Former Huddersfield Examiner content editor Martin Shaw has joined Leeds-based PR and Marketing Consultancy Leuly PR after taking voluntary redundancy from Reach PLC.
Shaw worked for the Examiner for eight and a half years, as news editor and latterly as print content editor. Prior to that he was senior news reporter for the Yorkshire Evening Post and also ran his own newspaper, The Press in Dewsbury, and a freelance press agency, West Riding News Service in Huddersfield.
In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic this year he was first furloughed and then took voluntary redundancy from Reach.
At Leuly, he joins founder Gemma Birbeck as a freelance consultant and will “support the implementation and evaluation of PR campaigns, as well as contributing ideas to new client strategies.”
Shaw said: “I’m a passionate and committed journalist and I love telling people’s stories and hopefully, in some small way, making a difference. I’ve had an unusual career in many ways and know all about the highs and lows of running your own business – and I wouldn’t swap it for the world.
“I’ve built up a huge amount of experience in the media and seen massive changes since I started work on a typewriter as a trainee reporter. Now I want to put what I’ve learned into helping clients tell their stories and grow their businesses.”
Birbeck added: “I first met Martin during the early stages of my career when I naively asked him whether he wanted to keep a story exclusive – silly, I know, but he was so understanding and supportive.
“When I learnt of his redundancy, I jumped at the chance to show that same level of support as I knew he would be a valuable addition to the team.
“Martin’s not from a traditional PR background, but creativity and individuality are characteristics we desire, and I’m confident the different perspective which he can offer will support us with our continued growth.”
