Our “60 Seconds With …” interview today features Pamela Agar, who is speaking in the second morning of the IWMW 2019 event.
1. How do you describe to your friends/parents/next door neighbour what you do for a living?
I usually say something like I work in a university in the communications team, looking after their website and managing projects – not the most exciting answer, but most people I meet don’t have any idea about the complexity of the sector and the roles in it!
2. Tell us something really cool about your job at the moment
Probably the coolest thing in my job at St George’s at the moment is the scale of the projects I’m working on and the impact they will have on the institution. I’m working on a digital transformation project and an institutional rebranding – and it’s so motivating knowing the step change these activities will create for the university and how it tells its story. I love helping to create platforms that facilitate a new approach.
3. What’s the most exciting thing about web and digital in the HE sector right now?
I’m really excited by how much more seriously content strategy is being taken by the sector now. It feels like I hear about another university investing in digital content, user-focused design and digital governance every week, and I hope that means that the sector is at last prioritising its audiences and their needs online.
4. What’s your proudest moment in your career so far?
That’s a tough question after a really varied two decades in the sector! I’ve been lucky that there have been a lot of highlights. My first web redesign at Imperial College London was a pretty special experience as it really changed the direction of my career. Before I took it on, I was focused on events and marketing, but in the absence of anyone else to project manage the redesign, I agreed to take it on – and immediately fell in love with the web. It was such a steep learning curve, and I spent many days doubting myself as I led a team of far more experienced people, but I felt so proud when we successfully reached go live.
5. If you weren’t doing this career what would your dream job be?
Either a documentary producer or a musical theatre actress!
6. What will delegates take away from your session at IWMW this year?
I hope they’ll leave the session with some practical ideas to take back to their own institutions to make more of their content and surface the buried treasures that lurk deep in university websites.
7. Any fond/embarrassing memories of previous IWMW events (if attended previously)?
Not yet…
8. What do you like to do in your spare time?
As a full-time working mum of two, I don’t have a lot of spare time! But when I get a break, I love to be outside with my family either hiking in the countryside or exploring the city. I also love music, singing in a chamber choir in London which rehearses every week – two hours when I totally unplug from devices and responsibilities!
9. What’s your guilty pleasure?
Diet coke, musical theatre and paprika pringles.
10. Sum up IWMW in one word
Supportive
Pamela Agar is a digital communications specialist and project manager with over 20 years of experience in the education and charity sector.
She spent 10 years as Head of Digital and Creative Media at Imperial College London where she directed two institutional website redesigns, the launch of a revamped news channel and student blogs, and an award-winning institutional magazine.
