Outstanding Military Communicators Honoured

The Worshipful Company of Communicators held its annual Military Communicator Awards at Stationers’ Hall in London on Friday evening (October 23), attended by including senior representatives from all three Services and leading communications industry professionals.General Dame Sharon Nesmith, Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, presented the Military Communicator of the Year awards, recognising outstanding achievements in communications by military personnel and civil servants. BAE Systems was the headline sponsor for the event.

Army Military Communicator of the Year

The Army Military Communicator of the Year award went to Lieutenant Colonel Jill Wildish, SO1 Comms & Engagement (Army Executive) at Army Headquarters.For three decades, Jill has demonstrated an exceptional and sustained commitment to communications excellence, combining academic achievement, operational experience and an unwavering determination to raise professional standards. Her career began in the Government Information and Communication Service in the mid-1990s, taking her from post-conflict Bosnia to becoming the Army’s first deployable Brigade Press Officer with 5 Airborne Brigade. Since then her expertise has been tested across the globe, from Op Telic 1 in Iraq, Kenya and Rwanda to Egypt, Belize, Brunei, Cyprus, Poland, Ukraine and even Japan for the Winter Olympics.

Alongside an operationally demanding career, Jill has consistently invested in her own development. She completed the Chartered Institute of Marketing Diploma and an MA in Strategic Marketing Management while working full-time as a PR Director for Lawton Communications, attended the Army Command and Staff Course, and in December 2023 achieved Chartered Practitioner status with the CIPR. She is now the only Defence representative in a Government Communication Service cohort undertaking an MSc in Strategic Communication Leadership.As Commanding Officer of the Army’s Operational Media and Communications Group, she drove improvements in training and performance, and she has championed CPD, innovation and new approaches to countering disinformation. A Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Communicators, she also supports servicewomen’s, multifaith and LGBT networks, and is a D&I Practitioner and Mental Health First Aider.

RAF Military Communicator of the Year

The RAF Military Communicator of the Year award went to Becky Vobe, Head of Digital Content at RAF Media & Communications.As Head of RAF Digital Content, Becky makes an outstanding contribution to the Service’s digital communications, enhancing its reputation and delivering communications that demonstrably support RAF strategic objectives. She has directed improvements to the RAF’s website, making it more user-friendly and interactive, and used extensive insight and analysis to make the RAF’s social media content more engaging and relevant to target audiences. Her monthly evaluation reports, shared across the communications team, show what content works and why, with recommendations to help colleagues.

Despite having worked in communications for a relatively short time, Becky consistently demonstrates remarkable acumen. She has volunteered for demanding roles, acting as the RAF’s media spokesperson and deploying to RAF Akrotiri for several weeks to support the Station’s communications in the wake of a hostile drone strike. An adept media minder, she has overseen engagements involving Ministers and senior RAF leaders.Her most notable achievement is the development of a young, inexperienced team, who have flourished under her supportive and measured leadership, resulting in social media posts with greater reach and engagement than at any time previously.

Royal Navy Military Communicator of the Year

The Royal Navy Military Communicator of the Year award went to Lieutenant Commander Craig Purvis, Media Operations Officer at RN Communications and Influence.At a time of heightened uncertainty, Craig has been at the forefront of the Royal Navy’s rapid response to emerging events. He accompanied BBC journalists embarked on a destroyer responding to missile attacks in the Red Sea, managed a multinational media cell in Australia, and created and led the Royal Navy’s media response to events in the Strait of Hormuz. He has a keen eye for overlooked activity and for the human stories behind operations. During HMS ANSON’s first-ever logistics and maintenance stop in Australia by a British submarine, he turned what could have been a routine maintenance story into a series of personal vignettes capturing the crew’s experiences and the warmth shown by local Australians, helping shift perceptions from scepticism to a greater appreciation of the benefits of AUKUS.

Craig has also driven root-and-branch changes in how Royal Navy Reserve support to media operations is coordinated, creating a network able to meet growing demand for qualified media specialists across the Fleet. He has gone above and beyond to coordinate photographic support, ensuring photographers have clear storyboards and the freedom to innovate and capture compelling content.

Civil Service Military Communicator of the Year

The Civil Service Military Communicator of the Year award went to Ranald Dinsdale, Chief Press Officer (Security) at the Ministry of Defence’s Directorate of Defence Communications.Ranald has had an exceptionally busy year leading the MOD Press Office’s Security desk, ensuring communications activity supports wider objectives from deterring adversaries to highlighting how the UK Armed Forces are keeping the country safe. During the Iran crisis he was the figurehead of a multi-disciplinary team that brought civilian and military communicators together to deliver daily operational updates, rebut inaccurate and misleading news lines, and produce media releases and facilities showing how UK forces were working in the region to protect UK citizens and allies.

Ranald also played a leading role in the department’s response to Russia’s nefarious activity in and around UK waters, supporting a Defence Secretary speech and press conference at No.10 Downing Street exposing a foiled operation by Russian submarines. He has led several announcements on UK support for Ukraine, including drone and air defence production, and has travelled to Ukraine, Estonia and Iceland in support of ministers.Calm under pressure and valued across Defence for his knowledge, judgement and ability to bring people together, his contribution has played a significant role in ensuring Defence communicates with confidence, credibility and impact during a period of high operational tempo and heightened international tensions.

Master Communicator Justine McGuinness said: “Tonight’s awards celebrate communicators who deliver under extraordinary pressure, from operational theatres to the heart of government. In an age of disinformation, their work builds trust, tells the stories of those who serve and protects the reputation of our Armed Forces. We are delighted that General Dame Sharon Nesmith could join us to recognise their skill, professionalism and dedication.”

[Guests included Sheriff of the City of London, Alderman Tim Levene. This year’s Guest of Honour and main speaker was General Dame Sharon Nesmith.

General Dame Sharon Nesmith DCB ADC serves as Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, deputising for the Chief of the Defence Staff in the second most senior position in the British Armed Forces. Raised in Northumberland, she was commissioned into the Royal Corps of Signals in 1992 and served in Germany, the Balkans and Iraq. She was the first woman to command a brigade and the first to command a divisional-level formation, and in 2021 became the first woman to command at two-star level as General Officer Commanding Army Recruiting and Initial Training Command. In August 2022 she became Deputy Chief of the General Staff and the first woman to hold the rank of lieutenant general in the British Army, before being promoted to general and appointed Vice Chief of the Defence Staff and Aide-de-Camp General to the King in June 2024. She is a Dame Commander of the Order of the Bath.