School of Business
George Oliver
George Oliver is the founder and Managing Director of 1284 Communications - winner of the CIPR Midlands Small PR Agency of the Year.
1284 specialises in telling the story of East Midlands Innovation. It works with start-ups, spinouts, social enterprises, SMEs, universities and local authorities on B2B and G2B comms campaigns. These projects support productivity and economic growth in the East Midlands, particularly among innovative early-stage companies. Typical activities include:
- Communications strategy
- Content marketing
- Media and stakeholder relations
- Press releases
- Copywriting
- Funding applications
- Award nominations
George is also a Non-Executive Director at East Midlands Chamber - the UK's largest regional chamber of commerce - and is Chair of Charity Link, the £2m turnover Leicester-based poverty alleviation charity. He is an Ambassador for Leicestershire Business Voice and a member of the Leicestershire Innovation Advisory Group. George is a co-founder of business coaching panel SoundingBoard CIC.
Before founding 1284 in the summer of 2020, George spent 15 years as a journalist, including four years as Editor of the Leicester Mercury. He led the paper's shift to digital-first publishing, the launch of LeicestershireLive, and its response to the Leicester pandemic lockdown. George co-founded the LeicestershireLive Innovation Awards.
George holds a first-class MSc in Strategic Leadership from Loughborough University and is a Chartered Manager and Chartered PR Practitioner. He also holds diplomas in strategic management, professional consulting, and public affairs, alongside other industry qualifications in journalism and marketing.