Our team includes journalists, designers, developers and project managers. If you see anyone you like the look of, chances are you’ll find them in The Elixir Bar on Friday night - it's the pub directly opposite our offices on Eversholt Street.
Editor, BT Vision magazine
About: Adam’s journo career peaked early, interviewing Prince by candlelight. After that he scribbled on/off for the likes of Time Out and The Guardian before becoming editor of gay glossy Attitude, for which he won Men’s Magazine Editor 2005 at the BSME Awards. He joined Zone in March 2009 and, as entertainment editor, knows the difference between Piggley Wink and a Chop Socky Chook.
Strange but true: Adam once bounced up and down on a four poster bed with Mariah Carey.
Developer
About: Alessandro joined Zone in 2010, just days before completing his PhD thesis dissertation. He spent the previous four years researching Grid computing and Artificial Intelligence at the University of Westminster.
Strange but true: Before joining Zone, Alessandro seriously considered a career as a pastry chef.
Editor, 4Food
About: Before moving to Zone in July 2010, Amanda ran the Good Food website, where she worked for more than four years. In her spare time she helps fund her eating-out habit by writing restaurant reviews for Time Out and its guides.
Strange but true: In a shopping frenzy Amanda accidentally pushed over a shopper who was slowing down her pace. Helping them up she was somewhat proud that she had brought down action hero great, Bruce Willis.
IT director
About: Andy leads Zone's technology team in the production of database driven web sites and Intranet applications. Qualified as a Microsoft Certified Solution Developer, he has strong skills in .NET, SQL Server, ASP, XML and systems design.
Strange but true: In his youth Andy achieved three gold runs on cult quiz show Blockbusters.
Finance director
About: Anna is the director of business and legal affairs, and a founder of Zone. A graduate of Yale University, she received her MBA from the Wharton School of Business and an MSc in International Political Economics from LSE.
Strange but true: Anna has conducted the London Symphony Orchestra and danced with Eric Cantona. But not simultaneously.
Producer
About: Ben joined Zone in January 2011.
Strange but true: Ben once had a holiday job as a lifeguard on Bondi Beach, Sydney, but had to quit because he's allergic to sand.
Editor, RelentlessEnergy.com
About: Besides the day job, Ben is also a DJ, producer, radio host and writer. Music is his be all and end all, apparently…
Strange but true: Ben has four nipples, two of which a doctor confirmed as “accessory nipples”. Party trick!
Deputy editor, 4Food
About: After several years cooking for Michelin-starred chefs in the UK and Japan, Celia moved into food writing. She has written for publications including Time Out and has edited two cookbooks. Before joining Zone as deputy editor on Channel 4Food in June 2011 she was assistant producer at goodfoodchannel.co.uk. In her spare time you’ll usually find her in the kitchen.
Strange but true: Just five minutes’ walk from the Zone office there’s a street named after a not so distant relative of Celia’s – Plender Street.
Senior project editor
About: Charlie graduated with a first class degree and MA in classics, specialising in the role of food and nutrition in Roman medicine. Before returning to food writing, she wrote for History Today and historytoday.com. Like many a journalist before her, Charlie dabbles in writing fiction and had her first work published in January 2007.
Strange but true: As a child, Charlie featured in a Dutch TV programme after the director thought she looked more authentic than the actual Dutch actress.
Designer
About: Chloe began her design life working for a small agency in Nottingham. After a swift move to London she began freelancing at Zone in April 2010 and as of January 2011 became a fully fledged member of staff. She spends her time working on all things web and print for BT Vision.
Strange but true: Chloe had visited over 20 countries before she was 11 years old - that's a lot of flying!
Editor, Channel 4 Paralympics
About: Chris landed in his current position at Zone via a three-month work-experience spell with Icons back in the heady days of 2007. He now throws word-shapes at all manner of subjects, including the work of Tinchy Stryder, Marouane Fellaini’s hairdo and Thomas The Tank Engine.
Strange but true: Former England wicket-keeper Alec Stewart once swore at a ten-year-old version of Chris at a charity cricket match.
Designer
About: Chris began working life as an illustrator, drawing and animating animals to demonstrate the benefits of diesel fuel to Austrians. He has since worked for a variety of glamorous clients as a designer and still dabbles in illustration, which he ‘draws’ on for inspiration in his design work. He was lured to Zone by account director Joanna Martin who promised to split the finder’s fee with him. Will she uphold this promise? With an extravagant lifestyle to maintain only time will tell...
Strange but true: Chris’ band I Love Poland’s first album was stocked in HMV all over the country. Now you can pick up a used copy for £0.01 + £1.26 delivery from Amazon.
Digital commissioning editor, BT Vision
About: Chris started out as a property journalist in 2004, writing about bijou bungalows and boltholes for business magazines and The Times’ Bricks & Mortar section. He then took the wild leap into sports journalism when he joined the BT Vision team in 2007 and now writes and commissions work to promote BT Vision’s entertainment and sport content.
Strange but true: Several scenes of The King’s Speech involving Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush were filmed in Chris’s flat in Kennington. That is not his wall paper.
Account executive
About: After a stint of travelling across Southeast Asia and a few years spent working in account management in events and interior design, Clare has now found her place supporting the Coca-Cola account management team at Zone.
Strange but true: Clare has very odd-looking thumbs, which are unfortunately too small for her hands and are attractively named ‘hammerhead thumbs’. She does, however, share this quirk with Megan Fox… there’s hope for her yet.
Website & Digital Editor, BT Vision
About: Claudia joined Zone in January 2011. Prior to this, she was client-side, largely at the BBC, where she was senior digital producer for drama and entertainment, including the interactive BAFTA-nominated Spooks. A stint in the world of glossy mags followed, as launch editor for ELLEUK.COM and digital editor for Psychologies and Red. Claudia joined Zone from the charity sector, where she led on digital content for the RSPCA and Christian Aid.
Strange but true: Claudia can be seen dancing in the background of a Later... With Jools Holland show. To Travis’ Sing, fact-fans. So, possibly more of a gentle sway, than a dance...
Editor, BT Life's a pitch
About: Dan joined Zone in 2007 to work on BT Vision's sport service. He is now the editor of BT's football website Life's A Pitch. Prior to joining Zone in 2007, Dan wrote for and edited numerous publications and websites about technology, travel and sport.
Strange but true: During his hard-up backpacking days, Dan was once pictured on the front page of the Sydney Morning Herald in a sandwich board promoting a software programme.
Senior developer
About: South African Dom has worked as a developer since 2000. Before joining Zone in August 2008 Dom spent four and a half years working at World Golf Systems where he was responsible for designing and implementing a variety of back end systems.
Strange but true: Aged 12 Dom won a Coca-Cola-sponsored Yo-Yo contest, completing over 180 loop-de-loops to claim first prize
IT Support
About: Du keeps Zone ticking along by looking after PCs, Macs, printers and pretty much everything else with a plug on it. And he never suggests that you "turn it off and turn it on again."
Strange but true: Du was once hired as a wedding photographer, shooting more than 4,000 pictures in three action-packed hours.
Account director
About: A small town girl living the big city dream, Fiona is an experienced online account director having worked on large scale brands in the FMCG, beauty and lifestyle sectors. She's come to London via stints in Sydney and New York.
Strange but true: Fiona grew up in the same small town as Peter Andre. They shared a seven-second pash as teenagers in a game of spin the bottle.
Account manager
About: After graduating from university, Gabrielle jumped straight into the glamorous world of advertising at JWT. Working on accounts such as Rolls-Royce, HSBC and Diageo, she
stayed for the best part of four years before joining Zone.
Strange but true: Gabrielle has been a member of quite a few girl groups in her time. Not only did she once support Cleopatra in concert, she also made it to the last 18 contestants of The X factor in 2006.
Account executive
About: After completing a sociology degree in 2008, Gemma travelled through South East Asia and New Zealand. She returned to London and began her career at advertising agency MWO, working with clients including Alpro and Bosch. Gemma started at Zone in February 2011 working on all things BT as an account executive.
Strange but true: Marco Pierre White made Gemma a swan-shaped cake to take home when she ate at one of his restaurants. Exciting for a two-year-old.
Group editor, Coca-Cola
About: Gina kicked off her career as music editor on the Time Out-style listings magazine, SA Citylife, before moving to the UK in 2001. She joined weightwatchers.co.uk in 2002 and worked her way up to editor. She joined Zone in May 2008 to lead the 4Food team, before moving on to Coca-Cola.
Strange but true: South African Gina spent her very early years in the UK, but didn't make a good impression: she was expelled from her pre-school in Wakefield for hitting a small boy over the head.
Account manager
About: After previously working client side across all media platforms for The Evening Standard, MTV, Walker Books and Bauer Media, Hannah decided to make the jump and moved agency side to work for Zone back in June 2010.
Strange but true: Hannah is proof that sucking your thumb as a child stops it from fully growing. Her left thumb is much smaller than the other one.
Social media strategist
About: Irina joined Zone in February 2011 to complete a secondment at Coca-Cola. Having previously worked for a number of award-winning digital and social media agencies (i-level, Carat, Jam/Engine) Irina now works alongside the editorial and account management teams developing social outreach strategies around clients’ content.
Strange but true: Irina once worked in a glamorous fashion director’s office at Harrods, where she had a rather awkward moment with then owner, Mr Al Fayed, after telling him an un-PC joke.
Art director
About: After seven years of flaunting his wares as a freelancer, Jack was finally wooed by Zone in 2011. He misses the smell of freshly printed ink, although his eyes have gradually adapted to the shape of pixels.
Strange but true: Jack was only three years old when his work was first published – as winner of the Southend Evening Echo Star Wars colouring-in competition.
Account director
About: Originally from New Zealand, Jacqui has over ten years clientside marketing experience in telecommunications and retail at the likes of Telecom NZ, Yellow Pages and WHSmith. Having spent the first half of 2011 travelling around central and south America, Jacqui joined Zone in June 2011 to take on our BT Vision account.
Strange but true: Jacqui loves nothing more than a good cheese joke. In fact she's quite renowned for indulging in the odd 'cheese off' with anyone willing to take on the challenge. On a quite unrelated note, she also has a phobia of large swans.
Picture editor
About: Jade joined Zone in November 2010 and looks after all of their picture needs, having previously worked on the pictures desk of a fashion website. She has also written for several photography magazines and photographs weddings in the summer (www.jadelisaphotography.com – shameless plug, ahem)
Strange but true: Jade once had a photo she had taken published in the Scottish News of the World – next to a picture of a naked Peaches Geldof.
Chief executive
About: James launched Manchester United magazine in 1993 - it became the biggest-selling sports mag in the UK. As Chief Executive of Zone, he's overseen the brand development of some of the world's leading sports and entertainment brands.
Strange but true: James has had dinner with one of the twelve men who have walked on the moon.
Junior video producer
About: Before joining Zone in July 2011, James studied Television Production with Graphic Design at university. He then worked with the BBC for a year facilitating graphic design, animation and digital video workshops.
Strange but true: James is related to the king who killed William Wallace aka Braveheart, and has been a royal courtier in two Hollywood films, fluffing his lines when he attempted to engage in conversation with Scarlett Johansson.
Account director
About: James is a seasoned communications professional. From journalist to copywriter, in-house PR to agency PR, crisis management to multi-layer campaigns, print to digital, public sector to FMCG, he’s done it all and bought the T-shirt.
Strange but true: James has a commendation from the police and has also lived in a squat. Not at the same time.
Video producer
About: Jen joined Zone in April 2010, having previously worked in television. Her TV career began in 2001 as a white van driver in the heady days of property makeover shows. After leaving the Ford Transit behind a year later, she trained at CBBC and moved into live entertainment and reality formats including The Hotel Inspector, Space Cadets and the brilliantly-titled Fat Families, before going on to produce The Richard and Judy Show.
Strange but true: Jen loves Michael Schumacher so much that she took time out of her TV job to work in Formula 1 hospitality. These days she settles for an (almost) life-sized doll of the racing driver.
Chief sub-editor
About: Jo has worked as a journalist for more than eleven years, writing mostly for kids’ and celebrity magazines. She joined Zone in March 2009 as a senior writer before switching to sub-editing.
Strange but true: Bryan McFadden, ex of Westlife and Kerry Katona, called Jo boring because she refused to join in his drinking game.
Account Director
About: Joanna is an experienced online account director who has worked across private and public sector clients over the years on large scale, international design and build projects.
Strange but true: Joanna went to school with one of the Gladiators.
Managing director
About: Jon joined Zone in the summer of 2005. Prior to joining Zone, he edited the award-winning website for London's successful 2012 Olympic Games bid. Before London 2012, he was editor of the travel and leisure website lastminute.com.
Strange but true: Jon once sat in the audience for a recording of the Jerry Springer Show in Chicago
Client services director
About: As Client services director, Karen leads Zone's account management team. Karen has 13 years' media marketing experience, most recently as Head of Marketing at The Evening Standard. She previously worked at The Guardian and The Observer where she was responsible for promotion of their Berliner re-launches as well as managing a number of other major above-the-line campaigns.
Strange but true: Karen auditioned to be a young gorilla in the Hollywood blockbuster Greystoke: The legend of Tarzan, but didn't get a re-call...
Account director
About: Kate is a seasoned online project manager with more than six years' experience managing web design and build projects for the likes of Sainsbury's, eBay, easyJet, the BBC, Matthew Williamson and Jigsaw.
Strange but true: Kate represented Wales at Lacrosse for almost 10 years.
Editor, Coca-Cola
About: Laura went into teaching after graduating from the University of York in 2003, but subsequently found herself flung headlong into the thrilling world of personal finance journalism where she spent four years writing sensible articles about mortgages, insurance and credit cards (but sadly, rarely practising what she preached). She joined Zone in July 2011 and now edits the Coca-Cola corporate websites for Great Britain and Ireland.
Strange but true: During her MA year Laura spent time tutoring the children of the rich and famous, and was once invited to spend the summer on a certain Russian oligarch's yacht as private teacher to his brood.
Senior writer, 4Food
About: Lauren started writing a column for her local newspaper when she was 14, which she's still writing eight years later. Along the way she's also written freelance for Time Out, the British Journalism Review and Shiny Style. Since graduating from UCL in summer 2009 she's worked at The Guardian, written fashion features and columns for Shiny Media and joined Zone as a freelancer on New Look TV in January 2010. She now works on 4Food.
Strange but true: Lauren once cried on Prince Edward after winning an inter-school dance competition. Aged 16.
Junior developer
About: Lydia joined Zone in 2011. After graduating from Oxford with a degree in English Literature in 2008, she moved into publishing, but immediately picked up a programming habit and took on Oxford University Press’s digital archive. She then researched and produced events across Emap’s media events portfolio, particularly in new media and digital industries.
Strange but true: Lydia reached geek nirvana researching representations of Sherlock Holmes for the BBC’s Faulks On Fiction. The first Holmes-branded film appeared in 1900, called The Baffled Detective. It was originally viewed via handle-cranked Mutoscope.
CTO
About: Marc studied Maths at Cambridge and then did a post graduate degree in Computer Science. After working as a Management Consultant, he set up Quantum, specialising in bridging the gap between senior management and IT for blue chip clients. Now a board director, he heads up the development of IT systems and database solutions for our clients.
Strange but true: Marc once had a doctor's certificate allowing him to chew gum at school
Senior account manager
About: A former make-up artist, Marissa joined Zone in May 2009 via Grazia, John Lewis Direct and Family Circle magazine. She is the senior account manager on BT Vision.
Strange but true: In her previous guise as a TV make-up artist, Marissa assisted on a then unknown Kaiser Chief’s music video for Oh My God.
Strategist
About: Matt has degrees from Durham and UCL in English and History of Art. After flirting with a host of interesting jobs, including TEFL teaching, he joined Zone in early 2010. He has previous digital media experience working as a PPC executive.
Strange but true: Matt was once crushed beneath a Coca-Cola vending machine and has felt a close affinity with the brand ever since.
Editorial director
About: Matt began his journalistic career in Hong Kong, interviewing visiting bands and DJs and then mostly losing his dictaphone. In between spells in Australia and on celebrity weeklies he's worked at Zone for many years, on everything from BT Vision to lastminute.com.
Strange but true: Matt played in his school cricket team alongside Ashley Giles. Ashley went on to play for England. Matt didn’t.
Writer, Channel 4 Paralympics
About: Spurning a career as a professional dancer, Mike instead pursued his passion for the written word. Graduating with a degree in journalism, Mike has worked for Comedy Central, Virgin Media and Pan Macmillan as well as Eurosport and The Morning Star as a football reporter. He was also a work experience lad at Icons back in the day.
Strange but true: In what Mike classes as the zenith of his career, he once sold David Miliband a box of vegetable fingers while working in Iceland. The shop that is, not the country.
Recipe sub-editor, 4Food
About: Nancy is a registered Nutritionist, with an MSc from King’s College. After stints at various food magazines, and a long period of 4Food freelancing, she joined the team in September 2010 to look after all things recipe-related.
Strange but true: Nancy grew up in the same village a certain Take That star lived. Aged 9 she would ride her bike up to sit outside. Strange but true - and eventually illegal.
Developer
About: Before joining Zone in 2007, Neil enjoyed a rather different career as a research chemist. He worked at Oxford University and Georgia Tech, Atlanta on organic LEDs and non-linear optics.
Strange but true: Neil is envious of so many Zone employees having met famous people. The most famous person he's met is a cat. He lived with up to 20 Maine Coons in Atlanta, and followed them to the occasional cat show.
Financial controller
About: Nic makes sure all our staff and suppliers get paid on time, which means everyone is very nice to him. He was recently a Junior Fellow of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and directed several ensembles. He is currently studying for an ACCA which is apparently some kind of accounting qualification.
Strange but true: Nic is one of only two Colombian harpsichordists currently living in the UK.
Junior developer
About: Leeds-born Ollie, a .NET developer and University of Manchester computer science graduate, moved south to seek his fame and fortune following a year-long stint travelling Asia, Australia and New Zealand. Before this, he worked as a developer for a large legal firm in Manchester.
Strange but true: Ollie once DJ-ed on a tank on Saturday night at Glastonbury.
Information architect
About: Paul is Zone's lead information architect, determining the structure, specification and user experience for websites, internal management systems, games and phone applications.
Strange but true: In a previous role, Paul once held the memorable job title 'Head of Puzzles'.
Strategy director
About: Ric joined Zone in June 2011 after a decade working as a strategist in advertising for brands such as Sky, Unilever, Channel 4, the COI and Marmite.
Strange but true: Ric’s first school report, when he was five years old, said that he was good at English and maths but “can work himself up into a state when presented with scissors or glue”.
Senior developer
About: Richard has returned for his second stint at Zone having spent the previous three years developing a medical search engine. He works mainly with the technical team to specify, design and develop data-driven websites in ASP.NET.
Strange but true: Richard was once interviewed by an early version of Ali G on Cable TV.
Head of design
About: Rich has been working as a designer for eleven years, moving over to online from print eight and a half years ago. He’s worked both in London and in his home county of Kent, on a wide range of clients, for brands such as Adidas, London 2012, Warner Bros, EA Games, BT and Coca-Cola.
Strange but true: Rich was eight years old on the eighth of the eighth, eighty eight…which apparently was very lucky in Japan.
Editor, Powerade
About: Rob has worked for some of London’s most successful agencies – including CDP, LBi and Proximity – as both client services and creative. He’s also edited a Chelsea fanzine, blogged for Sony Playstation and written threatening letters for TV Licensing.
Strange but true: Rob is persona non grata in both Japan and Sri Lanka. Buy him a drink and he’ll tell you all about it.
Office manager
About: Ros has been at Zone since it started. She looks after reception and ensures that the building (and everyone in it) is ticking over like a well-oiled machine.
Strange but true: Long before her illustrious career here at Zone, Ros demonstrated Spacehoppers for a living.
Editorial assistant
About: Sarah joined Zone in summer 2010 having graduated from Leeds University with a BA in French and Theology. After freelancing stints on the food sites at ITV and Channel 4, Sarah is now the tech queen of the 4Food team, and probably the fastest recipe uploader in London.
Strange but true: Sarah went to school with actress Emma Watson. As Head of House, Sarah got to boss around the Harry Potter star. Which house? Gryffindor, obviously.
Senior account executive
About: Shelly joined Zone in October 2010 after bagging herself a degree in Advertising and Public Relations. This was followed by a spot of freelance Project Management for a lovely Soho digital agency and a stint in online trafficking, but oh boy is she happy to be here managing your accounts on a daily basis.
Strange but true: Shelly's dad was commissioned by NASA to recreate the smell of space for their astronaut training program.
Front-end developer
About: Tim left an agency in Surrey to move to London and a location-based-startup before starting at Zone in March 2011. A fan of tech and design, Tim bridges the gap between design and development.
Strange but true: Tim once had a Big Mac Meal before jumping out of a plane – this was ill-advised.
Copywriter
About: Tom has been a wordsmith for more than six years as a freelancer for clients like Channel 4 and Amazon, and worked for more than two-and-a-half years in the NSPCC's creative department.
Strange but true: Tom auditioned for the part of 'Angry Irish Man' in Martin Scorsese's epic Gangs Of New York while teaching in Rome. He didn't get the role or meet Marty.
Senior Writer, Coca-Cola
About: After graduating from Durham University, Victoria spent a summer in Spain travel-writing for Rough Guides. She then joined the editorial team at Frommer’s Unlimited, where she spent three years creating digital travel content for Whatsonwhen.com and clients such as British Airways, KLM, Hotels.com and John Lewis. Throughout her career, she has also written for Time Out Buenos Aires, InMadrid Magazine and The Daily Mirror.
Strange but true: A keen traveller from a young age, Victoria made her first solo expedition at the age of four when – much to her parents’ horror – she climbed up onto the roof of the house.
Account director
About:
Strange but true:
Art director
About: Zoë has worked as a print designer for over 8 years, on a range of clients from Vodafone to McDonalds. Initially in Milton Keynes and Reading, she later headed south to London after a stint of travelling. She joined Zone as a freelance designer back in September 2009, becoming permanent 15 months later to design and oversee all things BT.
Strange but true: Zoë has Omphalophobia - a fear of belly buttons!