Derek Rudnak Email & Phone Number

Duluth, Georgia, United States

KEY ACHIEVEMENTSAchieved a remarkable 98% reduction in legal and consultant spend, coupled with a striking 99% decrease in North American unauthorized online sales.Strategically reallocated budget resources, utilizing only 30% of the recovered funds to acquire cutting-edge technologies and assemble a skilled team.Reduced policy violations and infringements by 200%, and regularly recognized as a factor for year-over-year revenue growth and profitability.Successfully replicated impactful programs in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain, demonstrating an ability to implement and adapt successful strategies on a global scale.ADDITIONAL BACKGROUNDLed the transformation of online brand protection and reputation management initiatives in North America and Europe, orchestrating the creation of an entirely new suite of processes for:• Brand Reputation and Policy Enforcement: Strategically developed and executed programs and processes to ensure consistent adherence to corporate policies, standards and legal guidelines, including:– U.S. and Canada Unilateral Minimum Advertised Price Policy (MAP)– EU Selective Distributor Agreements (SDA)– U.S. and Canada Authorized Direct Resellers / Distributors / Online Resellers • Intellectual Property Protection: Implemented robust strategies to safeguard intellectual property rights (e.g., copyrights, trademarks and patents), resulting in a significant reduction in infringement incidents and legal disputes.• Stakeholder Coordination: Championed change management efforts to coordinate diverse domestic and international stakeholders for creating, communicating, and refining programs and policies, both internally and externally.• Market Analysis and Consumer Sentiment: Pioneered cutting-edge techniques (including artificial intelligence / “AI”) and tools for in-depth market analysis and real-time tracking of consumer sentiment, providing invaluable insights for informed decision-making.

United States (Atlanta, Los Angeles, Sacramento And San Francisco)

KEY ACHIEVEMENTSSuccessfully established and independently nurtured a thriving freelance business with minimal investment in traditional advertising. Achieved remarkable sustainability and continuous growth by prioritizing outstanding service delivery and cultivating a strong network of word-of-mouth references.• Strategic Marketing Approach: Implemented a cost-effective marketing strategy focused on delivering exceptional service, fostering client satisfaction, and generating positive word of mouth.• Client Relationship Management: Cultivated enduring client relationships, resulting in a consistent stream of referrals and repeat business. Prioritized client needs, ensuring high satisfaction levels and loyalty.• Resource Optimization: Demonstrated keen financial acumen by minimizing reliance on conventional advertising methods. Invested time and effort in delivering quality work, thereby allowing the business to organically expand through client recommendations.• Sustainable Growth: Achieved consistent and sustainable business growth by consistently exceeding client expectations. Established a reputation for reliability, quality, and excellence within the freelance industry.ADDITIONAL BACKGROUNDDeployed my full arsenal of tailored and cost-effective services through a diverse range of professional communication and marketing modes, including:• Written: News releases, PR, blogs, social media, case studies, white papers• Visual: Desktop publishing, graphic design, photography and video, branding and style• Print: Desktop publishing, direct mail and print ads, collateral and promotions• Digital: Website design and management, SEO/SEM/PPC, social media, analytics and metricsMy content production and strategic initiatives consistently drove notable outcomes such as heightened brand visibility, amplified sales figures, augmented employee engagement levels, and strengthened relationships with customers and partners.

Sacramento, California

Led content development initiatives, with a primary focus on educational technology tools, spanning five multimillion-dollar grants.Collaborated with project manager to create a process for developing communications plans that enabled grant stakeholders to participate in identifying key messages, optimal timing/scheduling and appropriate channels, which included:• Content Creation and Management: Authored impactful news releases, engaging social media content (across platforms like Facebook and Twitter), compelling newsletter pieces, impactful impact stories, and features for annual reports. • Newsletter Production and Coordination: Orchestrated the monthly production of the Chancellor’s Office newsletter, involving close collaboration with both internal and external contributors. Managed a multi-level review and approval process to ensure timely publication.• Website Content Strategy and Navigation: Offered strategic guidance for the development of new website content and navigation structures, ensuring an intuitive user experience and effective information dissemination.• Cloud-Based Tools for Content Management: Leveraged cloud-based tools such as Asana, Hootsuite, Google Suite, and Slack for seamless planning, management, and production of content, ensuring efficient workflows and collaboration.

Sacramento, California Area

KEY ACHIEVEMENTSLaunched Business Continuity (BC) program to align and educate global leadership and employees before a catastrophic event occurs and disrupts regional to global operations.Introduced broad awareness and pioneered broad adoption—as well as creation—of several innovative SharePoint sites to provide critical insights for Global Operations (GO) Supply Chain (SC) change management communications.ADDITIONAL BACKGROUNDOrchestrated the creation of content in collaboration with cross-functional stakeholders, contributing significantly to the success of numerous highly confidential and intricate Global Operations Supply Chain and Supplier Relationship initiatives though:• Internal Corporate Communications: Partnering with project managers and change management experts to craft precise, on- brand messages for C-suite and senior leadership. This encompassed writing, editing, and publishing internal emails, memos and drawer statements.• Intranet Development: Spearheading the development and management of SharePoint sites to disseminate dashboards, directories, and content, tailored for both companywide and limited-permission audiences.• Mass Communication Technologies: Strategizing, editing, producing, publishing and monitoring the impact of email campaigns, newsletters and online videos.• Presentations, Reports and Studies: Contributing to the writing, editing, production, and online publishing of impactful PowerPoint presentations, as well as authoring compelling award submissions for both internal and external recognition.

Greater Los Angeles Area

KEY ACHIEVEMENTSApplied innovative “Voice of the Customer” (VOC) techniques to successfully relaunch medical device brand babyLance, ultimately leading to its acquisition for millions.Pioneered the successful launch of three additional medical device brands (Anzen, MediPlus and SurgiLance Lite), achieving not only market penetration but also contributing significantly to the organization’s profitability.Recognized for exceptional inbound content marketing performance by HubSpot, showcasing a proficiency in content strategy that resonated with target audiences.ADDITIONAL BACKGROUNDCreated a marketing communications team of in-house and contractor staff to implement my pioneering digital marketing communication strategies that favored economical and highly integrated inbound/content marketing techniques rather than costly traditional advertising methods via: • Customer insights to inform strategic decisions that ensured a tailored and impactful brand presence for:– Brand identity, including trademarks, names, style guides and packaging– Website design and optimization, including CMS and SEO• Data-driven content creation that consistently delivered engaging and high-converting materials for:– Digital content, including blogs, news/PR, infographics and videos– Research publications, including surveys, reports, case studies and white papers

Greater Atlanta Area

Leveraged my freelance and Silicon Valley digital content experiences to significantly improve process and output quality at an emerging interactive Website development group that was expanding into inbound marketing, blogs, online videos, SEO, PPC and social media.

San Mateo, California, United States

Produced campaigns, newsletters, directories, and collateral to expand membership and awareness.

Silicon Valley, California, United States

Developed and validated SEO/PPC content best practices, contributing to positive KPIs.

San Francisco, California, United States

Ensured accuracy and clarity and optimized distribution for late-breaking press releases from blue-chip companies such as Apple, Boeing and Exxon.

Sacramento, California Area

Substantially improved content quality and professionalism (which increased revenues) for five bi-weekly community newspapers with readership in the Greater Sacramento and Central Valley regions.

Sacramento, California, United States

Substantially improved content quality and professionalism (which increased revenues) for a monthly alternative newspaper with readership in the Greater Sacramento region.

Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Artist management and representation for award-winning and internationally-recognized commercial illustrators. Oversaw marketing, contract negotiation (original and second-use/stock images) and project management, along with daily operation of an art studio and gallery.

Bachelor Of Arts (B.A.), Communication And Media Studies, Magna Cum Laude

Journalism

Activities and Societies: Alpha Phi Delta