Penny has 30+ years of experience in branding and communications and has always been passionate about training.

She joined the Graduate Training scheme at Saatchi & Saatchi when they were at the height of their fame, Penny worked on many of their biggest brands; Proctor & Gamble, Forte Hotels, Schweppes, Black & Decker etc. 

Account Director

Moving to BMP (now part of the DDB group and recently voted the best Advertising Agency of the last 50 years) Penny learnt the power of combining award winning creativity with strategic planning (BMP was the first agency to introduce this now universal discipline).  She also learnt how to work for complex clients with varied needs across a number of target audiences. The Seafish Authority, the Meat & Livestock Authority, Barclays Bank and Unilever were amongst them.  Board Director

This led to an interest in integrating communications messages across disciplines and Penny left to take up a unique post, working across advertising, direct and digital marketing agencies in the TBWA/GGT group. This led to the first ever totally integrated communications offer in the UK.

Managing Director, CEO, Chairman

Experience in integrated communications planning for highly complex clients led to the founding of a new consultancy, Smith & Jones, working in the Place Branding space. Working on projects for cities and places in the UK for both city narratives and other city projects. Founding Partner

Throughout her period in advertising, Penny worked on the development of training programmes within each of the agencies she worked for. She also contributed to the IPA Training programme and WACL’s training offer (now called Gather) for younger women in the communications field. In more recent years she has been a guest lecturer on the Communications in Science Masters for Imperial College London.

The Bloom Place Branding Academy is the perfect amalgamation of everything Penny has enjoyed working on. Co-Founder Bloom Place Academy