Women in Public Affairs Executive Committee

The Women in Public Affairs Executive Committee is responsible for the day-to-day co-ordination and organisation of the Network.

Ella Fallows, Co-Fouder

Weber Shandwick

Ella is Head of UK Public Affairs at Weber Shandwick, and formerly Outreach Manager for Northern Europe at Meta. She co-founded Women in Public Affairs with Laura Gilmore in 2012.

Previously she was Head of Political Intelligence at Lexington Communications and before that she managed political engagement programmes at Dods, ran parliamentary and policy training and worked for two Labour MPs. She has a Masters in Parliamentary Studies from Leeds University and a BA in Politics and History.

She's passionate about promoting and supporting women in all industries. She loves good food and travel, although she has a young son who prevents her enjoying either of those things regularly!

Laura gilmore, co-Fouder

Cummins Inc.

Laura co-fouded Women in Public Affairs with Ella Fallows after meeting whilst studying for a public affairs diploma. She is currently the Director of Corporate Affairs and Chief of Staff for Europe for Cummins, a Fortune 150 global power technology company.  

Her earlier career was in politics, with her last political role being Head of the Liberal Democrat House of Lords Whips' Office during the Coalition Government. Laura lives in Hackney with her husband and two young daughters, Matilda and Grace. She is passionate about food, the environment and equality.

Lizzy Tomlin, WIPA Chair

H/Advisors Cicero

Lizzy is Head of UK Public Affairs at H/Advisors Cicero, where she works predominantly with financial services clients, focusing on consumer policy, financial services regulation and legislative affairs. Lizzy joined the company in 2017 and now leads on client service delivery in the UK Public Affairs team.  

Prior to joining H/Advisors Cicero, Lizzy worked for another political consultancy specialising in planning and development, working on large-scale planning projects across the UK whilst circumnavigating local politics. She is also active in the Liberal Democrats and previously worked in Parliament for two Lib Dem MPs during the Coalition Government.

Outside of politics, Lizzy plays football for Wanderers FC and is a member of the club’s Administration Committee.

VICTORIA MCNISH, Treasurer & Head of Commercial Partnerships

DGA Group

Victoria is a Public Affairs Director at integrated comms agency DGA, where she supports clients across the consumer, transport, sustainability and FS sectors. She also leads their high-profile campaigns on the menopause and on behalf of the UK’s beauty and wellbeing sectors, which was recognised by four industry awards for the team’s work supporting the left-behind sector during the pandemic. She was also recognised as Rising Star of the Year at the ICCO Global Awards 2021.

Prior to joining DGA, Victoria spent a number of years in another political consultancy, and started her career working as a researcher for a Conservative MP in Parliament. Beyond work, you’ll often find Victoria lapping the various parks of south London in marathon training or trying to find time for piano practice.

Lucy Warren, head of campaigns

Crestview

Lucy is a Consultant at Crestview Strategy where she supports clients using grassroots mobilisation and advocacy. She is highly tuned to the benefits of creating a workplace with gender parity and sees creating a pipeline of future female talent within the organisation as a personal priority.

Previously, Lucy worked with the Women and Work APPG and chaired several panel discussions on how to make the workplace a better space for women. In her spare time, she can be found at her local boxing club. 

Kendal sefton, head of events

Field Consulting

Kendal is a Senior Account Manager at political and corporate communications agency Field Consulting, where she primarily supports clients across the transport sector. Kendal works pro-bono with the grassroots women’s rights organisation, Our Streets Now, where she supports public affairs and comms activity to raise awareness and educate on the issue of public sexual harassment.

Being still relatively new to the world of public affairs, Kendal is passionate about engaging newer members of the public affairs community.

Prior to joining Field Consulting, Kendal studied a Master’s degree in History at the University of Sheffield and outside of work, she can often be found heading out for a long walk or when it’s a bit chilly, exploring new countries.

JULIE BYERS, head of Communications

Domino’s Pizza UK & Ireland

Julie is the Senior Government Affairs Manager for Domino’s Pizza UK & Ireland, where she leads their Government and Parliamentary engagement. She has considerable experience working in trade associations, most recently as Public Affairs Manager at the Food and Drink Federation. Prior to that, Julie was Public Affairs Manager at the Association of Convenience Stores.

Julie has a degree in Politics from the University of Surrey, where she explored the representation of women in NBC’s The West Wing in her dissertation. Outside of work, Julie enjoys swimming, musicals, and a good negroni.

Vanessa Nkemayang, DEI Lead & events officer

Grayling

Vanessa is a Corporate Affairs Executive working across a mixture of public affairs and corporate clients within Grayling. She has a background in Strategic Communications, training as a communications specialist at FTI Consulting via the Taylor Bennett Foundation programme, a charity that exists to encourage people from a BAME background to pursue a career in communications. Before this, she worked at the Department of Education, supporting campaign delivery through her research and analytical skills. 

Prior to entering the professional sector, Vanessa lived and studied in Paris for three years where she gained an International Relations degree. She has a key interest in diversity, inclusion and social mobility,  implementing this interest across her work. Vanessa is also fond of solo travelling, recently journeying to Costa Rica on a sponsored trip for voluntary work after winning a Sutton Trust and J.P Morgan Award.

Nicole Wyatt, campaigns officer

Hanover

Nicole is a Senior Consultant at Hanover Communications, where she supports many clients with their Parliamentary engagement and helps them navigate the regulatory and political landscape, across a range of sectors. 

Nicole also volunteers her time by being a mentor for I Have a Voice, a non-profit supporting young people from under-represented backgrounds to engage with politics. 

Previously, Nicole worked at GK Strategy, a political advisory firm, and a Public Affairs Officer at Dogs Trust, an animal welfare charity.

KATRINA RATTU, communications officer

UCL

Katrina currently works as the Public Affairs Manager for UCL where she has a focus on science, research and policy. She previously worked in academia looking at the intersection between policy making and academia including exploring the various mechanisms that will inform and influence policy makers as well as leading to an increased take up of research in policy making. She completed the Local Government’s Associations (LGA) Graduate Scheme and the National Graduate Development Programme (NGDP), and set up a Policy Network and co-founded the BAME staff network at a local authority.

Outside of work Katrina can be found producing podcasts and creating content for TikTok. She is passionate about building inclusive cultures and holds a Level 7 in Leadership and Management from the ILM.

Janette aquilina, Communications officer

British Poultry Council

Janette leads the British Poultry Council’s political and public affairs strategy. Working on a range of issues including EU exit, trade policy, sustainability, net zero, and immigration & labour policy, she navigates a highly regulated and politically complex industry to help ensure that feeding people remains at the heart of UK society.

Previously, Janette worked in the Arts External Relations team at the British Council, the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities, managing high-level Government and industry stakeholder relationships. She is currently completing the CIPR Specialist Diploma in Public Affairs and has a Master’s from The Courtauld Institute of Art.

On the weekend she can be found exploring new art galleries or sipping wine in a pub with her dog Maple.