This year, we’re lucky enough to celebrate Account Director Sean Hand’s 10-year anniversary at Spreckley. From joining as an Account Executive to becoming a key member of our leadership team, Sean has been instrumental in countless campaigns and has helped shape our agency culture.
We sat down with him to reflect on the last decade, discussing standout campaigns, the evolution of PR over that time and key lessons learned along the way.
Contrast your current position with where you started on your first day 10 years ago. What have been the most significant changes?
It might surprise people, but I definitely hit the ground running from day one. Within my first week, I was already writing a whitepaper for a client, just because the leadership knew I was a strong content writer. That experience just highlighted the flat structure we try to embody here to this day; putting the right people where their strengths lie, regardless of role, and giving them the opportunities to prove themselves.
I’m happy that my responsibilities now include being a custodian for the Spreckley company culture. Taking a more senior leadership position has given me time to reflect on the great mentorship received, learning from past approaches and building my own director style. There’s more than one way to succeed, not just at Spreckley but in PR as a whole. But Spreckley definitely gives the space to find your PR path and learn the right lessons.
How has the PR industry changed since you started, both technologically and culturally?
The most obvious shift has been the move to hybrid working. When I started, the office was full every day, which definitely made the social side of work much more spontaneous – we ended up in the pub quite a lot, which is obviously better when you’re younger! Now, company socials need to be a bit more organised, but the flexibility we have is fantastic.
Client relations have also transformed. Before the era of Teams and Zoom, a weekly catch-up call was an actual phone call, as hard as it is to believe. Face-to-face meetings were also a lot more frequent. I think on the whole, there’s a better balance now between virtual and face-to-face contact, which has helped make in-person time more productive. The sweet spot for public relations comes from understanding just how much contact is enough without being too much, understanding each client’s nuances and how best to manage those relationships. Even as time has passed, that truth remains the same.
What are some key milestones in your time at Spreckley that helped you get to where you are today?
I’d say that the biggest promotion milestone for me was moving from Senior Account Executive to Account Manager level. That leap in particular is probably the most challenging one for anyone looking to advance in this industry. You gain a lot more responsibility in a short space of time and need to focus heavily on problem-solving, so you need to constantly be on the ball and be ready to be the person the client comes to for most queries.
In my case, it took time to develop not just the core PR skills but even the more confidence-related skills needed to manage accounts and teams effectively, which is an ongoing development step even once you get there. Once I made that step, the Director level, which earlier in my career seemed more daunting, felt like an achievable and natural evolution.
My most satisfying achievements at Spreckley have come from perseverance and development. I’ve probably worked on at least 30 strong PR campaigns since being at Spreckley, and even though these can have tough times, pushing through to deliver results makes the job all the more satisfying. It makes me appreciate what we’re doing here at Spreckley all the more.
Richard, our CEO, has been there for the entirety of my Spreckley experience, taking me from Account Executive level right through to Account Director, so it’s easy to credit a lot of it to him. For me now, reaching a position to help guide and watch colleagues develop is a rewarding milestone in itself. I’ve been able to take a more active role in recruitment, shaping our Spreckley team, and mentoring new industry entrants into the professionals of tomorrow. Overall, it’s great to do my bit in retaining and developing talent in the same way I was guided.
Looking back over the entire decade, what campaigns stand out as some that you’re most proud of?
One of the earliest Spreckley milestone moments for me was a campaign back in 2016 for Promon, a Norwegian enterprise security company. I was still a Senior Account Executive, but I was given free rein to take the lead. We pitched a demonstration showing how a Tesla could be located, unlocked and driven away just by hacking its companion app – a pretty unique and cool sell for a B2B PR campaign.
The coverage went absolutely wild. We secured massive hits in Forbes and Fortune, as well as global media coverage across more than 20 countries. It was a moment where I felt I was cementing myself as a reliable, dependable member of the team, and I even surprised myself with the quality of results I could deliver when taking the helm.
Beyond specific campaigns, I’m proud of some of the long-term client relationships built over my Spreckley career. Working with Kyocera, for example, has been massively rewarding, as we’ve continuously delivered and broadened the relationship in the last few years. A more recent account, Exotec, is also a highlight, as it has grown so much over the past three years thanks to a strong PR campaign, a great account team here at Spreckley, and a client who is really nice to work with.
Similarly, working with Databarracks has allowed us to build a strong relationship with the client both inside and outside of work. It’s one of our longest-standing clients, so when I began working on the account, there were some unique challenges to get to grips with and high standards to meet. The good thing about a client like this is that the biggest challenges often lead to your strongest, most rewarding allies and relationships. I’ve formed a strong relationship with the Databarracks team since then, and they were even kind enough to join us for our latest charity football tournament – where the Spreckley team won a tight game on penalties!
Staying with one organisation for 10 years shows incredible commitment. What has kept you engaged and loyal for so long?
Let’s be honest: I don’t think many people join a company in their 20s and fully believe from the off that they’ll be there for the next decade. But what has kept me here is the fact that Spreckley has always had a certain energy and character I appreciate. The people here take their work seriously, as they should, but don’t take themselves too seriously. Despite how much we’ve evolved as a business during my time here, Spreckley has never been a bog-standard PR agency, and there are a lot of things that we do here that aren’t replicated across other firms.
The constant support from leadership, particularly Richard, of course, has been a huge factor. I’ve always been given a lot of ownership and now feel a responsibility as a custodian for that company culture. Continuing to offer balance and support for those entering and establishing their PR careers, whilst ensuring we avoid the more toxic working practices the industry is often known for, is something that really motivates me. That, combined with perks like the flexibility of work, has made it a place I want to stay.
How have you changed as a professional from the person who started here 10 years ago?
The biggest change has been developing a growth mindset and learning to be more confident and resilient in the face of challenges. There’s a natural progression where tasks that once seemed difficult become second nature. Certain things that used to bother you, like difficult client relationships, don’t ruin your day. Instead of getting bogged down by the problems, experience has given me the certainty and ability to focus on coming up with solutions.
This perspective is something I now try to impress on the junior team. It’s good to be able to reassure them that mistakes aren’t career-enders, and instead are an opportunity to learn so they avoid making the same mistake in future. Honestly, seeing people get bothered by a mistake just shows that they care, and that’s the right quality to have.
Beyond the professional skills, what important life lessons have you learned from challenges faced at Spreckley?
One of the most important lessons has come through learning how to maintain a good work-life balance and pursuing a sense of fulfilment over everything. Life is too short to be miserable at work, so you want to be in a position where you actually want to go to work in the morning and feel motivated by work-related challenges, rather than daunted by them. The work-life balance element is something I think we do really well at Spreckley, especially compared to our industry in general.
I’ve also learned that both at work and in life in general, you should never let things get stale. It’s important to keep developing, find new challenges and get out of your comfort zone once in a while. This mindset has helped me become a lot calmer and more resilient under pressure.
How have the relationships you’ve built with colleagues influenced your experience and success here?
Spreckley has always been full of characters, and everyone brings good qualities to the table in their own ways. We don’t want an agency of robots; it’s far better to have different people bringing different energies to the business, as it means you have diverse qualities to meet the needs of different clients. I’ve built lots of great relationships with people during my time here, some of whom are still with the business, and others who have since moved on.
I think it’s only fair I name-drop a couple of former colleagues who have had a major impact on my development. I attribute a lot of my meticulous approach to work to learning under former director Jessica Davis, whose approach to client relations set a benchmark for me to follow.
Another former director, Nick Bird, who sadly passed away in 2021, was someone I learnt a huge amount from. He’d also been at Spreckley for many years, and was always great with clients, great with people in general, and led with a tactful approach to every part of his role. He was very good at the nurturing aspect of the job too, which is something I aim to replicate in my role today. The example he set is something that guides me every day.
As someone now responsible for hiring, what are the qualities you look for in a new candidate, and what advice would you give to someone looking to enter the industry?
A lot of our recruitment efforts at Spreckley focus on hiring at more junior levels, as we find it’s very effective to bring in less experienced but talented individuals who have a flair for the role and the right personality, and then mould them to our philosophy and encourage them to grow within the business.
Intelligence is a vital trait I look for, and I don’t mean it purely in the academic sense. I prioritise people who can think independently, have natural problem-solving skills, and show a drive and understanding that go beyond any of the usual cliched statements that you hear in interviews. Being a good writer is also crucial! People who tick all of the above boxes tend to be those we can rely on to bring the consistency and creativity we need from day one.
Just as important to me is finding people with the right blend of drive and decency. I’ll always prioritise candidates who I believe will work well with others and be a positive cultural fit. It’s more than just being polite: it’s about being collaborative, sharing ideas with your team, and celebrating your colleagues’ successes just as much as your own.
As for advice for new entrants to the PR industry, looking at the usual attributes like an agency’s client base and track record is always key. However, it’s also really important to get a feel for the working culture. There are plenty of agencies out there with a less-than-brilliant culture and work-life balance, so find out what you can during the interview process. Other than that, it’s important to demonstrate your personality, work ethic and character as best you can. A good interviewer, in my view, will ask a few casual questions at the start of the interview to help you relax before diving into the serious stuff!
Looking to the future, what are you most excited about for the next chapter at Spreckley, and what do you hope your legacy will (eventually) be?
There’s a lot to be excited about as far as Spreckley’s future is concerned. Being involved in new business – and working closely with Richard and the rest of the senior leadership team – means I get to hear plenty about our strategic plans and play a role in bringing them to fruition, whilst also continuing to help our team members grow and develop.
As for legacy and lasting impact, I hope to be remembered as someone who did things the right way, not just professionally but personally too. I always hope to be someone others look back on and say, “he’s good to work with, listened when I needed support, and helped me develop.” A bad boss creates bad employees, and I would never want to be a negative influence on someone’s development. If you create a supportive environment that energises and inspires people, they do their best work. Imparting that lesson to the next generation of industry professionals at Spreckley is the most important thing to me.
Taking a month-long sabbatical this year, where I travelled around South America, was a great reminder of the value of broadening your perspectives and stepping out of your comfort zone. It’s important to do things that make you feel a bit nervous or uncomfortable now and again, just to challenge yourself and try something new. It’s left me refreshed and ready for the next ten years, but another month off would be nice too!