Judge: Best Plain Language Technical Communicator

Copy Editor, Xero, Wellington, New Zealand

Laurence is a copy editor at Xero, which won the award for ‘Best Plain English Website — Private Sector’ in 2018.  He has years of experience as an editor and writer in the public, private, and creative sectors. At Xero he has developed and delivered courses in plain language editing and writing, and he also works as a freelance editor for education providers.

Laurence enjoys the challenge of helping technical writers reach their audiences in clear, compelling ways. For him, the audience always comes first. ‘Clear communication isn’t just about technique — it’s about your attitude towards people. You must want to communicate clearly with them.’

Laurence holds a Graduate Certificate in editing, and postgraduate degrees from Victoria University of Wellington and the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Meet the judges for the Plain Language Awards

How the judging process works