Curriculum vitae

Steve Nolan
Copywriter and journalist

Email: steven_nolan2@hotmail.co.uk
LinkedIn: uk.linkedin.com/in/stevenolan1
Online portfolio: www.stevenolan.co.uk

About me
I turn jargon into simple words. I can describe the best bits of a training shoe or sports car in 140 characters. And I can adapt to any tone of voice (or create one for you). Likely to be more alarmed at misplacing an apostrophe than at losing my keys, I always try to carry out my work with a smile on my face.


“Steve’s the kind of team player you’d want on your side: fast, thorough, flexible and always positive, even with a drastic workload.” Sacha Ward, Head of Copy BBH MK

Career history
Eurostar
Copy Team Manager August 2019 - present
Lead copywriter November 2017 – July 2019
I work in the Creative Studio leading a team of three copywriters across four
different markets. We write for a range of media, from cocktail menus to broken toilet signs.

EE
Senior copywriter, UX Team
September 2016 – November 2017
I worked with UX and UI designers and wider stakeholders to create the best customer experience through copy on ee.co.uk and the My EE app.

AKQA
Copywriter
June 2015 – August 2016
Worked on copy and concepts for social media, web and email. Clients included: Nike Women, Nike Running, Nike UK, Nike Sportswear, @Nike and @NikeLondon Instagram accounts, Eurostar and Rolls Royce.

Freelance copywriter
February - May 2015
AKQA - Created copy and concepts for Nike UK’s Better For It campaign, primarily for social media.

Cheil Worldwide - Produced copy for Samsung UK social media accounts including a Smart TV campaign to coincide with the Cannes International Film Festival.

Bartle Bogle Hegarty
Social media copywriter
February 2014 – February 2015
I worked with an art director and designer to create a range of creative concepts for various social media channels. Clients included: Audi UK, Mentos, Fruitshoot, Barnardo's, Money Dashboard, Graco, Irwin Tools, Axe, Virgin Media, Gordon's Gin and Waterman.

Johnston Press
Freelance news reporter (see below)
January 2014

Associated Newspapers Ltd/MailOnline
Online news reporter
October 2012 – December 2013
My role was to source and write stories for the world’s biggest news website. I worked with colleagues from photo and video teams to produce multimedia content on a CMS platform.

Johnston Press
Senior reporter
November 2008 – October 2012
Sourcing, researching and writing accurate and succinct news stories and features for the Luton News, Dunstable Gazette, Herald & Post, Leighton Buzzard Observer and accompanying websites.

Additional experience
Rotary International GSE Team Exchange to Sydney, Australia (March – April 2012)
I visited various media outlets – including ABC TV, Network 10 TV, the Sydney Morning Herald, and regional newspapers - to exchange ideas with peers from another continent.

Key achievements

  • Won an internal Etoile award for my work at Eurostar during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic.

  • Created copy for the launch of Eurostar’s new Amsterdam route in 2018.

  • Completed a comprehensive update of Eurostar’s copy style guide.

  • Worked on a complete overhaul of consumer help content as part of EE’s help transformation project.

  • Created copy for a Nike Unlimited hub on Nike.com as part of a campaign to coincide with the 2016 Olympics.

  • Worked on the Better For It campaign for the Nike social media channels.

  • Worked on growing the number of Audi UK and Mentos fans on social media and wrote copy for Gordon’s Gin’s first foray into social media.

  • Worked on developing international news stories such as the birth of Prince George of Cambridge and the death of Nelson Mandela for MailOnline.

  • Created and nurtured Facebook and Twitter pages for the Luton News gaining 20 per cent of the average print readership as followers.

  • Helped co-ordinate a 10km fun run with Johnston Press colleagues and contacts in aid of the Luton & Dunstable Hospital’s NICU, raising more than £10,000.

  • Interviewed front-bench politicians including David Miliband, Nick Clegg and Harriet Harman in the lead-up to the 2010 General Election.

  • Took part in a range of charity events for local causes while at Johnston Press, including the 2011 London Marathon and a skydive for Keech Hospice Care.

Education and Qualifications
NCTJ: National Council for the Training of Journalists
National Certificate Exam (2010) and Preliminary Newspaper Journalism Course (2008)

English Literature BA (Hons)– 2:1, University of Portsmouth (2003 – 2006)

3 A Levels: English Literature, History and Sociology (2003)

Further Skills
Shorthand at 100 words per minute. Driver with a full clean licence.

Interests
Creative writing, literature, music, pop culture, football, cooking and baking, fitness, current affairs.