The VOICE of Carol Essex, Class of 1988
How does a "painfully shy" student who struggled with O-Level English end up leading global communications for Coca-Cola? In this episode, Development Director Tamlyn Worrall sits down with Carol Essex (OA 1986) to trace a journey that spans from the pottery classroom of North London to the boardrooms of Bahrain and the communities of central Africa.
This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in the intersection of creativity, business, and social impact.
- The Power of Curiosity: How the "King Alfred’s spirit" gave Carol the confidence to skip university and dive straight into the London advertising scene of the 80s.
- The Global Nomad: Life in Saudi Arabia, Los Angeles, and Casablanca—and why a KAS background makes you "unphasable" in any culture.
- The "Physics" Moment: A tribute to the legendary John Peisley and the day science finally clicked.
- Redefining Success: Why Carol’s school reports didn’t define her, and why she values "the art of argument" over prescriptive testing.
The "Happy Place" Memory: > "I can still feel the warmth and smell the ink of the lino print room. It’s a comforting thought to think back to those rooms—isn’t that what every parent wants for their kid?"
Creators and Guests
Composer
Amy Cash
Amy Cash is an actress, VoiceOver artist and an Old Alfredian from the Class of 2020, having joined The King Alfred School (KAS) for Sixth Form. Since KAS, she has gone on to train at Mountview Drama School and is pursuing a career in acting. She kindly offered to lend us her voice and record the introductions for Alfredian Voices - with a little help from Dan in music. Make sure to watch out for an Amy shaped space on a stage or screen near you soon!
Guest
Carol Essex
Carol is the Director of Communications for Kimberly-Clark. She has worked as Head of international corporate affairs, communications and sustainability, sustainability strategy development, issues and crisis management for complex global FMCG companies both in house and agency. She translates business priorities into effective, communications campaigns and is a trusted adviser on reputation and international issues and crisis management as well as corporate communications, public affairs and internal engagement. Carol was elected to be the first ever corporate communication representative to visit Antarctica as part of a global environmental research and planning team (2002). As a result, she published and delivered a report, documenting the impact corporations have on the most remote corner of the globe. Since then, she has brought that first-hand experience and leadership to help businesses lead their change in practices to address some of the planet’s most crucial environmental and sustainability issues
Producer
Deborah Castillo
After a 10-year career as an advertising and marketing executive in Miami, Deborah crossed the pond in 2013 to start a new life in the U.K. In 2023, she pivoted to a career in Alumni Relations and Development, transferring her talent for bringing people and ideas together. With her American enthusiasm for staying connected to your Alma Mater, Deborah loves gathering, curating, and learning from our Old Alfredian stories. Fluent in Spanish and shaped by her cross-cultural experiences, she brings a global perspective to her work.
Producer
Heather Roberts
Alumni and Development Officer: Heather has been the Alumni and Development Officer at The King Alfred School since 2020. Having become disillusioned with her career in the fashion industry Heather moved to this role within Development and Alumni Relations, pulling on her transferable skills. Heather credits her ease at engaging with new people and different audiences with having lived overseas for seven years in Moscow, Russia and Bogota, Colombia. As a self-confessed nosey person who likes a good natter, the Alfredian Voices podcast has been the dream project for Heather to work on.
Producer
Tamlyn Worrall
Development & Alumni Relations Director: As a consummate professional in the Alumni Relations and Development space, Tamlyn brings years of experience to cultivating relationships with our Old Alfredians. With a footprint in South Africa, Australia, and Japan, Tamlyn proudly calls London home, and it’s here that she’s developed her career in the education sector. At the heart of what she does, Tamlyn loves connecting with and learning about our OAs. She approaches every conversation with a sincere curiosity and warmth, finding herself fascinated by the details of every story. This podcast series was a germ of an idea in 2020 and thanks to a fabulous podcast editor we have finally been able to bring these Old Alfredian stories to a wider audience.
