As a senior within the marketing team, my responsibility is to help plan and direct effective product and brand marketing strategies. Secondly, to foster collaboration and understanding between Marketing and the various heads of Product, Service, Experience, UX, and Culture at xneelo.A highlight was to address the disconnect between our Product and Marketing teams. By initiating and driving the adoption of the Product Marketing Specialist role (alternatively known as PMM), we built a much richer relationship between the various product teams and Marketing. This in turn led to better insights, better alignment, and more engaging conversations.And while our content-led strategy has been effective, having additional insights and feedback from multiple stakeholders has led to more impactful content across channels. We have also seen exciting results in our paid media campaigns as well as on our social channels.An area of focus now is looking at how we adopt and utilise AI tools into our workflows. However, the caveat being that we don't sacrifice creativity for efficiency.

As the senior designer within the Marketing team, I oversaw the execution of the visual identity across all customer touch points. Working closely with the UX team, customer support teams and product teams to deliver engaging design led solutions. A particular highlight was the creation of a new visual identity for the brand as we transitioned from Hetzner South Africa to xneelo. Along with the design team, I led the development, roll-out and ongoing oversight of the identity across all digital properties, content pillars, social channels and print.Additionally, we forged ongoing third party relationships with design agencies, WordPress developers and content creators.

Alongside my two co-founders, I developed the creative direction for South Africa's largest diabetes community - www.sweetlife.org.za. Over the past few years, I have provided creative direction as necessary and guided the brand as they develop their digital look and feel.

While on sabbatical I delved back into a favourite pastime, interior photography. This led to a chance engagement with Airbnb Plus; which had recently launched globally, and I was selected to be part of their South African team.

Along with the founder and small team, we launched the eazi.com brand in 2016. I provided design strategy and creative direction across digital, video and print advertising.

I was brought into The Creative Group as their first Creative Director, tasked with setting up a creative studio and bringing design in-house, relaunching current titles with a new look and feel, and launching new projects. This involved both design strategy and working with teams to ensure the design language was carried through and projects were completed on time and on budget. The titles I worked on include:Real Estate glossy magazine inserted monthly into The Sunday Times, and its associated website: www.estatemagazine.comLaunching Neighbourhood in the Sunday Times, a weekly property newspaper insert across the five main metropoles, and its associated website - www.yourneighbourhood.co.za Completely redesigning Property Professional - South Africa's largest B2B property magazine, and its associated website - www.propertyprofessional.co.zaCompletely redesigning Business Day Homefront, a biweekly insert in Business Day. As well as this, I was an integral part of publishing various niche magazines (Zimbali, Pam Golding Imagine, Luxury Portfolio, Seeff etc). At the same time, I formed part of an in-house advertising agency who worked on strategy and campaigns for a number of property clients (notably for Chas Everitt SA and The Houghton); launch and brand campaigns nationally on behalf of Times Media Group for Neighbourhood, and smaller campaigns for various clients.I helped to build up a film production service to provide various developers, estate agencies and estates with custom videos (property videos, area promotions, corporate interviews, development promotions etc). I also provided art direction on a number of videos.In essence, my role as Creative Director has grown the company from a property listings one to a fully functioning property publisher. The above publications and departments have now matured into their own individual entities and all the necessary processes are in place for them to run themselves.

In parallel to my Creative Director role, I led the creative strategy on various marketing initiatives across both our internal products and external clients.Product development and strategy: across our four custom websites, working with senior management, the marketing director, editors, developers, Wordpress creators and marketing teams.Implementation of marketing roadmaps and development plans: with senior management, developers and the creative teams.Worked with marketing teams (both internal and external): to unlock content and promotional opportunities through use of native content, unique landing pages, retargeting and banner campaignsConduit of product development: between clients, developers, creative and senior management. I managed projects with the various stakeholders’ input.Understanding and insight of technical issues: developers raised issues with me, that I was able to translate into more easily understood language to higher management and less tech savvy teams.Analytical ability to gather data: (Google Analytics / Hotjar / Mailchimp etc) to deliver informed data-led decisions for marketing teams and creative.UX analysis: identification of users and their journeys, hierarchy and relevance of information across multiple websites.UI development: tailored to meet the different needs of each product - property portals, content marketing sites (articles and video) and their unique marketing requirements.Creation of wireframes: for clients, developers and creatives (lo and hi-fidelity versions)Worked with developers: to identify and problem-solve responsive issues (HTML and Wordpress)Integration of CRM system (Zoho): with sales team for better lead follow-upsIntegration of CRM databases with web apps (i.e.Mailchimp): for targeted customer segmented promotions and retargeting

Shooting for National Geographic Traveller South Africa, I Want That Wedding and Travelstart

Freelance design and photography

I was a group head on the PEP Cellular and PEP Home creative accounts. I also completed above-the-line monthly campaigns including TV ads and radio.

Creation and development of the Mr Price Sport brand across all marketing and in-store collateral