Portland

There was a back-to-school mood in the air as Portlanders gathered with Portland’s Senior Adviser and former Number 10 Director of Communications Alastair Campbell to discuss the new Parliamentary term and what it has in store. We delved deep into the all-important Budget, which will be the backdrop to all the political wranglings this month - and of course, we quizzed Alastair about his trip to the Democratic National Convention. It’s going to be an eventful autumn!

Our International Development team is hiring! From Executive to Senior Account Manager, we have several exciting roles available! If you are passionate about working on the world’s most pressing development issues, follow this link for more information, or get in touch to find out more: https://lnkd.in/gNTMu_eE  

Mariam Eltaweel, Account Director in our Middle East team, features in this month's #portlandprofile 👇 -𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞? One of the best things about my job is that I get to start each day feeling genuinely excited. I’m really into meeting new clients and connecting with people from all over the world. It’s amazing how each day brings a fresh opportunity to interact with different minds and learn about various cultures and viewpoints. I get to dive into new perspectives and see how other people think and live, which keeps things interesting and helps me grow both personally and professionally. -𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐭 𝐏𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐨 𝐟𝐚𝐫? There have been so many great moments, but if I had to pick a standout, it would definitely be our work during the World Cup Qatar 2022. Being part of such a major event was a total thrill. We were right in the middle of the action, handling important projects while soaking up the incredible atmosphere of the matches. It felt like we were all part of something huge—delivering high-quality work while celebrating every exciting goal and play. It’s not often you get to mix work with that level of fun, so it was an unforgettable experience. -𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝟐𝟎-𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫-𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤? I’d tell my 20-year-old self, “Way to go for jumping into your dreams headfirst and working hard right from the start. Don’t let anyone tell you that you don’t need to hustle now—those early efforts are what’s setting you up for success down the line.” I’d also give a nudge to have a bit more self-belief. Trusting in yourself and your abilities is so important. Sometimes it’s easy to second-guess, but having confidence in your own path is what will help you push through and achieve what you’re aiming for. -𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤? When it’s time to unwind, I like to keep it pretty simple and relaxing. One of my favourite ways to switch off is to treat myself to some self-care. A trip to the salon for a bit of pampering or getting lost in a good book is my idea of a great downtime. -𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐚 𝐟𝐞𝐰 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮? A fun fact about me that not everyone knows is that I’m pretty into content creation. I use my personal social media to share insights and tips about personal growth, and I’ve got a podcast called ‘Koob Podcast’ where I explore different stories and topics. I like to think of myself as ‘multi-passionate’ because I have a bunch of interests that keep me busy and happy—whether it’s cooking up new recipes, hitting the range for some target shooting, or going horse-riding. If it’s something that brings me joy and sparks my creativity, I’m all in for it!

Portland’s Alexander Murphy was on the ground at Chicago’s United Center for the final night of the Democratic National Convention, where it was vice-president Kamala Harris’ turn to set out her vision for the country. In the second of our two-part DNC coverage, he describes the atmosphere in the room as Democrats gathered to hear Vice President Harris speak as the party nominee for the first time – and what it tells us about the campaign ahead.

Portland is on the ground at the DNC this week as Vice President Kamala Harris steps up to accept the party’s nomination for the US presidency. Today, in the first of a two-part series, Portland’s Rose Olwell and Giandomenico Di Girolamo discuss the DNC’s role in the unprecedented transition between presidential candidates, and the extraordinary summer that brought us to this moment.

At their recent away day, our Disputes team had sessions on business development and thought leadership - building on their 11th Commercial Courts Report out earlier this year - and shared learnings from the brilliant work and wins in H1. Following the recent UK election, the team also discussed the overlap between the complex disputes they handle and the wider political, policy and regulatory environment. After all of that, there was time for a quick team building activity involving marshmallows and spaghetti (and a lot of concentration). The team then headed to Puttshack for some healthy competition. Congrats to Sam who was the winner! 🏌♂️ 🎖 #LifeAtPortland

Finishing off the week on another high, we are thrilled to announce the promotions of 25 Portlanders in recognition of their outstanding work and talent!   A huge congratulations to all for this remarkable achievement🎊. #LifeatPortland

We are very proud to share that we have been shortlisted at the Creative Moment Awards in the "Creative Diversity and Inclusion Campaign of the Year" for our work with Travis Perkins plc and The Construction Inclusion Coalition.   The quality of work in this category this year is outstanding and it is an honour to be shortlisted.   A big thank you to the Travis Perkins and CIC team including Angela Rushforth, Anna Lucuk and Anthea Marris for your partnership to establish the Coalition last year. A special shout out as well to the Portland team of Leila Mountford, Priscilla Truong, Louise Northam, Ellie Summers, Alex Humphries, Jude Ryan-Gray and to Louise Winmill for all of your hard work on this campaign.   Roll on the Awards Ceremony in September! #creativemomentawards2024

Our Managing Director Emma Dean has contributed to the Institute for Government podcast series on the role of Special Advisers in government. Drawing on her time in the Department of Health, Cabinet Office, Number 10 and HMT, Emma shares her experience on the role of a special adviser, what it is like to work on a budget and spending review, and how roles differ depending on whether you are in Number 10 and HMT or in a department. https://lnkd.in/gkzUbT2N

Alex Humphries, Account Director in our Creative team, features in this month's #portlandprofile 👇 -𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞? Starting with what seems like an impossible problem, working with brilliant people to turn that into the seed of an idea, and seeing that blossom into something tangible with a real impact is incredibly fulfilling. Then, being able to learn from each experience, and to be able to share what I learn with others. I also like choosing fonts. 🫠 -𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐭 𝐏𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐨 𝐟𝐚𝐫? There have been so many moments, from awards to brand launches and amazing client projects. However, I've found my role as mentor and line manager within my team the most rewarding part of the job. Nothing beats seeing someone grow in confidence and then deliver their own outstanding creative work. -𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝟐𝟎-𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫-𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤? I’m not sure my 20-year-old self would listen to me. If I could reach him, I’d say listen. Really listen. It’s the most powerful thing you can do. -𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤? I’m fortunate enough to be able to play drums. It’s amazingly physical and creative at the same time. You can learn an instrument over a lifetime and still scratch the surface of what’s possible. Music is an incredible escape, and performing with other people is the most exciting thing you can do. On the other end of the spectrum, photography helps me slow down and become aware of the present moment. I love that I can enjoy it without pressure, just for its own sake. It lets you see so much in the world you might not otherwise notice. -𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐚 𝐟𝐞𝐰 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮? Not a surprise if you know me or read the last question. I play drums and have been lucky to have played some pretty amazing gigs. Rock and roll. 🤘