Youngest CEO in UK PR: Heather Blundell on Breakthrough Moments
Tue Jan 27 2026
In this episode of the PRCA Fuse Podcast, Heather Blundell, UK CEO at Grayling, breaks down how she built a standout career in agency life, while juggling leadership, motherhood, and the fight for real equity at work.
We talk about:
The meeting she thought would end in being fired… and instead ended with her becoming Managing Director at Weber ShandwickWhy women often don’t throw their hat in the ring and how to seize rare breakthrough momentsMoving from Edelman to Weber Shandwick to Ketchum and finally to Grayling as UK CEOModeling motherhood and leadership while living in Manchester and leading from LondonHow Grayling achieved a 0% gender pay gap and 50/50 gender representation at board and advisory levelWhy diversity of thought, background and experience is now a commercial advantage, not a box‑ticking exerciseHeather’s biggest piece of advice for people starting out in PR: put your hand up and chase the work others avoid________________________________________________________
Connect:LinkedIn: Heather BlundellWebsite: www.grayling.com
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Follow Adrian Ma on Social Media:LinkedIn: Adrian Ma - Fanclub PR | Fanclub PRWebsite: Fanclub PR
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Like and subscribe if you enjoyed this episode! Podcast Manager and Producer: Ike Mgbenwelu
ike.mgbenwelu@prca.global LinkedIn: Ike Mgbenwelu
Socials: PRCA_HQ
Disclaimer: Views expressed by the guest are their own and not necessarily endorsed by the Fuse podcast.
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In this episode of the PRCA Fuse Podcast, Heather Blundell, UK CEO at Grayling, breaks down how she built a standout career in agency life, while juggling leadership, motherhood, and the fight for real equity at work. We talk about: The meeting she thought would end in being fired… and instead ended with her becoming Managing Director at Weber ShandwickWhy women often don’t throw their hat in the ring and how to seize rare breakthrough momentsMoving from Edelman to Weber Shandwick to Ketchum and finally to Grayling as UK CEOModeling motherhood and leadership while living in Manchester and leading from LondonHow Grayling achieved a 0% gender pay gap and 50/50 gender representation at board and advisory levelWhy diversity of thought, background and experience is now a commercial advantage, not a box‑ticking exerciseHeather’s biggest piece of advice for people starting out in PR: put your hand up and chase the work others avoid________________________________________________________ Connect:LinkedIn: Heather BlundellWebsite: www.grayling.com ______________________________________________________ Follow Adrian Ma on Social Media:LinkedIn: Adrian Ma - Fanclub PR | Fanclub PRWebsite: Fanclub PR _______________________________________________________ Like and subscribe if you enjoyed this episode! Podcast Manager and Producer: Ike Mgbenwelu ike.mgbenwelu@prca.global LinkedIn: Ike Mgbenwelu Socials: PRCA_HQ Disclaimer: Views expressed by the guest are their own and not necessarily endorsed by the Fuse podcast.