Contact
Communication & marketing consultant

Temporary support, lasting skills.

Communication and marketing are how I help companies, organizations and European projects grow, whether that means stepping in temporarily to assess, test, and structure through a moment of change, or providing ongoing consulting and training for the long term.

Contact me for short-term help, long-term impact

I build capacity, not dependency.

I come in to assess, test, and structure, then step back once your team can run things on its own. That's not a limitation, it's the model: you get senior support exactly when you need it, without the cost or commitment of a permanent hire.

I've worked across both for-profit and non-profit sectors, and I deliver on what I commit to, reliably and without friction.

Irene Pepe

About

I'm Irene, a communications and marketing consultant with 15+ years of experience connecting business vision to the execution of complex projects, across corporate, non-profit, and international contexts.

I hold a degree in Political Communications, and alongside my main corporate role, I conduct independent research on media framing and newsmaking, presented at public conferences. This academic grounding sits alongside a very practical side: over 100 certificates from online and in-person courses and short masters, chosen specifically to keep my theoretical knowledge tied to hands-on, applicable skills.

Read more+

I offer consulting to those who need an outside perspective on communication and marketing. I like stepping into a new context, understanding quickly what works and what doesn't, and leaving something useful behind once my part is done: a structure, a trained team, a plan the client can run without me.

My work spans strategic communications, editorial management, and advocacy, including projects presented on international stages such as FIFA, FARE Network, and Streetfootballworld. I also teach communications within European projects, bringing the same practical, capacity-building approach to training as I do to consulting.

Check out my LinkedIn profile to learn more about my background and experience, or connect with me directly.

What I offer

Services

Five areas of work. Open each one for detail.

Communications & Marketing Strategy

−

Positioning, messaging architecture, and integrated communications and marketing plans that translate business goals into actionable roadmaps. Includes stakeholder and donor communications for organizations managing funder or partner relationships.

Media Relations & Editorial

+

Media monitoring and analysis, editorial management, and content production, including press card credentials in Hungary for direct media access. Editorial workflows incorporate AI-supported tools for content production and reporting where useful.

Training & Capacity Building

+

Courses and workshops, in person or online, on marketing and communications topics, designed to leave internal teams self-sufficient once the engagement ends.

Project & Program Management

+

End-to-end management of communications and marketing projects, from planning through delivery and handover, with AI-integrated workflows for tracking and reporting where relevant. Acts as the bridge between internal teams and external suppliers (agencies, freelancers, production partners), ensuring consistent quality and coherent output across all providers.

Dissemination for Academic & Research Projects

+

Dissemination strategy and execution for EU-funded and academic projects: stakeholder communication plans, dissemination reports, and impact-oriented content for funders. Includes impact and ESG storytelling for organizations that need to communicate social or environmental outcomes to funders and the public.

Case studies

Projects

Travel & tourism

Team coordination & workflow structuring

Context: a fast-growing company's comms team (2 social media managers, 1 videomaker, 2 team leaders, 1 intern, 1 operations director) needed clearer priorities, workflows and coordination between roles.

What I did: defined priorities and workflows, updated the team on new tools, proposed new formats to engage travellers, reviewed and coordinated all visual and graphic material.

Outcome: a structured, coordinated customer care and communications function with clear roles and consistent creative output.

EU-funded projects

Communication support for project proposals

Context: a consulting firm engages me specifically for the communication side of EU-funded project proposals, plus related training.

What I did: drafted and reviewed communication and dissemination sections (dissemination plans, stakeholder mapping, KPIs tied to work packages), built visual identity briefs for consortium partners, budgeted communication activities, delivered training on dissemination and post-award communication.

Outcome: stronger, funder-ready communication sections, and a team equipped to handle dissemination independently on future proposals.

Sport & social integration

Visual storytelling for a sports & integration event

Context: a Milan municipal-backed sports and cultural event (with UISP, an Italian national sports-for-all association) needed visual and written content to communicate its impact.

What I did: engaged as freelance storyteller to document the tournaments and communities involved, producing photo coverage and written narratives structured for the organization's own future use.

Outcome: a set of visual and textual stories the organization could reuse to communicate the event's social impact beyond the days it ran.

Two ways to collaborate

How I work

A — Embedded, temporary leadership

In for the change, out once it runs

  • Interim/temporary management, structuring the role until a permanent hire (or none) is the right call
  • Team and workflow assessment against what the work actually requires
  • Coordinating and quality-controlling external suppliers so output stays consistent once I'm gone
  • Building and testing new team structures before you commit to a hire
  • Full handover: documentation and training so the team runs independently
B — Ongoing consulting & training

Continued support, no embedded role

  • Recurring advisory on communications strategy, aligned to business objectives
  • Training paths to build the team's skills (proposal writing, editorial process, dissemination)
  • Project management support for specific comms/marketing initiatives

Contact me for short-term help, long-term impact.

Email: perirenepepe@gmail.com  ·  LinkedIn
Get in touch