Sophie Barnard has over fifteen years’ strategic communications experience. Based in London, she is a specialist in reputation management. Throughout her career she’s helped businesses, across a range of sectors, navigate and communicate change by designing and delivering integrated, multi-market, through-the-line campaigns.
Since she joined Teneo in 2008, she has supported major global brands including Facebook, Tesco, Ericsson, Nike, Coca-Cola, Unilever, Whirlpool, eBay, Deliveroo, Unum, OVO and British Gas (inc. Connected Homes).
For five years, Sophie worked to protect the reputation of Meta (Facebook). She led a cross-functional team focused on creating brand equity via the award-winning #SheMeansBusiness programme, which provided a platform for Facebook to have positive conversations about its investment in the UK and its role in supporting and nurturing female entrepreneurs. She also established a programme of activity to support Facebook’s EMEA monetisation strategy by positioning senior EMEA leadership, including Lady Nicola Mendelsohn (then Vice President, EMEA), as thought leaders in areas of business priority.
For Whirlpool, Sophie drove a global programme to encourage reappraisal of the business’ corporate reputation following a period of intense internal and external disruption. This included advising on matters that it deemed either commercial threats to its business, or opportunities to be realised, and co-ordinating an international response.
A confident storyteller, other notable experience includes: working to position the UK’s leading supermarket (Tesco) as a purpose-led retailer, supporting Ericsson to establish its voice and position in the 5G revolution, supporting in the development and launch of a Europe-wide communications strategy and global narrative on marine litter for Coca-Cola and launching new consumer technology products for both OVO and British Gas Connected Homes.
Prior to joining Teneo in 2008 Sophie worked as a Marketing Assistant at a contemporary art gallery, at which she launched a new exhibition for outspoken Chinese artist and intellectual Ai Weiwei.