Greg Smith

With over 30 years’ of corporate, financial, FMCG (fast moving consumer goods), promotional and retail communications experience behind him, Greg has enjoyed considerable success as a consultant Creative Director, Senior Copywriter, Strategist, Lecturer and Mentor.

Greg has worked with many of the world’s leading ad agencies and corporations. He has garnered numerous international creative awards, and seen his work used in the UK, USA, Europe, the UAE, Australia and throughout sub-Saharan Africa.

In the nineties, Greg sat on the national Creative Directors’ Forum, adjudicated awards and oversaw numerous projects nurturing young, emerging talent. Greg is very serious-minded about social upliftment and education.

Since 2012, he has created 5 Work-Integrated-Learning Programmes ─ commercial production workshops, at Cape Audio College; his lectures on Advertising and Commercial Communication continue to receive rave reviews, year-in, year-out.

Jehane Newton-Manning

Jehane has been working with the Blackford Centre for over 10 years, as a copywriting and proofreading course tutor. She has guided hundreds of students through the process of becoming fantastic and successful copywriters, editors and proofreaders.

As a freelance copywriter Jehane works for businesses all over the world, including Brabantia, Europcar, Gore-Tex and many other smaller, but just as important companies.

Her editing and proofreading work covers both business and academic fields, and many of her clients are non-English speakers.

Jehane has experience of many subject areas, from finance to tourism, and technical to marketing and languages.

“I love working with the Blackford Centre and helping students follow their dreams of becoming copywriters, editors, proofreaders or even all three! Nothing is more satisfying than when a student finishes the course and writes to say they have found work.”