Our People
Shelley Grell, BA Hons, MPRINZ
Director
With 16 years' experience in the IT, PR and media industries in the UK and NZ, Shelley realised it was high time New Zealand had a specialist technology PR agency and launched Communicate IT in 1999. She is an elected committee member of the Canterbury Software cluster (www.canterburysoftware.org.nz).
Shelley has a strong interest and experience in technology, writing, photography and design and first entered into hi-tech PR in 1993 when she joined leading London technology specialist agencies GBC as a graduate PR Consultant and later Bogard Communications as Senior Consultant. At these agencies Shelley successfully managed blue-chip corporate technology accounts including Unisys, Banyan Networks, Oracle, Uniplex and Radius.
Key to this success was her affinity for technology as well as excellent media relations - 'at last a PR person who understands technology!'
Shelley moved with her Kiwi partner to New Zealand in 1996 and joined Head Consultants as PR consultant responsible for the Timberlands West Coast account, and editorship of Antarctic Magazine and the Saturn Cable TV Guide. Prior to forming Communicate IT she worked as the Marketing Manager of computer distributor Insite Technology, responsible for all PR, marketing and advertising campaigns for some well known computer brands.
Shelley has an honours degree in Psychology, with minors in English and Music, from Thames Valley University, London, and has certificates in Computer Programming and Photography. As a member of the PR Institute of NZ, Shelley is committed to providing quality and ethical PR in line with the standards set by PRINZ.
Karen Brown, BA APR
PR Account Manager
Karen Brown has been involved with the New Zealand PR industry since 1987, starting out as an account executive for national consultancy Network Communications in Christchurch, before establishing her own PR business and working for clients across a range of business sectors including education, tourism, manufacturing and IT. Her strengths include integrated marketing, bringing the insights of PR efficiencies into the wider marketing arena of advertising and brand management.
Karen has been with Communicate IT since late 2006, and brings wide-ranging experience with integrated marketing and PR for businesses of all sizes, from start-ups to national and international corporations, along with expertise in related fields including publishing, exhibition design and co-ordination, event management and sales. She has a longstanding interest in the New Zealand high-tech industry and has achieved outstanding results for many of Communicate IT’s clients, including web content management, corporate identity and logo design, providing strategic PR counsel, production of marketing collateral, development of marketing/PR strategies, and successfully gaining high-profile exposure in targeted media for her clients.
She is an active member of National Speakers Association NZ, and has served on the committee of the Christchurch chapter for the last three years, as she develops her own speaking skills and expertise. Karen has two teenage sons who are both very technology-savvy, with the oldest currently undertaking a computer science degree at the University of Canterbury, which helps keep her in the loop in terms of understanding the needs and interests of a younger target audience.
James Richardson, BA, Grad Dip J
Account Executive
James joined Communicate IT with two years’ media experience working for a daily newspaper.
As the former Christchurch-based chief sub-editor of The Oamaru Mail, James was primarily involved with the paper’s coverage and design, and has since transferred his editorial and creative skills to the PR industry.
He has an eye for detail and takes pride in producing sharp, focused material that creates impact. A friendly and reliable member of the Communicate IT team, James is an experienced media man, able to find the best angle in a story and write a winning headline.
He completed a Graduate Diploma in Journalism at the University of Canterbury in 2005 before entering the print industry the following year.
James considers himself a "digital native" with a keen interest in new and emerging technology and is committed to delivering a high standard of specialised PR to Communicate IT’s clients.
Shannon Thomas, BBA
Contract Consultant
Shannon is a global IT marketing specialist, with experience in both telecom and software. Her skills include developing and supporting channel and partner relationships and programs, design and implementation of marketing strategies and campaigns, web content management and copy writing.
Prior to her move to Christchurch in 2006, Shannon worked as a pan-European marketing manager for software giant Business Objects (now part of SAP), based in the UK. There she specialised in building VAR and channel partner programs, as well as delivering measurable marketing campaigns to drive lead generation and sales across multiple countries and languages – alongside such industry giants as Accenture and Capgemini. Before moving to London, Shannon drove channel marketing across North America, and was responsible for the version 9 launch of industry-standard developer reporting tool Crystal Reports – including direct mail and email campaigns, advertising creative, sales tools and focus groups.
Previously, she worked for a Western Canadian technology reseller and a cellular phone service provider in both marketing and public relations capacities. Shannon has a degree in Business Administration (Marketing) and English from Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada.
