The awarding of an MBE recognises Susan’s national and international reputation for digital excellence. Prince Charles, on behalf of Her Majesty The Queen, presented Susan with her MBE at Buckingham Palace on 6 June
Susan is an enthusiastic and inspirational leader in the digital field. Her pragmatic and infectious passion for making businesses successful on the internet has been shared with thousands of businesses across the UK and internationally. Her thought leadership benefits a wide range of businesses, from multinationals to startups.
Her innovative approach to digital marketing benefits not only the business community, but extends as well to her own agency, Hallam, which she founded in 2000. Now employing more than 50 people, Hallam has experienced rapid expansion and growth, and are already looking to recruit 9 new team members in 2018.
Susan leads a team of digital specialists whose innovative work has been recognised by winning a wide range of peer-reviewed digital marketing industry awards. Hallam has also won local accolades including Nottingham’s Creative Business of the Year 2017, and Susan has personally won the Women in Business Awards Creative Business of the Year
I had the chance to catch up with Susan and ask her a bit more about her MBE, and where she feels the world of digital marketing is heading.
Congratulations on Your MBE, Susan. Has It Had Time to Sink In?
I have to admit when the brown government envelope appeared in my post at home, I thought it might be the tax man chasing me. Instead, it was a letter from the Cabinet Office informing me that the Prime Minister was proposing my name to the Queen for the honour of an MBE.
To be frank, I couldn’t believe it – and who would have thought all those years ago as a little girl in America that I would be receiving an honour from the Queen!
I’ve had to keep the knowledge of the award secret since mid-November or so. It’s given me a chance to reflect on my amazing colleagues at Hallam, and I see this award as recognition for all the brilliant people I work with.
The MBE reflects especially on my work at Hallam, but my digital career also extends over my time as a senior lecturer in Computing at Nottingham Trent University, as well as the pioneering work I did at BT in delivering the internet to small businesses in the UK.
