#WeLeadComms: Renna Markson

UK-based business consultant and entrepreneur Renna Markson is today’s #WeLeadComms honoree.

In her words:

“I have never done the day to day work of a communications professional. Instead, I got my knowledge of the industry from the outside in, having spent eight years at the PRCA. I worked alongside professionals from every part of the comms industry, including agencies, in-house teams, academics, and individual practitioners, both in the UK and internationally. I built relationships across all of them, and through those relationships I came to understand the highs and lows, the opportunities and the challenges, of a sector I was never part of in the same way they were.

“That perspective is a unique one, and it is something those of us who have worked in membership bodies are lucky enough to have. I have no experience in comms, but I have a great deal of experience with comms.

“People who work in membership bodies tend to stay in membership, moving between organisations representing different industries. They are membership experts first, and they learn the industry their organisation represents. I think that is the right order. The knowledge you need of a new industry is not the same as the knowledge you would need to work in it. It is about understanding the overall landscape of an industry, the challenges it faces, and where it is heading.

“I founded Markson Partners in 2025, a consultancy built on a simple principle, to help organisations engage, evolve, and grow. We work with membership and professional bodies, comms agencies, startups, and SMEs, on the operational side of their growth, from operational efficiency reviews and business foundations to strategies to support their growth.

“My ambition is for Markson Partners to feel like an extension of the team, rather than a traditional consultancy. I want clients to get the practical, hands-on strategic input they would expect from a large consultancy, but without the huge price tag or the inflexibility that can come with it.

“Although I have never been a communications practitioner myself, the communications industry has shaped a significant part of my career. The relationships I have built, and the insight I have gained from working alongside so many talented professionals, continue to influence how I work today.”

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