Celebrating Success: 9 Internal Promotions at Receptional

Meet the Stars

The Talent Driving Receptional’s Success

In this blog post, we’re thrilled to shine a spotlight on the exceptional individuals who have recently climbed the ranks within Receptional. Join us as we celebrate the talent and dedication of nine remarkable team members who have demonstrated outstanding leadership, creativity, and commitment to excellence. We’ll explore their unique journeys, key accomplishments, and the invaluable contributions they’ve made to our company’s growth and success. Get ready to be inspired by their stories of perseverance, growth, and passion as we showcase the driving force behind Receptional’s greatness.

Matt Loughlin

From Paid Media Director to Commercial Director 

Our Shining star is Matt who has been with us for 16 years, starting as a Paid Media Exective, making his way up to Commercial Director!

Previous roles at Receptional:

• Director of Paid Media (2017 to 2024)
• Head of Paid Media (2013 to 2017)
• Senior Paid Media Manager (2011 to 2013)
• Paid Media Manager (2009 to 2011)
• Paid Media Exec (2008 to 2009)

Background: Matt joined Receptional in April 2008 as an ‘Internet Marketing Consultant’, which is now a Paid Media Executive. Initially, he was part of a small team (fewer than ten people in total), working on smaller Paid Media accounts across Search-focused activity.

He took a liking to client management, and always wanted to get out and meet both our partners (Google, Microsoft), across the UK. This helped him to excel in his role and led to his promotion to a more client-facing role with account ownership from 2009.

Key Accomplishments: 

Matt’s most notable achievements in his sixteen years at Receptional include:

• Being asked to take over as Commercial Director to oversee services beyond Paid Media, and bring best practices built across the Paid team over many years.
• Growing the Paid Media team size and revenue by >10x since taking over as Head of Paid Media in January 2013
• Joining the board at Receptional in late 2017, and becoming a sizable shareholder in the agency.
• Multiple team and company award wins ranging from Best Small PPC Team (UK Search Awards) to Best B2C PPC Campaign (Drum Awards) to Best Culture and other Awards.
• Contributed heavily to wider accolades including Investor in People (IIP) status
• Diversified Paid Media to include a full suite of Social channels, Programmatic DSPs and CTV / Audio based platforms.
• Expanded our Paid Media offering into the North American market
• Focused our Paid Media offering more to certain sectors, to focus our experience and capabilities.

Commitment to Growth: Matt’s journey with Receptional has involved constant personal and professional growth. Some notable mentions include:

• Professional Certificate in Marketing (CIM) 2012-13
• Mini MBA in Marketing 2021
• Vistage group membership since 2018
• Attending Google C-Level events for leaders of top digital agencies 2013-2023
• Certifications across Google Ads, LinkedIn and other ad platforms (yearly)
• Joining Agency Hackers events and webinars 2021-present
• Attending conferences such as Brighton SEO, ICE Gaming, and Barcelona Affiliate Conference, amongst others.
• Google HQ agency training days  – Display, Video, YouTube, and more
• LinkedIn Marketing labs training days (2019)
• Activia Excel training
• Brainlabs Programmatic Training – Brighton SEO
• Presentation and public speaker training – Keith Goozee (2018-to-date)
• Speaking at numerous industry events in the UK and beyond, including:
  • Google Industry and Agency Events (St Pancras and St Giles offices)
  • The Paid Social Conference (Brighton SEO)
  • Search Y France, Paris
  • Dotmailer Events (London) – Guest Speaker

Some words from Matt: “I have learned enormous amounts from all the people I’ve worked with since joining in 2008, and I’m still learning as each day passes! That extends to both colleagues and clients. Notable mentions to: Justin Deaville (MD at Receptional), Sarah Green (Vistage Coach and Mentor), Callum Riches (Head of Paid Media), Emily Brown (Client Services Director), and Lee Gannon (former Head of Paid Social). I have worked with some truly brilliant people at the top of their game.”

Emily Brown

From Head of Client Services to Client Services Director

Background: Emily joined Receptional last year as Head of clients services and within her 10 months has gone from strength to strength, showing that time is no limit for career growth when hard work is put in. We are delighted to announce that Emily has now joined Receptional’s board as Client Services Director.

Key Accomplishments: Since joining Receptional last year, Emily has energetically enhanced our processes and approach. She champions our clients’ success, taking a strategic stance on challenges and consistently considers the client experience, beyond just delivering great campaigns. Emily’s success springs from her formidable energy, keen intellect, and robust commercial sense.

Bringing experience from a range of agency environments, Emily is a brilliant leader. And always leads by example. But don’t take our word for it. Just last month, our clients awarded us our highest-ever net promoter scores – a direct testament to the energy and inspiring leadership of Emily and her team. We love the ambition she shows for our clients and the broader agency and her proactiveness for how the two tie together.

Some words from Emily: “I have enjoyed every minute of my time at Receptional since joining mid last year. It’s a pleasure to work alongside a group of such talented and innovative digital experts. Feeling part of a team is so important – we celebrate our collective and individual successes, support each other through challenging moments and ultimately grow together.  Special shout outs to our Client Services team (you are fabulous and inspiring – I love working with you!), and our leadership team, most importantly Justin (MD) and Matt (Commerical Director) who are setting the direction for Receptional’s future – we’re heading for amazing things and I’m so excited to be part of it.”

Rhea Jones

From Account Executive to Account Manager

Background: Rhea joined the Earned Media team in Feb 2022 and was the second team member to move to our newly formed Client Services team in September 2023.

Key Accomplishments: Since joining Rhea has consistently gone above and beyond, for our team and for our clients, putting in new ways of working and new processes. She has also created a webinar series we will be hosting with an agenda in place for the rest of this year, with our clients at the forefront of her mind. She’s lead this project from start to finish and named these ‘Lunch and Learns’ so anyone can join for 30-45 minutes of Learnings from our Industry professionals and get involved in Q&A’s.

She is also continuously building strong partnerships with her clients, ensuring we are delivering effectively and continuously providing positive results. Rhea is a superstar and really valued amongst the company! Her promotion was so well deserved.

Some words from Rhea: “Working alongside a team of talented and enthusiastic individuals has made my journey meaningful and rewarding. The agency’s vibrant culture fosters personal and professional growth, supported by Will and Emily who provide invaluable feedback and encouragement. Through both laughter and challenging moments, the solidarity and teamwork have been truly remarkable and I’ve really enjoyed my time here!”

 

Braden Tennant

From Senior Paid Media Manager to Paid Media Account Director

Background: Braden joined Receptional as a Senior Paid Media Manager in July 2023 after leaving his last agency of over 5 years. His promotion to Paid Media Account Director is another inspiring example and testament that we prioritize opportunites to advance in your career through merit as opposed to length of service, when employees showcasing their dedication and commitment to excellence.

Key Accomplishments: His main focus was to implement a paid social media strategy for Play Alberta. In the first 9 Months, he has built a fantastic relationship with the client, even visiting them across the pond in Alberta, Canada. After their Quarterly Business Review, we even took the client out to watch an NHL game, which was a tick on Braden’s bucket list #LetsGoOilers! He’s also had some big wins in the Nursery sector with Old Station Nursery Group, and think’s it’s great to work in new industries and take on new challenges.

Some words from Braden: “I attribute my success since joining Receptional to the architects of our successful Paid Media team, Callum (Head of Paid Media) and Matt (Commercial Director). By living Receptional values they have fostered a collaborative, transparent working environment, which I have tried to emulate with my management style.”

 

Simon Loughlin

From Growth Manager to Senior Growth Manager

Background: Simon joined Receptional in January 2018 as a Growth Manager. His primary role was to help onboard new clients. This would involve attending events, honing in on our target audiences amongst our specialist sectors and following up on leads and enquiries, which he would then qualify before briefing our service teams for a seamless journey. He also collaborates with different channels to produce accurate and detailed proposals and contracts which are delivered to the clients and prospects.

Key Accomplishments: Simon has consistently helped to convert leads into new clients for the agency, and has worked on over 90 projects that have converted into new clients taking on Receptional as their agency of choice. Over the past few years Simon has also taken a leadership position in the business development team (hence his well deserved promotion), by stripping back how we look at growth internally and putting new systems in place, thinking of the bigger picture and overall making the team his own. He is also a core employee at the agency that anyone can go to for support (or a laugh!).

Commitment to Growth: When it comes to growth, he is always pushing to improve his skill sets and believes this is important due to us living in an environment that is continually evolving. He has also completed a Mini MBA in marketing, joined many webinars or done external courses on prospecting, pitching, understanding behaviours and personality types as well as keeping up to date with the latest changes, or updates regarding the services we offer, and how these effect our client campaigns. As we also work with some specific target sectors, he also likes to read articles or other sources of information about industry updates or general news.

Some words from Simon: “I am lucky enough to work with an experienced team that are open to hearing new ideas, or are happy to support with the projects we work on. I have worked closely in recent times with Justin (Receptional’s Managing Director), or Emily (Our Client Services Director) on various agency developmental projects. When it comes to working on client projects, my colleagues from the wider business always display a professional attitude and a creative approach, making them lots of fun to work with.”

 

Will Maisey

From Account Manager to Senior Account Manager

Background: Will joined in Jan 2022 in the earned media team, and moved to Client Services as an Account Executive in August 2022, was promoted to Account Manager in March 2023, and then again to Senior Account Manager in Jan 2024.

Key Accomplishments: Will has continuously looked to raise the standards of what we do for our clients, and supported in putting clients at the heart of what we do. He has built long lasting relationships with his clients and his promotion is a recognition of the hard work he puts in. He is forward thinking in his approach and creates a collaborative environment across our teams. 

Some words from Will: “My growth and achievements at Receptional during the past 2 and a half years are deeply rooted in the collaborative efforts of a supportive team, notably guided by Emily, our Client Services Director. Through Emily’s mentorship and the collective support of my colleagues, I’ve had the opportunity to refine my skills, gain insights into client needs, and execute strategies effectively, which has been pivotal in my professional development and success. This nurturing environment is something I value and aspire to continue being a part of as I further progress in my career.”

 

Filipe Henda

From Graphic Designer to Senior Graphic Designer in 2 years

Background: Filipe joined in December 2021 in the Creative team, and took on more responsibility when he started heading up the team in April 2023. His dedication to improving the way Creative is run at Receptional has resulted in his well deserved promotion to Senior Graphic Designer.

Key Accomplishments: A key factor in Filipe’s rapid career advancement has been his ability to raise the creative standards of our team. Through introducing advanced skills like 3D and motion graphics, as well as pioneering new tools, he’s significantly broadened our team’s creative horizons by bringing a different perspective that fuels the teams ability to generate innovative concepts, and think outside the box.

Demonstrated Leadership: His leadership skills have been instrumental in his success. His diverse background as a musician and leading marching drum groups, has allowed him to take the bull by the horns and lead the Creative team as of April last year, implementing unique leadership abilities that has not only enhanced our creative endeavours but has also fostered a dynamic and collaborative team environment.

Some words from Filipe: “The managing team at Receptional has been incredibly supportive, providing me with the creative space to explore and experiment. Their appreciation for my work further motivates me and underscores the value I bring to our projects and team dynamics.”

 

Joel Pattison

From Sports Writer to Sports Content Specialist

Background: Joel joined the content team four and a half years ago but has more than six years of journalistic knowledge.

Key Accomplishments: Joel has gone from strength to strength. Not only has he single-handedly written all of the team’s sports content and persevered through tricky times, never missing a deadline, but he has also taken the lead on key client accounts for Sky and Livescore, developing client relationships and sharing his expert knowledge. His writing is a true craft, his promotion is truly well deserved. Plus, if you need any horse racing tips, Joel’s your man. 

Some words from Joel: “The last four-and-a-half years have been a rollercoaster, but I have learned so much from people all across the business and challenge myself most days to develop my skills both professionally and personally. The content team has also been brilliant over my time at the company, grouping together to get stuff done and ensuring no one is in over their heads. I have to shout out Laura Polkinghorne, Grace Ambrose, and Jack Rose for their continued support, while Emily Brown has been amazing and supportive since she came in.”

 

Hollie Robinson

From Outreach Executive to Outreach Specialist in just over a year

Background: Hollie joined the outreach team just over a year ago and has excelled within her role. 

Key Accomplishments: Working with Hollie is a pleasure, and her promotion to Outreach Specialist is a testament to her exceptional communication skills, innovative outreach strategies, and unwavering dedication to our team’s success.

Some words from Hollie: “With this position being my first from University, I didn’t know what to expect. But I have learnt huge amounts and grown within the agency, both professionally and personally. It’s been great to work alongside many digital experts and build some great relationships and connections as well as working with many substantial clients. The Outreach team are very supportive and hardworking and we will always work together to ensure we achieve results. I would love to shoutout Pia Malabanan and the rest of the Outreach team for their guidance and encouragement throughout this past year.”

As we wrap up this glimpse into Receptional’s powerhouse team, one truth shines through: our people are our power. Each story showcased here is a testament to our commitment to fostering talent and fueling success. As we forge ahead, let’s toast to these rising stars and the endless possibilities they bring to our journey. Join us in congratulating these exceptional individuals and celebrating the bright future ahead for Receptional!

If you’re passionate about digital marketing and eager to grow in a vibrant team environment, Receptional might be the perfect fit for you. Explore our current openings and join us in shaping the future of digital marketing!