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Madeleine
Portwain
MEDIA & COMMS
Hello.
Welcome to my digital portfolio.
Strategic digital and marketing leader driving growth and transformation across elite sport, live events and high-growth organisations. Proven in evolving audience and customer journeys, scaling digital platforms, and delivering integrated, results-led marcomms strategies. Deeply committed to equality and sustainability, ensuring these values actively shape strategy, culture and decision making. Recognised for collaborative leadership, strong stakeholder management, and the ability to balance heritage, innovation and commercial ambition within complex organisations.
CAREER HISTORY
Marketing, Digital & Comms
Sep 2024 - Present
HEAD OF DIGITAL & COMMS
Reporting to the CEO, I lead the organisation’s end-to-end marketing, communications and digital strategies for one of the world’s most prestigious sporting events. I am responsible for setting long-term direction while modernising the brand’s digital and commercial performance, balancing innovation with tradition and heritage. I oversee all consumer-facing channels and the operational running of the marketing function, working alongside broadcast, partnerships, sales & memberships, retail, finance and operations to ensure alignment with organisational priorities. My remit spans brand strategy, audience growth, content and channel strategy, data and insight, budget ownership, and digital transformation. A core focus of my role is building sustainable capability – evolving structures, resourcing models and processes to deliver measurable impact across ticketing, engagement, revenue and global reach.
Mar 2022 - Sep 2024
MARKETING & PR MANAGER
I led all marketing activity for Henley Royal Regatta, with responsibility for brand, digital, content and campaign delivery across a global audience. Working closely with senior stakeholders, I translated organisational objectives into clear, integrated marketing plans aligned to commercial and reputational goals. I managed a multidisciplinary team and external partners, oversaw annual budgets, and introduced more rigorous planning, reporting and performance measurement across channels. This role laid the foundations for longer-term digital development and informed the evolution of the organisation’s senior marketing leadership function.
Mar 2020 - Jan 2022
MARKETING & PR MANAGER
I owned the global marketing and PR strategy for a rapidly scaling deep-tech organisation across multiple international markets, positioning a complex technology business with clarity and credibility to support commercial growth and investor confidence. I led strategic planning, KPI and ROI measurement, budget and team leadership, and established a cross-territory crisis communications framework. I directed a global PR campaign supporting a $70m funding round and led high-profile product and corporate announcements, significantly strengthening market presence and trust during a critical growth phase.
Mar 2019 - Mar 2020
MARKETING COORDINATOR
I played a key role in establishing the company’s marketing foundations during a period of rapid growth, leading a full corporate rebrand and the end-to-end delivery of a new company website, from design through to SEO. I delivered integrated marketing and PR activity, supported IP and licensing teams, and significantly expanded the organisation’s digital presence. I also introduced early CRM capability, improving visibility of customer lifecycles and enabling data-led engagement strategies.
Strategic Consultancy & Advisory
Jan 2022 - Present
ANGEL INVESTOR & ADVISOR
I joined Pally as an early-stage angel investor and strategic advisor, supporting brand strategy, product positioning and go-to-market development. I have contributed to fundraising strategy, market analysis and the development of investor materials to help establish clarity and momentum during early growth.
May 2016 - Mar 2022
FREELANCE CONSULTANT
Alongside my permanent roles, I supported Henley Royal Regatta in a consultancy capacity across marketing, communications and operations over multiple event cycles. This included front-of-house leadership during the event, crisis communications planning, and participation in digital audits that shaped long-term strategy. This ongoing relationship provided deep organisational insight and contributed to improved operational efficiency, guest experience, and digital maturity over time.
Early Career & Foundations
Nov 2018 - Mar 2019
HR & FACILITIES ASSISTANT
Early role supporting organisational growth across HR and facilities at Oxa, contributing to people systems, office expansion and internal operations during a period of rapid scale-up. This experience built strong foundations in collaborative, cross-functional working, organisational planning and change management
Nov 2016 - Apr 2018
ASSISTANT RESEARCHER
Alongside my undergraduate degree, I contributed to academic research at the University of Reading, including a published PhD study on neural inhibition, alongside wider work exploring cognition, language, vision and ageing. I supported study design and data analysis, and developed clear, persuasive materials to communicate findings and support further funding.
Sep 2013 - Jul 2015
ASSISTANT PSYCHOLOGIST
I worked within multidisciplinary clinical teams delivering complex assessments and care pathways, developing strengths in stakeholder communication, risk assessment, data analysis and process improvement. I also independently led the development of an electronic diagnostic scoring tool that reduced waiting times by up to 83% and significantly improved overall service efficiency.
Sep 2013 - Jul 2015
ACCOUNTS TRAINEE
I was selected for a highly competitive school leaver programme at BDO, gaining early exposure to commercial finance, customer service and financial governance. This experience developed strong financial literacy and an understanding of reporting, controls and accountability that continue to inform my approach to budget ownership and ROI.
Voluntary & Community
Jan 2017 - Nov 2018
VOLUNTEER MENTOR
I supported individuals reintegrating into society both pre- and post-release, providing practical and emotional support and contributing to behavioural and compliance reporting for parole hearings. I worked closely with probation and case management teams, supported goal-setting and expectation management, and contributed to psychological risk reviews within a high-stakes, regulated environment.
Aug 2017 - Jul 2018
VOLUNTEER MENTOR
I provided frontline support to individuals experiencing acute mental health concerns, developing strong communication skills, emotional intelligence and calm decision-making under pressure. This role strengthened my ability to manage challenging conversations, de-escalate situations and lead with clarity and empathy – skills I apply directly in people management and leadership contexts today.
Apr 2015 - Apr 2018
FUNDRAISING AMBASSADOR
I fundraised for MNDA through creative digital campaigns across multiple social platforms, raising £6,000+ in under 12 months. My involvement grew to include speaking engagements and written contributions focused on awareness and advocacy.