Sara Tye

Tye is the founder and Managing Director of redheadPR (since 2003), Chair of Swindon Triathlon Club and CEO of Etape Suisse (since 2015).

Tye began her career at 17 at the Royal Military College of Science in faculty development with the armed services and the Ministry of Defense. From 1989 to 1992 Tye worked at Thames Water in PR Relations. When working at The Body Shop between 1994 and 1997, she assisted with the personal branding of the founder, the founder, the late Dame Anita Roddick. In addition, she was an integeral part of the Ken Saro-Wiwa campaign against Shell. This involved working with some of the most senior global figures in politics, industry and journalism, from Glenys Kinnock’s office in Strasbourg.

Tye was a Director of Phipps for two years between 2001 and 2003 and a Director at Grant Butler Coomber from 2000 to 2003. Between 1997 and 2000 she was Head of Public Relations at Yellow Pages. There, she guided the Impact on Society section of The European Foundation of Quality Management Model and Award, which the firm won in 1999.

Sara played a key role in the implementation of BT’s environmental policy and the development and management of the philanthropic Best Practice process at Yellow Pages.

Tye also opened a Mexican restaurant, and helped run a senior residential home and hotel in St Ives, Cornwall.

Tye was Managing Director of Gingernut Creative from 2015 to 2016

Sara has experience of all forms of media, on and offline, and has worked with most global outlets, from The Philippines Inquirer, 60 Minutes Australia and the Financial Times to Pamela Wallin live in Canada.

Public relations and integrated marketing using 360° stakeholder engagement, Sara Tye has helped drive the organisational development and marketing communications strategies for many organisations, individuals, brands and companies.

As well as studying management for six years, Tye has a Diploma in Management Studies and a Diploma in Administrative Management from the Institute of Management.

Between 2010 and 2013, Tye was the Vice Chairman of the Old Town Business and Professional Association. She was part of the initial group that started the ‘Make Your Mark for a Tenner’ campaign and the ‘Make a Difference Day’ event.

The Make Your Mark for a Tenner campaign, which Sara helped develop, was commended by the CIPR (Chartered Institute of Public Relations) as a sustainable PR programme. Sara was also responsible for the Impact on Society section of The European Foundation of Quality Management Model and Award, which Yellow Pages won in 1999.

Tye received the ‘Green PR of London’ award by the UK’s Evening Standard. In 1999 she was a finalist for Cosmopolitan’s very first Women of the Year Awards. She was an award winner in recognition of her “continuing contribution to the county’s thriving business community.”

• Finalist The First Women Awards 2016
• Runner up - Wiltshire Business Person of the Year 2013 and 2014
• Pride of Swindon 2012 – best team with Rex and Sandra Barnett
• Fellow of the Royal Society of arts, manufactures and commerce
• Campaign of the Year, PR Week, Free Ken Saro-Wiwa
• In-House Department of the Year, PR Week, The Body Shop
• International Campaign of Year, PR Week, Free Ken Saro Wiwa
• Finalist, CIPR Corporate Responsibility, Make you Mark with a Tenner
• Finalist, Cosmopolitan Women of the Year
• Commendation, Community Involvement, PR Week, Make a Difference Day, Yellow Pages and CSV
• European of Foundation of Quality Management Award

Sara Tye has experience of all forms of media and has worked with most global outlets, from The Philippines Inquirer, to 60 Minutes, the Financial Times, through to Pamela Wallin live in Canada.

Tye has been featured in The Telegraph on a piece entitled ‘How to manage family life while growing a business,’ on being a single mother as well as in ResponseSource.

As a successful entrepreneur, Tye has been profiled on her average working day on Real Business. Demonstrating how much you can fit into a normal working day and how it's key to succeed.

Tye contributes to global trade publications offering her wealth of experience and expertise. March 2017 saw Tye write for Boutique Hotelier on making networking beneficial to individuals and the business.

Tye is asked on a regular basis to contribute her opinions on an array of subject matters. In July 2016, Tye was featured in the Daily Mail online. As a frugality expert, she predicted how Theresa May would fuse UK and international decor, but won't spend too much.

She has judged both the PRCA Awards and PR Week Awards and was a member of the PRCA Members and Marketing Committee.

Tye’s PR clients have included: Belu Mineral Water, Blue Dragon, Black Tower, the British Heart Foundation, British Telecom, Cardiac Risk in the Young, Carlton Interactive, CDNOW.com, Centrepoint, crocus.co.uk., Frangi Tie Rack, Green & Black’s, Latina, Nokia (corporate and CSR), Raleigh International, S&A Foods, Sony, sports.com, WHSmith and Yell UK Web Awards.