It’s a new season here at Filtered Media. Lots of new things.

We’ve incorporated as a new company – The Filtered Group Pty Ltd – and moved into new office space in Wahroonga. (And that gave us an excuse to buy new computers too, which makes us happy.)

We’re also in the process of conducting a strategic review of the business, focused on three primary divisions:

1. Filtered Media – digital media production, freelance journalism, public speaking and events.
2. Filtered Communications – executive communication skills coaching, public relations, and corporate digital content production.
3. Filtered Causes – digital media and communications services for non-profit and cause-related organisations.

We’ll have more to say as the strategy takes shape, but it’s been amazing to see the business grow in each of these areas over the past 12 months.

Meanwhile, if you’re new to this site, contact us.

Onwards!

Before Heather finished up at Lenovo, she made a short speech at the annual Make-A-Wish Ball in Sydney. It gives you an idea of her passion for corporate social responsibility, and her ability to get 2,000 people eating dinner to actually pay attention! (Excuse the dodgy camera work – I shot it on a small digital camera.)

We’ve got some exciting news to announce today.

Heather Jones, an awesomely talented communications exec who just happens to be my wife, has started her own corporate communications and social investments consultancy – Filtered Communications.

As Media Connect wrote today (subscribers-only, full copy below), the opportunity came about as a result of a redundancy package. It was good timing – this business idea has been in the works for some time.

The big picture story is that we’re setting up an new entity called Filtered Media Group. I remain director of Filtered Media, our digital media services division. Heather is director of Filtered Communications, a practice focused on corporate communications, social investments and corporate social responsibility.

The idea behind this structure is that it will allow us to focus on our different areas of expertise (and different client bases), while taking advantage of complimentary skills.

It’s early days, so I’ll write more about what we are doing soon. But until then, you can email heather [at] filteredmedia.com.au  and read the Media Connect story below (republished with Media Connect’s kind permission):

Jones takes redundancy, launches business

Tiffany Blatchford, IT Journo / Media Connect

Heather Jones, Lenovo’s former communications director for Australia and New Zealand, will launch her own Corporate Communications and Social Investments consultancy practice, Filtered Communications, following her redundancy earlier this month from the PC maker.

Filtered Communications will operate as a division of Filtered Media, a digital media and social networking consultancy, founded in 2007 by Jones’ husband, technology and business journalist, Mark Jones. The new Filtered Communications arm will “focus on corporate communications and values-based leadership coaching, as well as social investments consulting, for medium to large Australian companies and their internal management teams,” Jones said.

Describing her redundancy from Lenovo as being “of mutual advantage to both parties”, Jones explained she had been keen to pursue new opportunities anyway, and was looking forward to seeing if she could make a go of running her own business.

“I’m very excited about the leadership coaching aspect of my new business. I’ll be helping managers and senior executives identify what makes them personally successful in their leadership roles, and what makes the company successful, then marrying the two together,” said Jones.

Jones also expressed a lot of enthusiasm for social investment consulting because this is “a real moment in time”, when companies are becoming more aware of their corporate social responsibilities.

“Companies are beginning to understand that they have a responsibility to society and the environment, without always knowing how to manage that,” said Jones. “Social investment coaching is about helping companies develop successful corporate social responsibility strategies. I believe passionately in the power of strategic CSR to help build a brand, attract new staff, particularly gen Y’s, who are passionate about social justice issues, while importantly, positively impacting the communities and people the brand serves.”

According to Jones, during the course of her 14-year PR career and personal interests, she has developed firm connections to various NGO’s and philanthropic associations, as well as Australian business leaders, and these contacts will allow her to assist companies to develop their corporate brands, and better understand the charity landscape. She will be “industry-agnostic”, believing corporate communications and CSR skills reach across any industry, but acknowledges technology as her homeland.

When asked what she is most looking forward to about embarking on her new business venture, Jones said it would be the flexibility and autonomy, and being able to apply her skills to focus more intentionally on things she’s most passionate about.

Prior to her comms director role with Lenovo, Jones was the Asia Pacific communications manager for IBM’s PC division, and was instrumental in the management of the acquisition locally of the division by Lenovo back in 2005. She is proud of the progress the company has made in establishing its own presence and identity in the Australian and New Zealand market since that time, and her role in that process.

Jones was one of a number of redundancies made by Lenovo earlier this month. While not willing to give specifics regarding the round of redundancies, a Lenovo spokesperson said: “In an intensely competitive market such as this, Lenovo is focused on fine-tuning operational efficiency in order to keep bringing superior value to our customers. As part of a recent set of initiatives to make the organisation more competitive, some roles in the company have, unfortunately, needed to be phased out.”