Hi, I’m Phil, the founder of Leave Dates, a UK-based HR tech company known for its user-friendly and straightforward approach.

We help you manage and track employee leave, giving you complete visibility of staff time off while reducing admin.

Managing employee holidays is a crucial HR issue for many small and medium-sized businesses. By focusing on this specific problem, our solution is incredibly easy to set up and use.

What’s more, you won’t have to pay for an expensive HR platform that includes features you don’t need or understand.

In 2024, we were recognised with the Capterra Shortlist and named GetApp Category Leader, based on over 250 customer reviews and an average rating of 4.8 out of 5.

If you’re looking to elevate your HR function, let’s connect! 🌐

Phil Norton

Sustineri Futurum

Consultancy specialising in strategy, ESG, communications and employee capacity building.

Leave Dates 
Transforming workplace culture, one digital product at a time!Defining and building nurture sequences taking prospects from unawareness through strategic partnerships.  

Turner & Townsend
Leading Tuner and Townsends Net Zero Strategy and the regular quarterly reporting with regional leads across the world.

BYP Network
Scaling the BYP community. Developing organisational vision, messaging, define audience segments and strategic growth plans.
Build engaging brand and customer experiences around key product and service delivery.

Aurora50
Leading the social impact communications strategy for gender balance on executive boards in the UAE. Managing sustainability initiatives to minimise the company’s environmental impacts (and associated risks) and maximise Aurora50 positive contributions to the world through its people and programmes.

Endava PLC
Development and delivery group level ESG strategy for the business, shaping a framework that is in line with the vision and values of Endava.
Improving ESG performance globally through requirement audits including Helios, EcoVardis, SASB, UN SGD's and GRI, laying the groundwork to become a B'Corp business. Delivered Endava's first sustainability report, helping to enact real change in the business approach to sustainability and its environmental impact. 

DeedStar 
On a mission to transform the act of charitable giving, for the way people live & do good in the C21st, working in partnership with  corporates, charities & consumers building a platform for greater long-term social & environmental responsibility.
Development of DeedStar brand, including product development, marketing & PR strategy globally.

Director

PhotoVoice

I work in partnership with the the executive team to set PhotoVoice's strategic vision. Providing expert support in marketing, digital transformation and business strategy, providing effective scrutiny and challenge, monitoring the strategic performance and budget spend.

Achievements 
I helped to pivot the business model during Covid pandemic and launch a digital programme helping to secure & maintain 60% of revenues and ensure the business can continue to operate in the medium term.

Non Executive Director

BT  (British Telecommunications PLC)

I led BT’s CSR programme including product, strategy & marketing & comms for MyDonate, The Supporters & Dining Club to drive brand sentiment and revenue growth for BT.
Product marketing lead driving portfolio roadmap working across the business with engineering and design teams to evolve the product and keep pace with market trends and technology innovation, linking back to business outcomes.
I governed the digital literacy programme, designing insight led, best-in-class products to build tech literacy with key audience groups delivering exceptional customer experience and commercial benefit.
I oversaw the day-to-day management defining and delivering the long-term strategy of all products as standalone businesses encompassing key functions including commercial, marketing & PR, product development & operations. 
I led the ongoing development of BT Giving, BT’s new pan business CSR initiative.
I anticipate customer and organisational needs to establish an appropriate programme strategy for profitable growth. Testing assumptions and validating solutions through a mix of design sprints, workshops and dual track agile. 
I Led and coached a team of product managers to oversee autonomous cross functional teams, including customer care & technical service teams ensuring coordination, collaboration, and delivery against objectives.
I delivered high value strategic projects supporting the continued profitable growth of all programmes, including opportunity assessments and innovation roadmaps
Spokesperson for MyDonate, articulating the narrative & effectively positioning BT as a thought leader on key issues.

Achievements
Delivered 62% coverage for barefoot computing in FY18/19 & launched a new website surpassing customer expectations in NPS. Exceeded 2017/18 donations target on the platform by 16% raising 62.5m for charitable causes &delivered a 50% YoY growth in number of fundraisers using the platform.

Head of Product 

I led BT’s customer facing CSR programme; MyDonate, delivering against annual revenue targets. 
I oversaw the day-to-day management and define and deliver the long-term strategy of all products as standalone businesses encompassing key functions including commercial, marketing & PR, product development & operations. I led the ongoing development of BT Giving, BT’s new pan business CSR initiative. Partnering with IT to define and drive priorities for engineering sprints and product releases. I manage a direct and matrix team structure including customer care & technical service teams ensuring coordination, collaboration, and delivery against objectives.
I deliver high value strategic projects supporting the continued profitable growth of all programmes, including opportunity assessments and innovation roadmaps
Spokesperson for MyDonate, articulating the narrative and effectively positioning BT as a thought leader on key issues.

Achievements 
12k active charities on the platform in 2018/19, a 19% YoY growth by moving the customer service team to an account manage methodology, delivering 265 new charities every month. Authored MyDonate’s first operational strategy in its eight-year history, setting the vision for the programme, endorsed by the CEO. Concluded a deal with PayPal on the platform, securing the same rate as Just Giving, following a 12-month halt in negotiations. Successfully delivered digital transformation programmes using agile project management methodologies, overseeing virtual teams.

Head of MyDonate & The Supporters Club

BT's Consumer Business CSR programme overseeing all aspect of the charitable initiative and the MyDonate fundraising platform. 
Directing every element of the product, from the day to day management of the matrix team that delivers the programme to setting the strategy for its long term direction.
Governed the innovation roadmap for MyDonate, to drive acquisition and growth of the platform.
Restructured the customer giving initiative, ensuring that the strategy delivers on the goals of the Purposeful Company framework and BT’s 2020 ambitions.
Oversaw marketing and PR strategies.
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I possess a comprehensive skill set encompassing strategic communications planning and delivery, media relations, wrtiting and the effective distribution of press releases, social media marketing, corporate communications, internal communications, nonprofit organizations, journalism, copywriting, newsletters, fundraising, crisis communications, digital media, Adobe Photoshop, graphic design, social networking, copy editing, and storytelling.

Senior Corporate Relations Manager, The Supporters Club & MyDonate

UK Government  - Innovate UK

Built brand engagement and understanding of Innovate UK globally, ensuring accurate representation and leveraged its reputation to create positive conditions for growth. 
Strategic leadership for the development and delivery of the communications strategy for Innovate UK’s international and challenge led area programme including health, the digital economy, sustainability and agriculture & food. 
Identified the drivers for growth, setting the annual objectives, policy for crisis communications and media relations. 
Developed customer needs segmentation profiles, identifying discrete innovation propositions for longer-term growth. 
Set the communications innovation strategy, using insights to develop engaging customer focused initiatives. 

Achievements 
Facilitated the successful brand transition from Technology Strategy Board to Innovate UK within six months. 
Co-author of the new strategy and planning function, spearheading the transformation of the communications team.

Business Strategy Consultant

Head up and oversaw the Technology Strategy Board’s campaign function.  
Led the delivery of  innovative PR campaigns and high profile announcements and launches for the UK’s innovation agency.
Developed and led communications programme for entrepreneurial trade missions, helping  SME’s and start-up’s to expand their business internationally, with a focus on countries strong in innovation and enterprise including China, Brazil India and the United States. 
Governed large scale communication strategies and drive impactful, creative PR campaigns.
Built the capability amongst SME’s and Start-up’s to effectively monopolise PR and deliver against business objectives.  
Led and oversaw the work of multiple PR agencies to deliver work on time, to agreed specification and  within budget 
Managed budgets of £2 million pounds. 
Created and oversaw an alumni programme, helping to build long term engagement with target audiences and supporting the development of the TSB narrative. 
Evaluated communication and campaign performance against key metrics, reporting on outcomes internally and to key stakeholders including  Government Ministers.

Achievements
Delivered integrated, high profile campaigns including broadcast coverage across BBC Breakfast & Sky News to improve the awareness levels of the mission programme &a two-fold increase in applications to the competition in an 18-month period. Facilitated the successful brand transition from Technology Strategy Board to Innovate UK within six months. Co-author of the new strategy & planning function, spearheading the transformation of the communications team.

International Media Campaigns Specialist

UK government   Department of Environment Food & Rural Affairs 

Developed & managed the implementation of proactive public relation opportunities to promote Defra’s key policy themes, including the green economy, environmental resilience & the big society, driving key political issues to target audiences. 
Communications lead for the Rio20 Earth Summit including a team of three team members overseeing entire engagement 
Developed & delivered a range of ministerial media engagements & visits designed to raise the profile of the department.
Established proactive media relations with key journalists leading on all press briefings & media tours.

Achievements
Delivered the ministerial green economy communication plan in the lead up to the Rio 20 Earth Summit, raising the profile of the UK position on sustainable growth & development at the global level.

Senior PR Manager

I build brands and deliver corporate growth. My areas of expertise are;
- ESG Strategy
- ESG Governance 
- Marketing Communications Strategy 
- Social Impact programmes  

Key Sectors;
- Technology & Innovation 
- SaaS 
- Telecommunications 
- Financial Services 
- EdTech

I have over ten years of experience in strategy development & implementation gained in leading multinational organisations & everything in between, right through to scaling start-up’s. I’ve developed a real passion for sustainable, ethical growth within the context of digital transformation, having spent six years in the sector. As a motivated, self-starter I strive to launch strategically critical products & services that delight customers & delivers commercial growth.

Key skills/ Competencies

Successful track record in establishing and strengthening brands to positively impact the bottom line.

C-suite and global marketing leadership experience with excellent communication, influencing and project management skills.

The ability to interpret and draw conclusions from data, turning analytic insights into business actions.

Operating in the intersection between technical, commercial and strategy for the benefit of the bottom line.


Digital Marketing, Strategy development and Implementation, Campaign Management and delivery, digital and social media strategy, content creation, data and analytics, Product Marketing, Product Management, Digital Transformation, Product Innovation, Agile, Web strategy. Matrix Management, Digital communications. Project management. Brand Management, Stakeholder management, Cross functional team leadership, Team leadership, Strategic Planning & Analytics

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Phil Norton

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