deep down, although I'm a tiny cog in a massive team here, I am hoping that I'm making a valuable contribution and a bit of difference.'<ref name="PR"/>
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===MOD===
 
Paul Smyth has created a raft of WEB2.0 projects including Blog and online projects for the [[Ministry of Defence]]:
 
Paul Smyth has created a raft of WEB2.0 projects including Blog and online projects for the [[Ministry of Defence]]:
 
*http://basrablog.blogspot.com/
 
*http://basrablog.blogspot.com/
Line 35: Line 34:
 
*http://www.youtube.com/Basrablog
 
*http://www.youtube.com/Basrablog
 
*http://www.youtube.com/helmandblog
 
*http://www.youtube.com/helmandblog
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*http://www.youtube.com/2RIFLES<ref>River PR [http://www.riverpr.co.uk/video.html Video], accessed 5 June 2009</ref>
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*http://www.youtube.com/2RIFLES
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==Views==
 
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==Affiliations==
 
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*[[Media Operations Group (V)]]
 
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*[[River PR]]
 
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==Publications, Contact, Resources and Notes==
 
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===Publications===
 
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===Contact===
 
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:Address:
 
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:Phone:
 
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:Email:
 
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:Website:
 
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:Blog:http://helmandblog.blogspot.com
 
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:Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/MajorPaulSmyth
 
  
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===Resources===
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==Education==
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*BA(Hons), Fine Art, [[University of the West of England]] 1991 – 1994<ref name="LI"/>
  
 
===Notes===
 
===Notes===
 
<references/>
 
<references/>
  
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[[Category:British Propaganda|Smyth, Paul]]
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[[Category:British Propaganda|Smyth, Paul]][[Category:Lobbyists|Smyth, Paul]][[Category:Lobbying|Smyth, Paul]][[Category:British Army|Smyth, Paul]][[Category:Revolving Door|Smyth, Paul]]

Latest revision as of 10:25, 16 January 2015

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Paul Smyth is a freelance strategic communication consultant and an officer in the British army reserves.

He's a former director at Hill and Knowlton and the UK Ministry of Defence.

Career

Smyth started his career as a PR manager, first at Dennis Publishing in 1996, then Gameloft in 2000 and finally at Konami in 2001.[1]

In 2003, having worked in the industry for around seven years, Smyth decided to open his own PR company called River PR.[1]

In 2008 he was appointed media director at the UK Ministry of Defence. During this time he served with 11 Light Brigade in Helamand, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan.[2] Most notably he was worked as media ops centre director for the British Army at Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, and according to PR Week 'Smyth's main role is to chaperon journlaists.. However, if it is deemed too dangerous he takes out a combat camera team to gather information and report back on the action.[3]

After this, Smyth became some freelance work as a strategic communication consultant, occasionally working on behalf of Bell Pottinger.[4]

He was then appointed director and senior consultant at Hill and Knowlton Strategies in August 2012.[1]

He is currently a freelance strategic communication consultant and an army reserve officer in the British Army.[1]

Background

According to PR Week:

Smyth decided to become a soldier relatively late in his life, after seven years spent in various PR roles in the UK. He recalls that it was a childhood ambition, but it was not until he realised he could transfer the skills he had achieved in his PR career to the Army that he decided to enlist. He has now completed tours in Iraq, Kosovo and Afghanistan. Despite telling his wife, with whom he has two children, that he 'just needed to get it out of his system', he is still loving the role seven years later: 'In terms of experiences, the things that I'm doing at the moment are once in a lifetime.'[3]

Among his roles Smyth was involved in the British retreat from Basra:

Smyth was heavily involved with the comms planning for the withdrawal of troops in Iraq, which is one of his proudest achievements from his Army career.
'To have the honour of orchestrating events in our British history like that is absolutely amazing. Deep down, although I'm a tiny cog in a massive team here, I am hoping that I'm making a valuable contribution and a bit of difference.'[3]

MOD

Paul Smyth has created a raft of WEB2.0 projects including Blog and online projects for the Ministry of Defence:

Education

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Paul Smyth Linkedin, accessed 16 January 2015
  2. ↑ Shooting on the Front Line: One Soldier’s War in Afghanistan - A New Photographic Exhibition at the River & Rowing Museum Kallaway, accessed 16 January 2015
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Gemma O'Reilly Profile: Major Paul Smyth, media ops centre director, British Army PR Week, 3 March 2010, accessed 16 January 2015
  4. ↑ Melanie Newman PR Uncovered: Bell Pottinger’s links to government The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, 1 December 2011, accessed 16 January 2015
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