The CV

I’ve been asked a few times to talk about my experience… Well, the below is a cut-down version of my full CV.
If you’re interested in anything that I have to offer, contact me!

Career History

SUSSEX SAFER ROADS PARTNERSHIP – Communications Manager
14 October 2008 – Present

Description:
The Communications Manager for the Sussex Safer Roads Partnership is a board-level position and carries the responsibility for developing and delivering a pan-Sussex, multi-agency communications strategy. Budget management has been in the order of £200-250,000 p/a and the Manager is responsible for a team of 2.5 FTE employees.

Key achievements:

Embrace Life – multinational award-winning seatbelt advocacy commercial. Awards include YouTube Ad of the Year, Bronze Cannes Lions, Gold World Medal at New York International Advertising Awards. Promoted through social media sphere as well as through DM and XM. 12.5million views in 10 months on YouTube alone.

Refocusing the brand strategy for the SSRP into more cognitively focussed arenas

Delivery of first internal conference – over 150 colleagues of all levels from the seven formal partners plus related bodies

Development of first set of branding guidelines to guide Partnership publicity

Creation of first pan-Sussex full spectrum Communications Strategy, including online and social media

Developed SSRP website into CMS driven customer-focussed platform with integrated intranet functionality

Key activities: Audience segmentation and profiling; ATL/BTL Advertising; TTL Marketing including XM and Direct Marketing; Online development; Proactive and reactive media management; Team management; Financial spend tracking and profiling

Communications Officer
26 August 2008 – 14 October 2008

Description:
The Communications Officer for the SSRP is a position designed to support the Communications Manager, acting under his/her direction in accordance with stated strategic aims.
Since I was promoted internally within one month of joining the SSRP, the time spent as Communications Officer was, in reality, an extended hand-over period into the Manager role.
However, during this time, I was instrumental in recruiting a new Graphic Designer, assessing candidate submissions and interviewing suitable applicants.

CAM BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT SOLUTIONS – Account Manager
June 2007 – August 2008

Description:
CAM Business Development Solutions is a small creative agency specialising in business development consultancy, online development, sales and publishing. The Account Manager Role was created for me by the Directors and spanned the work of the company from marketing consultancy to publishing, client training to pitching for new business.

Key Achievements:

Development and release of three new advertising-supported publications – two B2B and one B2C. A total of 19 magazines written, edited and released in 2007 – including TFT and ‘The Magazine‘

Won business for the company (including with four local government authorities) through a combination of sales-approaches and successful pitches.

Successful delivery of Wheels 07 as part of the organising team.

Delivery of turn-key online environments alongside the technical team

Key activities:
Business Development and Marketing Consultancy; Creative Director, Editor and Writer (Publishing); Preparation of pitches; Website specification and content generation; Client liaison and training.

ARUN DISTRICT COUNCIL – Assistant Press Officer
September 2006 – June 2007

Description:
Arun District Council is a local government authority located in Littlehampton, West Sussex with responsibility for over 140,000 residents. The Assistant Press Officer supports the Press Officer in preparing media releases, creating the Council’s residents’ publication and deputising in the absence of the Press Officer.

Key tasks, activities and achievements:

Development of service-wide PR and communications strategies to ensure that local residents were kept informed of Council actions and decisions

Protection of Council reputation during avian flu outbreak, malicious hoaxing and death of a leading Councillor – all during the absence of the Press Officer

Personally created over £50,000 of PR value (equivalent advertising spend analysis) in four months

HORSHAM DISTRICT COUNCIL – Assistant Communications Officer
December 2004 – June 2006

Description:
Horsham District Council is a local government authority based in Horsham, West Sussex, with a responsibility for over 130,000 residents. The Assistant Communications Officer works under the direction of the Communications Manager to develop service-wide PR and communication strategies and timetables. Originally employed on a six month contract, I proved the worth of the position and gained an extension for up to two years.

Key tasks and activities:

Design and delivery of specific service-wide PR and communications plans to connect the Council to its residents.

Assisted in proactive and reactive media management

Assisted in creation of Corporate Branding Guidelines.

REED RECRUITMENT
November 2003 – December 2004

Various employments on short-term temporary contracts

Employment of note: Securicor

Description:
Securicor is a global security company, with a call-centre based in Horsham, West Sussex. I originally joined the organisation as a temporary call handler in November 2003.

Key tasks, activities and achievements:

Promoted to Call Centre Supervisor, handling out of hours and weekend shift rosters, staffing and contractual issues

Created all user guide documentation for the range of systems used within the call centre

Ran a specialist out of hours service in partnership with an engineering firm. This service saw higher SLAs than any other part of the call centre environment on a contract worth in excess of £2million

Trained all new members of the team on policy, process and use of systems

Helped to establish a new call centre in Dartford.

CAR AND DRIVING – Staff Writer
December 2000 – June 2002

Description:
Car and Driving is a specialist motoring editorial agency, supplying marketing editorial to newspapers throughout the UK, in addition to new product road-tests, news, views and motoring industry information. The small team of staff writers create all editorial for national syndication (3.5million readers per week), interview local businesses and develop features for on and offline publication.

Key tasks, activities and achievements:

Management of personal client portfolio

Creation of marketing editorial and location specific features to add to the agency’s database

Client liaison and training in the use of the service

Identification of free-falling classified and ROP sales post 9/11 2001 and the creation of a new platform to mitigate the effects

Development of commercial vehicle road-tests, and ghost-writing specific segments of agency output.

Other information of note

Part time freelance journalist – 1996 – 1998.

Education
2000: 4 A-Levels – English and General Studies at grade A, Politics and Geography (Social and Physical) at grade B.
1998: 9 GCSEs – 5 at A* grade, 4 at A.
1996: French GCSE – grade A.