Our team
Our team of consultants combine specialist sector knowledge with great creativity and excellent media contacts. Our skills range from marketing strategy to great copywriting, event management and social media, offering you a wealth of support across a range of marketing and PR services. Service is always offered with a smile, as we are great believers in the importance of strong relationships with clients, journalists and suppliers – anyone we work with in fact!
Kursha Woodgate – Managing Director
With particular expertise in Social Media, Kursha is a former trade journalist who turned to hi-tech PR and then in-house marketing as European Marcomms Director for award-winning software firm Synon.
Since establishing Mexia Communications in 2006, Kursha has significantly grown Mexia’s client base across the meetings and events, technology and commercial property sectors.
Kursha speaks French, Spanish, Italian and Dutch and is a regular contributor to PlanetPlanit.biz, the event organiser’s portal. A graduate of modern languages from Heriot-Watt University, Kursha holds the Professional Diploma in Marketing from the CIM.
A regular presenter at meetings industry events including ICCA, Confex, AIPC and ABPCO, Kursha’s seminars are usually standing room only and highly rated by participants.
Sarah Miles – Consultant Account Director
Sarah Miles has more than 17 years’ experience of developing public relations campaigns for organisations both large and small, within the public and private sector, in the UK, Continental Europe and the USA.
During her career with leading PR agencies, she has delivered national public relations campaigns for organisations including Associated British Ports, Broadbandchoices, Denplan, Dixons, Environment Agency, Federation Against Software Theft, Forrester Research, Logitech, Mirago, SunGard, Thorn, Toshiba, UK Transplant, WinScribe and WRAP.
Sarah is an expert at taking complex subjects and technologies and formulating PR strategies that bring those subjects to life with the media. Maximising her clients’ return on investment through quality media coverage has always been Sarah’s sweet spot. She is also a perfectionist when it comes to establishing strong relationships and processes that deliver excellent results and exceed expectations.
Avril Chaffey – Consultant Account Director 
Avril is a seasoned PR professional with over 20 years of experience across a broad range of B2B clients. In the meetings and events sector, Avril has worked with leading event branding company Icon for over two years, launching their fabric-frame® system into the highly competitive signage/exhibition market and handling the PR for the company’s MBO and its recent acquisition of MEI, one of the UK’s leading event production companies.
With combined experience of running in-house marketing departments and managing agency PR accounts for global clients, Avril has built expert knowledge across the services, manufacturing and software sectors and has excellent rapport with trade journalists across the board.
David Woodgate – Company Secretary & Business Development Director
David Woodgate is Mexia’s company secretary and is responsible for business development. A VP in a FTSE 50 oil & gas firm, David has significant experience of growing profitable businesses that contribute to shareholder value on an international scale. David’s focus for Mexia is developing new business strategy and long-term growth plans.
Jon MacPhie – Social Media Specialist
Jon brings an injection of new blood into the firm, with experience in the hospitality sector at leading caterers Heathcotes and hotel brand Crowne Plaza. Jon focuses on developing tailored social media programmes for clients, leveraging his technical know-how of key tools and applications such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and more to build followers and fans and generate the all-important content that engages audiences. With skills in HTML programming, Jon combines strong technical expertise with great insight into how to build engaging communities. Jon is a keen football player and represents several local teams.
Chris Penfold – Senior PR Account Executive
Chris Penfold brings his wealth of experience in events and entertainment PR to Mexia, having previously run campaigns for numerous artists and musicians including Leona Lewis, Joss Stone, Natasha Bedingfield, Joe Brown and Joe Longthorne to name just a few! Chris has also worked on successful campaigns with charities such as Childline, Global Angels and St Anns Hospice. Specialising in working to tight deadlines, Chris focuses on maximum efficiency interspersed with professionalism and direct accessibility for the client. In his spare time you are most likely to find Chris strumming his acoustic guitar – maybe in a pub near you!
Imogen Eaton- Junior PR Account Executive 
A 2012 graduate from the University of Kent, Imogen is Mexia’s first graduate recruit, bringing creative ideas and fresh skills to the Mexia team. Having studied English Language and Linguistics, Imogen also completed projects and modules in journalism along with a dissertation in creative writing.
Imogen speaks German and French to a high standard, having completed work experience in Vienna, Austria. With experience both in hospitality and catering, along with a successful track record in sales, Imogen brings a new wealth of skills to the Mexia team.
Imogen is passionate about music and is a grade 6 singer. She also enjoys painting, traveling and skiing.
