We sit down for a cuppa with senior PR consultant Martine Levene, who spills the tea on securing national coverage for her clients and why she’s known as The Fixer. 

1. How long have you been in the Mantis team at Ruder Finn and what’s your role? 

I’ve been working for the Mantis team for a whopping 12 years as a senior PR consultant. I’m very results driven and spend most of my time creating content, working with ambassadors and developing media opportunities for my clients. Working with public-purpose tech companies and healthcare organisations is particularly rewarding as the technology they produce is helping to make people’s lives easier and better.  

2. What do you enjoy most about working at one of the world’s largest independent global communications and creative agencies? 

Ruder Finn is a brilliant place to work. It really cares about its own people and its CEO Kathy Bloomgarden is truly inspiring. The company just celebrated its 75th anniversary and it is constantly evolving and striving to be the best in its field. I enjoy working with clients who really want to make a difference to the world we live in, whether that’s assistive technology or new ways of treating chronic insomnia. 

3. What coverage are you particularly proud of? 

We recently ran a campaign for a client in the assistive technology space and secured a filming opportunity with the flagship BBC News programme, Click. The feature showcased its AI-assisted learning solution that helps students with learning difficulties at Oldham College. This was part of a wider outreach to the UK media where we secured coverage in numerous other titles with a national audience, including the FT, Good Morning Britain, ITV News, The Daily Mail and Forbes. 

4. If you weren’t working in PR what would you do? 

I’ve been working in the communications industry now for over 25 years and I can honestly say that every day is different and it’s always exciting and rewarding to look for new opportunities of raising awareness for my clients. I’ve been called ‘The Fixer’ by my colleagues, possibly because I won’t ever give up on fixing things and doing the best for my clients. I would take this outside PR too, as I’m a Reiki practitioner, and like to help ‘fix’ people with positive light and energy. 

5. Finally… how do you take your tea?  

My favourite is Twinning’s chamomile and honey tea or fresh mint tea, both calming and cleansing!