Geraldine Sharpe-Newton

Board Mentor
Criticaleye

Geraldine has had a 30-year career in media relations and corporate communications, working in the US and the UK.

She has been head of communications for three of the world's major news organisations, CBS News (New York), ITN (London) and CNN International. Her early experience in American broadcast journalism led her to become one of the first public relations executives to specialise in the electronic media. Geraldine worked for Burson-Marsteller Public Relations in New York where she covered all sectors from Fortune 500 companies to some of the worlds great wines. She handled the U.S. launch of The Economist and became a Vice President at Simon & Shuster Publishing, where she advised sports figures, politicians and writers. Leading ITN's Press & Public Affairs operation for nine years brought her to the heart of British and European politics, news and cultural life. This crucial experience she then took to the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) as Communications Director, and later to Turner Broadcasting as Senior Vice President in charge of international press relations outside of the US, among them CNN International and the Cartoon Network. She was Co- Managing Director of SharpeMcKenna and a Director of First Take, both former media strategy consultancies.

Currently, she is an associate with Clarity, the Writing Experts and is President of The Media Society. She has been UK chairman of the International Womens Forum, and is a long-time member of Soho House,The Arts Club, and Groucho Club.

Recently she has become a Specialist Business mentor for the Prince's Trust as well as The School for Creative Start-ups. She is also an Editorial Intelligence Ambassador and on the Board of Advisors of The Global Thinkers Forum. Geraldine is a Criticaleye Board Mentor and is now an independent consultant and on the Board of Theatre 503 and the Development Committee of The Tricycle Theatre.