Who we are
Paul Nero, co-founder and principal writer
Formerly head of communications at the Financial Times web portal FT.com, Paul has worked in advertising and PR at the BBC, Visa International and ITV. He started his career in local newspapers and radio, having gained a degree in Theatre Arts and Social Sciences. He holds an MBA from Bristol Business School and is a member of Bafta, the Royal Television Society and the Institute of Public Relations. Paul's book Creative Business is published by FT/Prentice Hall, and his book 'Blagging it' was published by Michael O'Mara on 14 October 2004.
Paul Waddington, co-founder and principal writer
Paul worked in editorial and marketing posts during a long career at Reuters, before joining the Financial Times as communications director for FT.com. He was responsible for award-winning campaigns at both organisations. Paul co-founded Plain Text in May 2001 and writes for many of its clients, as well as devising and running writing training sessions and offering strategic counsel to clients. He holds a BA (Hons) in French from the University of Liverpool. Beyond the world of business writing, Paul's interests include cycling, ecology and food. His book Seasonal Food was published by Eden Project Books/Transworld on 1 September 2004. It was followed in May 2006 by 21st-Century Smallholder, and in January 2008 by Shades of Green, also for Eden Project Books.
Norman Ireland, associate writer
Norman has spent most of his working life in the financial technology sector, mainly with blue-chip software vendors. From 1987 to 1994 he worked for Datastream International (now part of Thomson Financial) latterly as marketing manager of Datastream Investment Management Services. In 1994 he was recruited by Reuters to be Head of Marketing for their new venture, Reuters Business Information (now Factiva). From 1996 to 2000 he worked as a director of SunGard Investment Systems (UK) Ltd., spending his final two years there as managing director. Norman subsequently become an independent marketing consultant and has been working with Plain Text since the end of 2003. Norman holds a BA in Economics (Hons) from Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh. His interests include theatre, motorcycling and food and he aspires to make perfect sourdough bread.
Rob Sears, associate writer
Rob has spent most of his career writing and editing for Chambers & Partners Publishing, BBC Worldwide and the Department of Health. His first published piece, a feature article about spontaneous human combustion, appeared in Focus magazine while he was a schoolboy, and he has been writing for a living since graduating from the University of Cambridge with a BA (Hons) in Philosophy. Rob began working closely with Plain Text in June 2005.