Trailblazers and leaders: Naomi MG Smith
Naomi MG Smith Chart.PR MCIPR | Manager - Social Media & Web | Rolls-Royce
How did you get into marketing/comms?
As part of my Business Management degree, I completed a year in industry at Stellantis (the parent group of Peugeot, Citroën, etc.). During the programme, I initially thought I would pursue a career in HR, not realising how strongly I leaned towards communications.
Following my placement, I secured a summer internship at Goldman Sachs and received a return offer for their Human Capital Management graduate scheme, where I spent a year building a strong foundation early in my career. That experience also helped clarify the direction I wanted to take longer term.
Rather than locking myself into one path early on, I made a deliberate decision to move into communications and build breadth, effectively creating my own graduate scheme. I rotated across in-house and agency roles spanning campaigns, media relations, internal communications and digital comms.
That portfolio career mindset helped me identify digital communications and corporate reputation as my specialism, and eight years into the industry, that perspective now shapes how I lead and advise others.
What is something that you do every day without fail?
Read the Financial Times. Corporate reputation isn’t just the responsibility of those in media relations or external comms; it’s relevant to all of us. Staying close to titles like the FT gives me exposure to markets, geopolitics and business, helping me maintain a forward view of issues that may impact my work, my colleagues or the company I work for.
What is the best piece of advice that you’ve received? And who gave it to you?
“Never stop learning. Don’t take everything at face value. Enjoy what you do.” – my Mum.
My love of learning and curiosity comes from her. She is a former MENSA member and has had an incredible career in the NHS as a senior nurse and leader across four decades. While we’ve pursued very different careers, her wisdom resonates more and more as I get older.
What is a hack that you would recommend to anyone starting out in PR/Comms/Marketing?
Process as an enabler, not a blocker. Clear frameworks create alignment, unlock collaboration, and help teams move faster without sacrificing quality.
What’s your greatest achievement to date?
PR Week 30 Under 30 – Class of 2021.
There are many achievements I’m proud of but making the main list while I was still an Account Executive, with less than three years’ experience at an indie agency, felt significant.
It wasn’t the accolade itself, but the fact that my work at Westco Communications was recognised not only by senior leaders internally, but by industry leaders more broadly. Representation matters, and by making the list, I hoped to encourage the next generation of underrepresented practitioners to put themselves forward.
Is there a particular comms campaign that you’ve seen in your career that you didn’t work on but wish you had?
Nothing Beats a Londoner by Nike and Wieden+Kennedy. It was technically an ad, but the accompanying PR campaign would have been incredible to work on.
Old-school Nike creative was unbeatable, and seeing a global iconic brand feature places like Peckham and artists like Giggs felt powerful. That campaign made me feel proud of my London roots.
In three words, describe your approach to your role/work?
Precise. Strategic. Intentional.
What’s a question every PR/marketing pro should ask themselves?
Am I busy being busy with familiar processes and workstreams, or am I genuinely evolving and moving the needle? If the work stops challenging you, that’s usually a signal to reassess, not settle.
