Valeria Minisini

Valeria is a Communications Officer at the Thomson Reuters Foundation. She manages internal communications and leads campaigns, including the Human Rights Day 2024 initiative.

Her career has spanned roles in consultancy, international peacebuilding, and communications, shaped by her studies and involvement in Kent's Model UN Society. Valeria credits Kent for inspiring her career in the not-for-profit sector and for equipping her with research, project management, and public speaking skills. 

 
Tell us about your career path since graduation.

I completed my undergraduate degree in summer 2017 and went on to start my MA in International Relations with International Law that autumn. This was a two year programme, which included a summer placement between the first and second years and I completed it in November 2019. With the graduate market being quite tough already at that time and my desire to remain in the United Kingdom, I started working for a small boutique consultancy firm in Kent servicing the charity/not for profit sector with Human Resources, financial and administrative support. Within six months of starting there, the world plunged into lockdown as a result of COVID-19 spreading rapidly in communities. All of a sudden, my work dynamic shifted from a fully office to fully remote role, and my tasks shifted from working primarily on recruitment and administrative campaigns to marketing, crisis communications and business development. I had the opportunity to support a number of international and British charities including Womankind Worldwide and Bond. 

In 2021, I moved onto my first formal role in the NGO sector, working for Conciliation Resources, an international peace building charity. I supported a number of policy and research projects, and had the opportunity to interact with academics and thought leaders in the conflict resolution space, who I studied at university. Following the end of my contract at Conciliation Resources in April 2023, I had a career change: moving from a policy/research role to a communications and marketing role at ICC United Kingdom, a membership body focusing on international trade, sustainability and arbitration. This was a very different organisation to work for but I learned some valuable skills needed for a career in not for profit communications, which I had realised was the path for me.

Since July 2024, I have been part of the busy and dynamic communications team at the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the corporate foundation of Thomson Reuters - you might recognise the name if you read Reuters news! I hadn't planned to move jobs so quickly but as a result of an internal restructure at ICC United Kingdom and a personal desire to return to the not for profit sector, I found an incredible opportunity at an organisation I had admired for many years. I primarily manage the internal communications functions of the organisation but have also recently been the campaign lead for our Human Rights Day 2024 campaign and have had the opportunity to publish articles for their website and intranet.

What does a typical work day look like for you?

No two days are the same at the Thomson Reuters Foundation! At the moment, I'm managing a number of communications projects as well as conducting a full review of our internal communications activities. I'll usually start the day by going through any tasks assigned to me on the team Trello board and planning out my tasks and meetings for the day. I am also the primary contact person for our Foundation email inbox so I'll also spend some time first thing in the morning going through any emails that may have come through overnight about our events, training opportunities, media enquiries.

Typically, I'll divide up my day in two halves: international communications and communications projects. In the morning, I'll keep working on the organisational internal communications review - looking at our internal newsletter analytics, drafting recommendations, mapping out key internal communications activities/moments across each quarter, setting objectives. In the afternoon, I'll dedicate time to our various communications projects including our 2024 Annual Report, our upcoming 2024 Pro Bono Index (the largest survey of pro bono work undertaken by lawyers around the world!) and our TRF Insights Report on AI and Journalism in Emerging Economies and the Global South. I will check the campaign task list, draft copy for our channels and catch up with my team about priorities and clear up any questions.

Can you share a professional highlight from your career so far?

There are so many to choose from, but one of my favourite professional highlights was participating in the Thomson Reuters Foundation's flagship event, the Trust Conference. This is a global forum convening over 800 people including thought leaders, activists, economists and political figures under one roof in central London. I was in the same room as a Nobel Prize laureate and an Al Jazeera journalist who was on the frontline of the ongoing conflict in Gaza, which was incredibly emotional. 

Over the years the Foundation has been able to attract some of the world's leading figures in journalism and I feel grateful to be part of such as important conference. Stay tuned for information about our 2025 conference - it promises to be bigger and ever than ever and it's free to attend!

How did your time at Kent help you achieve your current career?

It helped me understand what kind of line of work I wanted to pursue. From studying about violent conflict and how the media operates in a difficult political landscape, it was these experiences that inspired me to find a role in the not for profit sector. I learned valuable skills around research, project management and public speaking, which have all been incredibly valuable to me. To think I studied texts from leading peace builders and then went on to work with them in my professional career was something I didn't think was ever going to happen to me.

What advice would you give to our current/prospective students who are looking to get into the same line of work?

Have an idea of what causes/line of work you're most interested in. The not for profit sector is so broad - are you more interested in global health? Or helping people with disabilities? Or perhaps, you want to go down the humanitarian route. There are also so many roles in the sector from policy to project management, communications and fundraising. Don't be afraid to take a couple free courses to deepen your knowledge about not for profit fundraising, for example. And another thing - definitely try and volunteer if you can! This will give you great exposure to the sector.

Did you get involved in any extracurricular activities as a student?

Yes, and I'm so glad I did! I was part of the Kent Italian Society for a few years both as a regular member and committee member, and it was great to connect with other Italians who were studying at Kent. My favourite society that I was part of was Kent Model United Nations. I started doing Model United Nations at school and was so glad Kent had a society that I could continue one of interests. KentMUN felt like a family, and I had some incredible opportunities to travel the world, connect with students from other universities, learn about new cultures and learn valuable skills in debating, public speaking and negotiation.

Do you have a favourite memory from your time at Kent?

I would say it's attending World Model United Nations, organised by Harvard University. I attended the conference three times: in Seoul, Rome (as the head delegate for the Kent delegation) and Madrid. These were definitely memories to last a lifetime and despite the long days and nights preparing for the conference, there was also a lot of downtime to explore, laugh and dance the night away.

Is there anything you would do differently if you could repeat your time at Kent?

I don't think so! I felt like I made the most of the opportunities at Kent and I left with the best memories, a wealth of knowledge and support to help me kickstart my career.

Are you still in touch with other Kent alumni or academics?

Yes definitely! I've got a great friendship group from university and we often catch up even though some of us now live all over the world. I've bumped into a couple of my old lecturers in Canterbury since I graduated (I still live there!), which has been really nice. I also caught up with a few of them at the recent alumni events I've attended.

What are your future ambitions?

I'd like to continue growing as a communications and campaigns professional in the not for profit sector. I would say I'm still at the early stages of my career in this space, and I have so much still to learn. I'd love to see more of my writing published as well, which has been an ambition of mine for so long!