RUTH PITT
Co-founder and Director
Creative Cities Convention
“Suzie’s media expertise, industry contacts and boundless
enthusiasm helped us deliver a successful event with minimal bureaucracy and maximum
impact”
Working with Create Central was a dynamic and creative process under the highly informed leadership of Suzie Norton, the executive lead of Create Central and founder/director of strategic agency Zanna Creative.
Suzie’s media expertise, industry contacts and boundless enthusiasm helped us deliver a successful event with minimal bureaucracy and maximum impact for the industry regionally, whilst still ensuring we tackled issues of national relevance that resonated with producers across the country.
Caroline Norbury OBE
CEO
Creative UK
“She takes the time to listen, understand your needs and respond thoughtfully and insightfully.”
I have known and worked with Suzie Norton for many years; she takes the time to listen, understand your needs and respond thoughtfully and insightfully.
Suzie has extensive expertise in developing and delivering strategic plans. She is straight-forward, reliable, pragmatic and always delivers fantastic results.
Most recently Zanna Creative worked with Creative England to develop the next phase of our investment and infrastructure development plans in the West Midlands.”
Dave Moutrey
Director & Chief Executive of HOME, Manchester
Director of Culture for Manchester City Council
“Analytical thinking built on foundations of good research and actually listening to people.”
Zanna Creative provides smart clear thinking, approaching any project with analytical thinking built on foundations of good research and actually listening to people.
Combined with this approach, Suzie’s professional, personable, open style and focus on meeting deadlines results in high quality work that speaks with authority yet is fun to be part of.
Neil Rami
Chief Executive
West Midlands Growth Company
“Zanna Creative developed the hugely impactful social media campaign #WMGeneration, mobilising the cultural, creative and political sectors across the region. ”
The West Midlands' bid for Channel 4's new National HQ, was managed by the West Midlands Growth Company under the direction of the Mayor of the West Midlands.
We brought Zanna Creative on board to lead stakeholder engagement. Led by Suzie Norton, Zanna Creative developed the hugely impactful social media campaign #WMGeneration, mobilising the cultural, creative and political sectors across the region.
They also produced various stakeholder events including a formal pitch event to Channel 4 and a social media event coming live from three cities in one day. In the final stage of the pitch Zanna Creative led the development of a broader creative industries plan for the the bid and Suzie joined the small formal pitch team to present to Channel 4.
The process was highly competitive, commercially sensitive with many moving dynamics. It required a high level of diplomatic, strategic and organisational skills operating under, at times, extreme pressure. Suzie delivered all of this with exemplary professionalism, efficiency and charisma.
I would thoroughly recommend her and her team to take on similar campaign and strategic development roles.
rose marley
Founder
SharpFutures Manchester CIC
“Zanna Creative’s strategic understanding of SharpFutures has enabled opportunities and partnership discussions across a national base. Suzie’s commitment and focus on the task in hand ensures that Zanna Creative’s service delivery is targeted and relevant.”
NIC MILLINGTON FRSA
Chief Executive
Rural Media
“We commissioned Zanna Creative to work with us to produce a 5-year sustainability plan and digital strategy for our print and online publication, Travellers’ Times.
Lead consultant, Suzie Norton brought high level policy understanding, a rigorous research methodology, and strategic analysis to the final reports. I would have no hesitation to recommending her to other cultural organisations and businesses.”
JUDITH MELLOR OBE
Chair of Trustees
London Arts In Health Forum
“Real thought and preparation had gone into supporting our away day discussions.
New trustees and established board members were brought together in an effective way which led to clear conversations and an injection of energy for the board.
I wouldn’t hesitate to work with Zanna Creative again.”
Tommy Nagra
BBC’s Director of Content
Children In Need
“Whilst working with Suzie when she was CEO of Screen WM she demonstrated her extensive leadership qualities – vision, drive, resilience and tenacity through considerable organisational change and transition.
Suzie grasps challenges quickly, is a strategic thinker who always delivers with clarity and purpose.
She has cultivated an impressive and extensive network of contacts over her many years in the creative sector. Suzie is a collaborative leader who is a pleasure to work with and I would have no hesitation in working with her again.”
JACKIE WYLIE
Artistic Director
National Theatre of Scotland
“I worked with Suzie during our time on the Clore Leadership Programme.
I found her clarity of thought combined with directly communicated yet supportive insights
invaluable during the critical early months of my time at the National Theatre of Scotland.
I was fortunate to benefit from her experience in strategic planning and organisational development
and look forward to continuing our relationship.”
MICHAEL GUBBINS
Former Chair of the Board of Directors
Ffilm Cymru Wales
“Suzie was one of our prime targets when we were looking to recruit new members to
the Ffilm Cymru Wales board to help drive fresh approaches to a changing film
and media ecosystem. Suzie has an impressive track record and a stellar reputation
for building strategies that generate business and social value.
Since joining the board, her clear-sighted thinking and focus on practical delivery have made a clear impact and she was quickly elected Vice Chair. Suzie has that rare combination of energy, drive, warmth and humour, which makes her an asset for any organisation or project.”
LAWRENCE FRANCIS
Director of Client Strategy
Premier Communications
“I worked with Suzie on developing a large-scale cultural event in 2015.
Working with her is an absolute pleasure. Her ability to juggle
the challenging demands of multiple stakeholders and partners on a project,
and do it with a smile, will never fail to amaze me!”
GRANT BLACK
BFI Academy Central
“Suzie’s Producer Masterclass for the BFI Academy was incredibly well
received by the students who came out of the session with
a complete understanding of the importance and creativity needed for the role.
We have been running the academy for 4 years now
and never have we had such a meaningful collection of young people
looking at Producing as their desired route within the industry.
I have no doubt Suzie’s masterclass had a part to play in that.”
CLARE MCARDLE
Chief Executive Officer
Element Studios UK
“I worked closely with Suzie over a number of years on
a large multi-organisational partnership project.
I have always been impressed by her informed business insight into the creative industries, and in particular her ability to identify the opportunities in a changing and challenging landscape of convergence.”