Meet the Internal Communications Manager

We’ve started a campaign to help you get to know some of the people who work at Nest!

This time, meet Jess Pether one of our Internal Communications Managers!

Find out how Jess got to where she is today and what her absolute passion is. There’s a hint in the photo above!

What is your role at Nest?

I’m an Internal Communications Manager at Nest and I joined in January 2022. My first few weeks were remote, which was a strange experience. The main focus of my role is planning and delivering internal events for staff. These can be anything from a full-day in-person conference to virtual business update sessions, or from a festive party to our annual Hatchlings’ Day, where colleagues bring the children in their life into the office. I also write articles for our intranet, act as a business partner to several internal project teams and generally work across Nest to make sure our people are kept informed.

How did you get to where you are today?

When I left school, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do so I entered the world of work for six years. It was the best decision I could’ve made as it taught me about what I was good at and enjoyed. I then studied journalism at the University of Salford. A few of my modules centred around public relations, which really interested me. The world of comms is closely linked so I ended up going into that field instead. I’ve worked my way up from a two-person charity where the office was a garden shed to a shiny building in Canary Wharf!

What is the most interesting part of your role?

I love working with people. I’ve always been a people person and love communicating with anyone and everyone. Getting to know people from all kinds of backgrounds is fascinating to me and Nest is full of diversity. I’ve also recently become the co-chair of Nest’s mental health working group, which is something I’m really passionate about. As someone who suffers from anxiety and has experienced depression in the past, I make it a priority to support others who are going through similar experiences. It’s so important to talk about these things to help get rid of the stigma around them.

What do you like about working for Nest?

It has to be the people. From day one, I’ve met so many kind, supportive and helpful people, who go above and beyond to assist when needed. I’ve made some great friends. I also love that we have diversity, equity and inclusion groups in place that cover everything from race, gender, disability, faith and more. It really feels like an inclusive place to work with a great culture.

What do you like to do in your free time?

In my free time I’m a bit of a drama queen! My hobby is musical theatre and I’ve been performing in amateur shows since the age of 11, which was 28 years ago now. I’m a member of a local theatre group and we usually put on two shows a year. We rehearse for six months a couple of times a week and then we perform the show at a local theatre across four nights. Theatre is my absolute passion and a huge part of my life that I couldn’t live without. The last show I performed in was Made in Dagenham, which was a fantastic experience as I live in Essex close to where the events took place. I also combine my love of writing with theatre and often review shows.