SENIOR MARKETING LEADER
A creative marketer and people manager with an enviable ability to cut through complex issues with refined simplicity to deliver actionable strategies and impressive results.

CAREER PROFILE
Described by colleagues as a catalyst because I make things happen. Modern marketing is about taking action, listening and responding quickly. I put people first and build bonds, positively developing strong relationships with a shared sense of purpose, vision and values.

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES
Executive leadership, P&L responsibility, global team leadership, marketing strategy, planning, budgeting, rebranding, cultural change, vision and values, creative, visual identity, team building, mentoring and development, public relations (PR), communications, brand management, brand architecture , vision and values, negotiating agency and outsourced vendor relationships, market driving strategy, B2B marketing, online digital and social media, international organisations , Africa, Asia, EMEA, North America, telecoms, media, IPTV, energy, mining, renewable, sustainability, environmental impact.

Renowned for building brands that punch way above their weight using only a limited budget that delivers maximum impact. Harmonising international and multi national marketing teams efficiently to pull in one direction. Growing from scratch or restructuring marketing functions to better meet commercial business ambitions. Always focused on making the complex simple

In 1992 I started my working career as a surveyor, but soon started my own company as the founder of a winter sports events company, still operating as part of the Tui Group.  In 1999, I joined Energis to look after the £220m reseller channel, moving on to C&W, TalkTalk in the UK and other international roles within the Vodafone Group, PCCW Global/ HKT and Liquid Telecom. I am now Head of Brand & Communications for a global energy technology company.

In January 2015 I was recognised in the Top 50 CMO's by Global Telecoms Business.

Head of Brand & Communications

ARQ (formerly Hendricks Resources) - JAN 2017 to Present

Joined the senior leadership team to create a brand strategy and communications platform for a fiercely ambitious start up business in the energy technology sector (we call in 'entech'). We are lowering emissions, reducing energy costs and reshaping wholesale energy markets.

The way energy is produced and used is changing. And new and diverse sources of energy are essential to meet the demands of a growing planet. So we’re focusing relentlessly on finding the answer to a simple question: what can we do differently to make better use of the resources we have? We set out to shake up the established energy market for the good of everyone: providers, users, governments, our investors, and of course the planet. Our first step? Thinking differently. We brought together a team of people at the very top of their industries – technology, science, energy, finance – to look in fresh ways at the challenges facing the energy industry.

By combining diverse thinking with cutting-edge technology and scientific rigour, we’ve unlocked a new energy source. One that costs less and releases more value – and that’s better for the environment. We’re cleaning up a major environmental liability, transforming it into a high-performing hydrocarbon resource. This reduces waste in the coal system and lowers the cost of energy for our customers. Arq is not a mining or oil company – and we take nothing out of the earth. Instead, we use new thinking and technology to get more from the resources we have. We’re an entech company: technology-led energy innovators. We’ve come a long way in a just a few years, and this is just the start. One thing is for sure: the world’s energy will go further with Arq.

VP BRAND STRATEGY

PCCW GLOBAL - JAN 2016 to Present

Reviewing the brand, marketing and communications strategy for all companies within the PCCW Global group.  Assessing the iomact of industry changes to the business and transforming business models for the future. Updating the strategic narrative to ensure that the business is presented clearly to all stakeholders.

Led work streams that

• Delivered transformational projects to initiate transactional enterprise services online
• Designed a digital marketing and social media strategy which raised PCCW Global profile on the Google High Street
• Refreshed the strategic narrative for improved engagement with external stakeholders
• Launched new business lines selling mobility, datacentres, security, media and unified communications
• Tendered, selected and briefed global digital marketing agencies to support with creative execution
• Defined the corporate vision to assist senior management focus specific M&A targets
• Guided sales engagement to promote GlobalMedia capabilities in North America, EMEA and Asia.

Specific project examples

• ·Influencer marketing - Building and developing ongoing relationships with key individuals that can help drive market awareness and help build our reputation.
• Social Media - Initiating a social media strategy as a group company in a highly regulated market, including monitoring, calendar, KPI’s, process and authorization and team structure.
• Video content – to revise and update the group corporate video, as well as multiple product videos, bringing them all into line with a consistent ToV, visual identity and set of brand messages.
• Customer touchpoint analysis - Messaging review across all media based on prospect/customer touchpoint audit
• Internal communications - Designing and building internal aps for team communication. Develop and process for the collation and dissemination of industry case studies.
• External communications –Planning and creating engaging press releases, blogs, award submissions, newsletters
• Digital marketing - Designing the structure and content of successful digital campaigns to drive sales lead generation for new products, ensuring that digital assets are reusable and the process flows adaptable to multiple future campaigns.
• Content strategy – to build pipeline of compelling, brand focused, relevant and shareable content which would create brand value, market salience and to build a database of new contacts, generating qualified sales leads.
• Customer interactivity – worked on the creative design and process flows for the first interactive customer self-service portal for wholesale telecoms.
• Team Mentoring – identifying potential high performing individuals whilst developing skills across the team in planning, social media, marketing strategy, communications planning
• Team structure - Recommendation and implementation of revised marketing team structure to fit updated commercial targets and new technology opportunities.
• Budget review - Product marketing, marketing operations and brand management budget allocation review
• Strategic narrative – refining the positioning pitch for investors, customers and internal stakeholders.
• Market research – into various telecoms markets and sectors for the M&A team

I joined the Liquid Telecom Group in January 2013 to manage brand, marketing and communications across all of the Liquid Telecom Group companies. Liquid Telecom connects people and is the leading independent provider of data, voice and IP services in central, southern and east Africa.  After repurposing the Liquid Telecom brand and the acquisition of the Altech assets I rebranded Kenya Data Networks (KDN) as Liquid Telecom, and rationalised the Liquid Telecom product portfolio.

The marketing team also launched East African Data Centre, a 2,000 sqm facility with 640 racks, the only one of its kind in east and central Africa, designed to meet International Data Centre Standards TIA-942.  (see Sept 2014 blog for video)

Before moving on I also managed the launch of a new pan African retail ISP called Hai. Other retail brands in the portfolio include Rwanda Telecom, Realtime in Zambia, and Liquid Telecom (only in the competitive Kenyan retail market) and the launch of ipidi tv (Kwese), a retail IP TV platform promoting African content. Other brands managed in the portfolio but not shown below include Realtime and CECLiquid Telecom in Zambia, PayBay, TPS and Africa Data Networks (ADN) in the DRC.

Until Dec 2012 I was Marketing Director for the pan-African wholesale carrier Gateway Communications (a private company sold to Vodacom for $700m in Aug 2008) where I was responsible for the marketing and communications strategy since 2005. During this time I oversaw the integration of the Link Africa and GS Telecom brands into Gateway and was constructive in rebranding and integrating the enterprise assets into Vodacom Business. I worked closely with the international teams at Vodacom and Vodafone.

• Established a highly valuable corporate brand (Gateway Communications sold to Vodacom in Dec 08 for $700m, at 14*EBIT), backed up internally by a deep understanding of  Gateway Communications “Vision & Values”
• Created strategic marketing communications plans delivering valuable insight and results across carrier services and vertical pan-African industry sectors (Oil & Gas, Mining, Banking, Retail)
• Managed internal and outsourced teams covering international PR, direct marketing, advertising, event management, web (SEO) and online presence, CSR and all external communications
• Responsible for group marketing budget ($4.10 m) across 18 countries and 21 offices worldwide
• Signed off on all external communications for Gateway Communications including financial statements, press releases, newsletters, industry events and public presentations
• Lead post acquisition integration and re-branding of Link Africa ($55m), GS Telecom ($37.5m)
• Selected by CEO to establish Gateway’s own sustainability program and external stakeholder management program, which was integrated with the Vodacom and Vodafone Group
• Developed new corporate identity (CI) and Brand Guidelines for Gateway Communications and for partnership and co-branded initiatives with Vodacom Group and Vodafone
• Designed joint marketing initiatives and sales training programs with key suppliers and customers