Who’s your 007 ?

Growing up in rural Sussex and with a very Welsh father, I had two overriding interests – rugby, and action/adventure stories.

My hero on screen and in print was James Bond, the 007 secret agent who always managed to save the day and protect Britain and the West from every type of evil villain determined to take over the world.

What I particularly liked was the way Bond seemed to operate behind the scenes, below the radar, yet he was always there at the right time to step in and thwart some outrageous plan to trash the planet.

When I went into PR, working in some of the UK’s biggest PR companies such as Bell Pottinger and Weber Shandwick, I was tasked with managing the reputation of major national and international clients in every sector, from the Atomic Energy Authority and British Nuclear Fuels to niche super-heroes at the top of their game. I often observed how many companies and individuals in them were doing great things for the benefit of society yet they received little recognition – in much the same way James Bond never seemed to be rewarded with the thanks of the nation.

Bond came back into my thoughts once again when I set up Awards Intelligence in 2007. I wanted to put the imbalance right and help companies, organisations and individuals doing exceptional things at the forefront of their profession or sector, or for the benefit of others, to receive the acclaim they truly deserved – and gain recognition for the countless unsung heroes in the UK and beyond.

I couldn’t be James Bond, but I could help exceptional people achieve exceptional recognition – so my focus became ensuring that leaders in their field, weather they be eminent medics, lawyers, academics, business or charity leaders or entrepreneurs received the recognition they deserve.

Awards Intelligence is built on the belief that although there may be many unpleasant events happening in the world, with obstacles to overcome in every field from technology and medicine to education and the environment, the human spirit is such that there will be good people doing their utmost and more to make the world a better place. It is those people we love to hear about and help.

So if you are – or know of – a ‘James Bond’ who goes beyond the norm in their field of work or community to make a difference for the benefit of others – whether at local, national or international level – I would love to hear from you and together we can help the unsung heroes of today – and yesterday if they have previously been overlooked – gain the recognition they thoroughly deserve.

Cheers

Mark