Lucy Swanston, managing director at Nutshell Creative and Topic Heroes, has started in the role with immediate effect, replacing Judith Donovan. She brings a wealth of experience in the marketing and print industry to the role.

Buckinghamshire-based Swanston has spent the last 25 years working in the marketing sector and has held multiple leadership roles at medium to large printers and run her own agency for the last 16 years. Additionally, she has set up a charity that inspires primary aged children to write, using the power of print to facilitate this.

Swanston also sits on the IPIA and DMA councils and is a keen advocate for the print industry. The SMP said her knowledge of implementing robust, successful marketing campaigns across traditional and digital media along with her passion for print made her the ideal person to help take the organisation forward.

Swanston’s vision for the role is to diversify the activity the SMP is involved in and to revolutionise the support the body provides for its members by championing the importance and benefits of mail, while working with the industry to address the key challenges that it faces.

She said: “I’m delighted to join the Strategic Mailing Partnership, an organisation that does an important job in representing the interests of the members within the printing and mailing industry.

“The SMP does a lot to highlight and address the issues faced by its members, as well as looking for new ways to try and strengthen the appeal of mail, a hugely important medium that has a positive impact on brands.

“I’m looking forward to working closely with the board and extensive membership to broaden the scope of our activity, utilising all aspects of media marketing to maximise the impact and appeal of direct marketing and customer mail campaigns, to make this industry more desirable for generations to come.”