One of the most influential voices in London's PR scene is turning his attention to international expansion, with plans to increase the U.S. presence of his PR agency.
Still only 28 years old, Dima Vasilenco has had the ear of senior executives at some of the biggest global corporations: Microsoft, Google, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Mastercard. Having set up his own agency two years ago under the name Good Advice, Dima is now representing the interests of some notable fast-growth organizations.
Companies such as Kpler, a cutting-edge data and analytics platform tracking the global commodities markets that has recently closed a $200m investment round; and Form3, a cloud-based payments platform that is revolutionizing how top-tier banks serve their customers, are putting their trust in his strong PR instincts and nous.
But Dima's success has been hard-fought. Leaving his native Odessa in 2012 aged just 18, he bought a one-way ticket to London. With only a basic command of the English language, he studied and paid his bills working as a waiter and bartender, while taking on unpaid internships and work placements to break through into the PR industry.
His path was littered with obstacles and at one stage he needed to move out of his rented apartment and set up a camp bed in his friend's kitchen as money was so tight. One PR agency he applied to rejected him on the basis that he wasn't a native English speaker. He redoubled his efforts to perfect his English, knowing that it was a skill vital for success in the industry.
Dima's dedication matched up with his ambitions, and he soon became fully fluent in English, while seeking out opportunities with other agencies. His upward trajectory took him to world-renowned consultancies including Edelman and Weber Shandwick, where he led PR campaigns for some tech giants such as Google, Microsoft, Vodafone and Canon.
His industry-leading skills were soon recognised by clients and colleagues alike. "Still in my early 20s, I was trusted by major corporations to envision and execute communication campaigns. But by early 2020, I still had a burning ambition to move up to the next step, and that's when I decided to take the plunge and set up my own agency," says Dima.
And that's when Good Advice was born, in the midst of a global pandemic. It was a risk worth taking. Good Advice has gone from strength to strength in its first two years, working with clients in the UK, the US, Europe and Singapore, regularly winning contracts from under the noses of larger, long-established agencies.
His achievements in such a short space of time have been remarkable, leading to his selection for 2021's PRWeek 30 Under 30 awards, a highly reputable ranking of rising stars in the PR industry. He is the only entrepreneur in the list, featured alongside executives and senior managers of the world's leading communications and marketing agencies as well as corporations such as eBay and CNN.
He was also invited to judge the PRWeek Awards, his expertise and experience putting him in the perfect place to assess the work of companies including Amazon, Facebook, EasyJet, Uber, American Express, Adidas, Samsung and AstraZeneca. Additionally, he's acted as a judge on behalf of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) and the marketing and media industry journal The Drum.
Dima is also involved in mentorship programs including a voluntary scheme run by his alma-mater, the University of the Arts London, helping students from a variety of disciplines with their professional development.
With Good Advice growing its team and expanding further into the U.S. market, Dima hopes to work with some of the most exciting fast-growth businesses in the territory, giving them the benefit of his experience and vision while driving them on to new heights with his tenacity and ambition.
"While the scope of Good Advice's services has grown with a diverse group of talented individuals across many disciplines, we're now able to offer services such as investor relations and support with M&A to current and prospective clients. Our renewed focus on the U.S. will form an integral part of our strategic plans to develop into a truly global, multi-disciplinary agency."
