Portrait of a Voice
Portrait of a Voice: Leading Innovation, Art, and Advocacy at Rolls-Royce plc
At Rolls-Royce plc, innovation is not confined to engineering and technology, it drives meaningful, human-centered change. The Portrait of a Voice project exemplifies this ethos, bringing together creativity, compassion, and strategic leadership to champion the Motor Neurone Disease (MND) community.
Challenges & Objectives
/ Project Overview
In 2022, Rolls-Royce began a powerful journey of advocacy through the acclaimed I Will Always Be Me campaign. Building on this legacy, I led the next chapter, Portrait of a Voice, a project that fused visual art with personal storytelling to elevate awareness and raise vital funds for MND research.
/ Challenges
As the project lead, I worked closely with multiple partners, including MND advocate Yvonne Johnson, artist Sara Pope, VML Marketing, Rolls-Royce’s innovation leaders, and external event organisers. From concept to execution, I directed every phase: strategic planning, creative alignment, partnership management, and final delivery.
My vision was to transform voice, the most personal marker of identity, into a visual legacy. Collaborating with Sara Pope, we captured Yvonne’s spirit through a striking lip portrait that reflected her voice, strength, and joy. The painting was developed over several months, in close dialogue between Yvonne and Sara, ensuring authenticity and emotional truth at every stage.
/ Objectives
The culmination of this work took place on 28 February 2025 at the Weir Dancing for Doddie Gala in Aberdeen. In front of over 700 guests, the Portrait of a Voice was unveiled to overwhelming response. During the live auction, the painting achieved a record-breaking bid of £15,500, the highest of the evening. Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of Sara Pope, 100% of the proceeds were donated directly to MND research.
This project was more than a fundraiser, it was a carefully orchestrated intersection of art, advocacy, and innovation. It required not only creative vision, but also robust project management, stakeholder coordination, and leadership that balanced emotional sensitivity with strategic execution.
/ Final Outcome
As a curator and creative director, I bring projects like Portrait of a Voice to life by building bridges between disciplines, empowering collaborators, and delivering outcomes that resonate deeply with audiences. At Rolls-Royce plc, this work was a clear reminder: innovation is at its most powerful when it serves people.