How to Communicate Apolitically in a Political World

Speakers

• Benjamin Peters

  Head of External Communications, National Audit Office

  UK

• Sophie Vipond

  Director of External Affairs at the Climate Change Committee

  UK

• Celestine Cheong

  Head of External Communications at UK Atomic Energy Authority

  UK

• Benjamin Peters, joined the intelligence agencies after studying Russian at University, where his operational service took him to Afghanistan. He moved into communications following the Snowden leaks and worked to demystify GCHQ and explain its role to the public. He was awarded an MBE for services to National Security in 2019. That same year he moved to his current position at the National Audit Office where he is Head of External Communications. His work focuses on building the profile of the organisation as the nation's public spending watchdog as well as promoting the NAO's findings to shine a light on government finances and improve public services.

• Sophie Vipond, Sophie Vipond is the Director of External Affairs at the Climate Change Committee (CCC). Recently, Sophie led the communications strategy for the publication of the Seventh Carbon Budget advice in the UK in February 2025. She is also responsible for the strategy on providing advice to the UK Government on adaptation in 2026, through the Well Adapted UK report. Before working at the CCC, she led external affairs for the international non-profit, Climate Group, with a particular focus on road transport. Whilst there, she coordinated several national-scale campaigns for speeding up the transition to electric vehicles. Sophie sits on the steering group of the International Climate Council Network’s (ICCN); co-chair’s their Communications Working Group; and provides mentioning at I Have a Voice (IHAV). IHAV is a charity that helps young people from background under-represented in public affairs to find their way into employment.

• Celestine Cheong, is the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority’s (UKAEA) Head of External Communications. A former scientist, she contributed to Dounreay’s decommissioning, returning in 2020 to advance Culham’s fusion projects. Celestine has had stints as a journalist, has featured in Netflix’s Grenfell film for her fire safety work and led two Joint European Torus (JET) world-record fusion announcements. A trailblazer in women’s sports, Celestine has mountain biked for Singapore and represents England at touch rugby.