I’m Diana Oakes, an internal communications (IC) professional and one of a small number of Fellows of the Institute of Internal Communication (IoIC). Originally from Romania, where I studied Media and PR and began my career in written and radio journalism, I moved to the UK 30 years ago, and pivoted into financial services, out of sheer need for a job. It started a 25-year career with Lloyds Banking Group (Halifax, and then HBOS, before the integration with Lloyds Bank and the birth of the Group) in areas ranging from customer-facing to operational and leadership, eventually finding my way, through a number of in-house IC roles, to IC Lead.
When I first started as a customer assistant in a local Halifax branch (or 'cashier' as we were called at the time), I didn't think I'd be able to return to my love of words and one day get paid again for doing what I love: communicate. It took another 11 years (during which I supported communications voluntarily, on a 'side-of-my-desk' basis in the various departments I worked in) to feel confident enough to apply for a Communications Assistant manager role during the largest integration of its kind in UK financial services history, when the then 'Lloyds TSB' acquired HBoS plc and an army of communications professionals were needed to support the integration of the two banks.
When Integration was over (2012), I applied for a Comms role in the newly established Shared Services - an area providing, amongst other things, communication strategy and planning support to the new Digital Transformation department. In this role, I shaped and delivered Communication plans for over 40 digital projects, writing content for branch audiences to explain new digital services and products we were developing, leadership scripts and huddle materials. Here I met, worked with and learned from the great Erum Quddus, whom you may have encountered if you attended her excellent courses for the IoIC about communicating for Agile or, more recently, 'AI in your toolkit - smart working and effective IC'.
My next step saw me taking what many saw as a big risk: I applied for a secondment to cover maternity leave, at two grades above my level, to partner the Director of the department dealing with Payment Protection Insurance (PPI) complaints. I never looked back. Not only was I made permanent 9 months into my secondment, and ended that year and the following one with the highest performance rating on the scale, but the colleague whose maternity leave I was covering became one of my best friends! That stint also saw me celebrating one of the top five achievements of my career to date - the design of a complex Colleague Communication Strategy for the largest PPI Wind-down in the industry, with an audience of over 9,000 impacted people, as well as wider audiences across the bank, Unions, Press Offices and external suppliers.
In 2019, I felt I was ready for a more senior role and the opportunity arose when a new Director was looking for a Communications & Engagement Lead for the newly formed Risk Value Stream. I was in this role when the Covid-19 pandemic hit and the communication strategy I created - inspired by my journalistic past and the idea of responsive and personalised communications - won me an award from the CEO and was adopted by other departments in the bank. Another one of those Top 5s in my career.
In 2022, when the bank created new Platforms to replace older structure models, and embed and optimise the Agile delivery, I was promoted to Communications Lead for the new Enterprise Risk Platform, which was a new challenge - and an opportunity to learn how to communicate with Tech employees, like software engineers, testers, coders and other roles within the Agile framework.
Unfortunately, in 2024, the job I loved so much ended up in a shock redundancy. I wasn't the only one, many other comms teams were in the same situation. Not to be beaten, I turned redundancy into a new start, setting up my own consultancy, Diana Oakes Communications, focusing on communications and equity, diversity and inclusion (ED&I). I’ve worked across all levels of IC - from engaging frontline colleagues to advising senior leaders - in sectors including financial services, healthcare and charities.
I care deeply about inclusive, accessible communication and helping organisations share information in ways people can genuinely understand, trust and act on. I’ve supported major people and technology change programmes both as an employee and as a consultant, and I’m particularly passionate about disability inclusion. That’s led me to teach courses and create practical factsheets on accessible communication, including for the IoIC, as well as to collaborate with organisations such as the Business Disability Forum, the Bank Workers Charity, Accord Union and the TUC to push for more inclusive recruitment, policies, events and everyday communication.
I’m a big believer in IC as a career choice - especially for people who enjoy problem-solving, creativity, psychology and storytelling, and who want their work to make a real difference to working lives. Through speaking, mentoring and training, I try to demystify the profession and show how IC brings together clear thinking, empathy and impact. I’m a strong advocate of continuous learning, always building new skills and supporting my mentees as they find their way in a profession that’s constantly evolving.
Away from work, I'm a writer and nature lover, enjoying walks in nature with my husband, David, a freelance digital artist, and I chair the Patient Participation Group (PPG) at my GP's large practice, amongst other volunteering roles.
This blog is part of our #IChoseIC Series. The #IChoseIC Campaign aims to raise awareness of internal communication as a career pathway and shift the narrative from 'I fell into IC' to 'I chose IC'.
You can find out more about the #IChoseIC campaign and how to get involved here.
