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INSIDE ICE

Raising The Bar

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is increasingly seen as a driver to meet the demands and challenges of a fast-paced business environment. At ICE, CPD is an essential part of the company’s desire to move from ‘great to greatest’.

Tina Jones, ICE’s Operations Manager, says, “In a constantly evolving marketplace we need to be responsive to and anticipate change. We have a very high staff retention rate and part of that is about creating a supportive, environment where individuals can grow. The client always comes first, but individual contributions are vital to providing that top quality service.”

As well as having team members who are working towards more formal postgraduate level qualifications such as CIM (Chartered Institute of Marketing) and CIPR (Chartered Institute of Public Relations), many of our team are PRINCE2 (PRojects IN Controlled Environments) Practitioners and others are working towards Public Health and Psychology MAs and degrees.

We also host regular bespoke training sessions covering a wide range of skills and competencies including: leadership, focus groups, alcohol intervention, smoking cessation and presentation skills.

“For ICE, it’s about structured personal development,” adds Tina. “Learning here takes place in a variety of ways and at many different levels, sometimes informal mentoring, job shadowing, peer-to-peer, or more formal sessions led by in-house practitioners. We also bring in external specialists and are seeing the benefits of business coaching with some of our team.

“Online training has been invaluable, particularly in fine tuning the technical skills of our digital media and creative teams. In a busy studio, it gives us that essential flexibility to pick up training at a time and pace that suits the individual.

“Recognising and valuing the part each individual plays is important to us and we consciously work at setting clear goals which are aligned to the company’s overall business plan. At ICE, we see CPD as an essential part of our culture. We have high selfexpectations, know why we’re here and are challenged to stay ahead of the game.”

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MEET THE TEAM

Continuing our tour of the ICE offices, let us introduce you to PR Manager, Anna Beaumont.

Not only does Anna head up ICE’s rapidly expanding PR team, but she is one of the first people in the country to take part in the CIPR’s (Chartered Institute of Public Relations) first ever Online Diploma Course - earning a Distinction for a groundbreaking research project on the role of PR in social marketing!

Anna, 29, lives in the Sefton Park area of Liverpool and has worked at ICE for four years. Following her contribution to top client accounts, such as the Department of Health’s National Healthy Schools Programme, she was also recently named as one of the UK’s high-flyers by leading industry magazine PR Week.

As one of the few non London-based names to make the list, she says, “I had absolutely no idea that I’d even been nominated until PR Week contacted me to say I’d been selected from amongst hundreds of entries. Needless to say, I was absolutely thrilled with the news.”

Anna Beaumont

“There’s quite a few reasons why I enjoy my job so much,” adds Anna “I love writing and working in a creative environment, and because I’m the sort of person who really thrives on constant challenge, it’s great to be able to work on lots of different projects with my clients. But to be able to do a job I love, and to know that the work I’m doing makes a real difference to people’s lives, for me, that’s the icing on cake.”

Of course, it’s not just been about the working day. After hours, Anna enjoys socialising with friends, and keeping fit over a game of tennis or at the gym. She’s also just started learning Spanish and Portuguese, and recently got to put her new language skills to the test, when she enjoyed a well-earned trip to South America, to experience the sights and sounds of Brazilian party capital, Rio de Janeiro.

Diary Dates

  • Jun 13 2009
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    Jun 21 2009
    National Bike Week (CTC)
  • Jun 15 2009
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    Jun 21 2009
    National Men’s Health Week (The Men’s Health Forum)
  • Jun 15 2009
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    Jun 21 2009
    Breathe Easy Week (British Lung Foundation)