Emma vandore
emma@vandore.net
I have fifteen years-experience in political and economic journalism and complicated communications issues. I have a proven ability to establish business interests in new areas: my success in gaining recognition for Bloomberg in Brussels and Frankfurt was responsible for subsequent postings in Paris. I have an instinctive understanding of communications and business/ political landscapes and am used to mingling with stakeholders of all kinds, from angry citizens to CEOs and presidents. I particularly enjoy facilitating public workshops and liaising with politicians.
I have an RTPI-accredited masters in spatial planning from the Bartlett (UCL), where I specialised in regeneration with a focus on London’s East End and the Olympic Park area.
WORK EXPERIENCE
Researcher: Dec. 2011- present
· Researcher with Centre for London think tank on their Tech City project (subject of my MSc dissertation): http://www.demos.co.uk/projects/cfl-eastlondontechcity. Secured interviews with over 35 founders or top executives of Silicon Roundabout firms and key stakeholders in government and private sector for qualitative study.
· To co-author report due beginning of July aimed at policy makers.
· Advising on the communications and report launch plan.
· Invited to lecture UCL students
Freelance Urbanist, Writer, Journalist, Communications Consultant: Sept 2010-present
· Financial Times: initially employed to write ad-copy for the Nigeria 2010 report, but my help in pitching for business helped made it the FT’s biggest ever country report. The 2011 report was also a great success and I am working with the FT on new projects (Cameroon, World Development Bank etc)
· Infrastructure consultant Browning & Associates: Advised successfully on a pre-Davos tour of French investors for the Northern Caucasus Resorts Company $15 billion ski tourism project, and took the project to MIPIM (http://www.browningpr.com /).
· Policy advice: Helped a West African government publicise a bond issue, securing front page advertising on the FT and an op-ed in the IHT on the day of the G-8 summit in France
· Urban journalism: regular contributor to the Town & Country Planning Association journal, MIPIM Preview (article on city financing) etc
Associated Press Paris: Head of the Economic Service June 2007-Aug 2010
· Established AP’s new financial service in the premier league, ensuring not only that we had equal access to stakeholders as our competitors but also identifying our USP (which meant on certain subjects sources turned to us first)
· Identified created and sustained relationships with key stakeholders: CEOs/ executives of CAC-40 companies, government and finance officials.
· Working with limited resources, I had to make tough choices on a daily basis for coverage of French corporate/ economic news. This required good forward planning – for big events such as the Paris air and auto shows, bilateral summits, MIDEM, etc – and constant flexibility, as well as coordination with others.
Schizophrenie Francaise (Sego, Sarko, Jacques et Moi): Jean Claude Gawsewitch Editeur March 2007
Paris Match rated my first book, a humorous take on French politics, as ‘the book all the candidates for the presidential elections should read’.
Bloomberg News, Paris: Senior politics correspondent Aug 2004 – May 2007
· Following my success in Brussels, I was ssked by Bloomberg to move to France to boost their political presence and negotiate better access to President’s office and with other ministries.
· I covered the Elysee (President’s office), Matignon (Prime Minister), parliament and political parties, often as the only non-French journalist around (other agencies had French services). I established good relationships, resulting in scoops picked up on the front page of Le Monde, and became the second ever foreign journalist elected to be a Board member of the Association de la Presse Presidentielle: 2006 - 2008 (I was on the board of the Anglo-American Press Association over the period, also an elected post)
· One of the elite pack of journalists (again the only foreigner) who regularly accompanied President Jacques Chirac abroad, including trips to China, Egypt, Saudi Arabia. For the 2007 campaign, I covered Socialist Presidential Candidate Segolene Royal.
Bloomberg News Brussels: Economics and politics correspondent Dec 2001-2004
· Best European Central Bank sources at Bloomberg. Helped raise the profile of what was then a young news agency. Interviewed several ECB board members and regularly broke stories.
· Coordination and planning of coverage for the monthly EU finance ministers meetings both eternally and internally facing: liaison with diplomats and officials to anticipate and monitor developments/ briefings, determining staffing needs (language and skills mix), teamwork, discussion with editors over coverage (pre, during and post meeting).
AFX News: Aug 2000-Dec 2001, Brussels
A financial news wire now part of Thomson Reuters. I covered Belgian companies and EU competition policy.
CORDIS News. Correspondent for EU science and research publication. July 1999-Aug 2000.
EDUCATION HISTORY:
Bartlett School of Planning, UCL. Msc Spatial Planning (68) 2010-2011
CLG funded place. Accredited by the Royal Town Planning Institute.
· Researching Tech City digital creative cluster for dissertation.
· Project work on Hackney Wick (Ensuring a Local Legacy), Embankment Esplanade (a new look for the Victoria Embankment), and East London’s GRO (Golden River of Opportunity). Main role in all was Chief Reality Officer, Project Manager (ensuring work done on time), and editor, presentation coordinator.
· Distinction for studies on Mega-Projects, Housing Market Renewal Scheme.
Strathclyde University. Postgraduate Diploma in Journalism 2:1 1998-99
Scottish Centre for Journalism Studies. Awarded one of three funded places by the Scottish Government. Approved by National Council for the Training of Journalists
Manchester University. BA (Econ) Social Anthropology Hons 2:1 1995-98
Economics, Maths, Politics, Social Anthropology and Sociology.
Fettes College (Academic Scholarship), Edinburgh 1991-93
A-Levels: Economics and Political Studies (A/Certificate of Excellence (one of three awarded in the UK), Maths (A), Physics (B). Higher: English (A)
St George’s School, Edinburgh 1981–91
9 GCSEs (AAAAAAAAB)
SKILLS:
Languages: French. Intermediate Italian, Rusty Spanish
Full Driving Licence
REFERENCES:
References are available upon request.
