James Barry

PR Executive

At just 22, James has earned a reputation throughout Mitie as a corporate communications subject matter expert. Via a short stint in a garden centre whilst he worked out what he wanted to do, James joined Mitie straight from school as our first PR and Communications Apprentice. With his determined attitude, it wasn’t a surprise when he passed with Distinction. In a short time, in a very large business, James has built a strong network, receiving widespread recognition for his professionalism and skill. This extends to Mitie’s Group Executive (MGX) including the Chief Executive and Chief People Officer. In our business, exposure to the most senior people is unusual for someone at James’s level. Few PR professionals have had the exposure to issues management as early in their careers as James has. James manages press responses to mitigate issues including as part of the out of hours rota. His successes include working over the weekend to on a highly sensitive issue, resulting in no mention of Mitie in the piece. An enviable result for anyone. As Mitie’s first PR apprentice, James has set an example of the career success that can be achieved via apprenticeships. Going above and beyond day-to-day responsibilities, he’s also used his experience to champion apprenticeships more widely. He played a leading role in Mitie’s campaigning to reform the Apprenticeship Levy, an important strand in our people and skills strategy, boosting our relationships with key political stakeholders. Hardworking, a role model, and team player, that consistently produces high quality work of a standard well above his level and years of experience – James is an asset to Mitie.