Niall Hughes
Sydney Business Director at Thrive PR
Winner of Professional of the Year (Silver) in the PRIA’s Golden Target Awards, Niall has over 15 years of experience in PR and communications spanning the UK and Australia. A strong communicator and leader, he leads with enthusiasm and strategic thinking to get the best out of his team and deliver award winning campaigns that drive success for clients.
Niall is driven by his desire to create an inclusive industry and has spoken at the shEqual SH!FT panel on the representation of women in marketing creative and has also pioneered a new disability employment scheme within his current organisation.
In his work, Niall specialises in developing creative, holistic PR campaigns across Industries. This has included corporate energy transition and sustainability, commercial construction, alcohol and drug harm prevention, gender equality, disability employment, health, travel, entertainment and lifestyle. This work has covered Schneider Electric, Myfitnesspal, Nestlé Purina, Partners in Performance, The National Growth Areas Alliance, shEqual, Arthritis NSW, atWork Australia, ICC Sydney and more.
Career & Background
What inspired you to do what you are doing now?
I like being creative and strategic in what I do for work. I am also motivated by building a team around a vision of the future that allows everyone to contribute as their authentic selves.
Could you tell us a bit about your professional background?
I’ve worked in PR for over 15 years across the UK and Australia. This year I won the PRIA Golden Target: PR Professional of the Year (Silver) Award for my dedication to best practice and DE&I. My experience ranges from launching the UK’s first advert for dogs to leading the communications for an industry leading summit on corporate and consumer digitalisation, electrification and decarbonisation.
What drives and inspires you
What are your core values?
- Belonging
- Justice
- Making a difference
- Fairness
- Empathy
Who is your biggest inspiration and why?
I like being creative and strategic in what I do for work. I am also motivated by building a team around a vision of the future that allows everyone to contribute as their authentic selves.
Your favourite food for thought
Books
- Atomic Habits (to understand how to drive personal growth)
- Freakonomics (to question what motivates people)
- Surrounded by Idiots (to help classify and understand people)
Podcasts / Thought Leaders
- James Clear – Atomic Habits Podcast (self growth)
- The Daily Aus (news)
- Sarah Pascoe – Sex, Power, Money (gender equality)
You as a Mentor
Why have you decided to become a mentor?
I want to help the next generation of professionals in their careers, especially those that are currently under-represented in the modern workforce. I think a mentor would have helped me immensely in my junior career and now , as the friend that people come to with their work issues, I think I could help someone else.
What are the top skills or qualities you bring to mentoring?
- Asking powerful questions
- Empathic
- Non-judgemental
- Passionate
- Willing to be vulnerable
Ready to apply?
The best time is right now. Take a chance – you never know where an Assisterhood mentor can take you.