Deborah Smith

Deborah Smith is an experienced communications professional with a strong background in public relations and marketing across various sectors. From August 2011 to May 2016, Deborah served as a Marcomms/PR Consultant for the National Trust. Prior experience includes roles as Public Relations & Marketing Campaign Manager at Yodel from May 2009 to May 2011, and Press and Public Relations Manager at Vertex Data Science, where Deborah was also the Global Public Relations Manager. Additional experience encompasses freelance journalism at ITV and BBC, along with positions as Public Relations Manager at CPM UK Limited and Head of External Relations at Liverpool Hope University. Currently, Deborah holds the position of Head Of Communications at Daresbury Laboratory -UKRI and serves as the Associate Director of Corporate Communications at STFC since March 2025. Deborah's academic credentials include a Master's Degree in Broadcast Journalism from Staffordshire University and a postgraduate diploma in Public Relations from the Chartered Institute of Public Relations. Specialisations include crisis management, copywriting, and stakeholder engagement.