Melissa Wurzel Email & Phone Number

New Smyrna Beach, Fl, Us

After a successful tenure at Springboard, I am currently on a career break to recharge and focus on personal and professional growth. During this time, I am delving into advanced marketing strategies and the evolving field of artificial intelligence, expanding my knowledge and skill set in these critical areas. Additionally, I am prioritizing health and wellness, ensuring a balanced and holistic approach to my personal development.While I am enjoying this period of learning and rejuvenation, I am casually exploring my next career opportunity. I am open to connecting with recruiters and industry professionals who have exciting roles in marketing, growth, or related fields. Please feel free to reach out if you have opportunities that align with my expertise and career aspirations.

San Francisco, California, Us

In 2021, I joined Springboard, a Series-B EdTech startup renowned for mentor-led online bootcamps in software engineering, data science, data analytics, cybersecurity, and UI/UX design. As Head of Marketing, Growth, and User Acquisition for University Partnerships, I played a pivotal role in driving the marketing and growth strategies for the UP portfolio.• Strategic Leadership: Developed and executed comprehensive marketing and growth strategies encompassing paid, organic, partner marketing, experimental channels, email, product, affiliate, CRO, PR, and creative initiatives.• Team Management: Built and managed a high-performing marketing team, leveraging agencies and outsourced resources to support growth phases.• Growth Initiatives: Spearheaded B2C and B2U marketing strategies for learner and partner acquisition, contributing to a significant 300% business line growth in the first year.• Lead Generation: Directed the creation and implementation of lead generation and database nurture campaigns to enhance the learner and prospective partner funnel.• Budget and Performance Management: Oversaw strategic planning, forecasting, and channel management of marketing budgets, collaborating with finance, sales, and growth product teams. Monitored budgeted goals and KPIs, optimizing channels and driving testing opportunities.• Partnership Expansion: Successfully increased portfolio of partner brands by 500%, enhancing our academic network. Additionally, I led new program launch responsibilities, ensuring seamless integration and execution of new brand offerings.Academic Partners: University of South Florida, University of North Florida, Louisiana State University, University of California, San Diego, University of Massachusetts, University of Maryland Global Campus, Gonzaga University, Washington University in St. Louis, Northern Illinois University, Auburn University, Stony Brook University, and Loyola University New Orleans

London, Gb

As the Sr. Associate Director of Emerging Platforms, I led all B2C marketing and media efforts.• Workstream Leadership: Managed both internal and external agency teams to support and drive success.• Marketing Strategy: Developed comprehensive marketing plans to effectively promote new platforms.• Site Launch: Spearheaded the successful launch of new websites, ensuring a seamless user experience and robust functionality.• Performance Forecasting: Conducted detailed forecasting of campaign and lead performance to guide strategic decision-making.• Performance Marketing: Directed performance marketing initiatives including SEO, SEM, Paid Social, Earned Social, and CRO, optimizing for maximum reach and impact.• Collaboration and Change Management: Worked closely with internal teams to lead business change management processes, ensuring alignment and effective execution across the organization.

London, Gb

After consulting full-time for several months, I accepted an opportunity with Pearson Online Learning Services, which partners with colleges and universities nationwide to launch and deliver online undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs and certificates.• Team Leadership: Led the Market Research and Strategy team, driving initiatives to support business growth and partner success.• Strategic Collaboration: Worked closely with Business Development, Academic Strategy, and Academic Partners to develop and implement comprehensive market strategies and recommendations.• B2U Prospective Partnerships: Developed target lists of prospective university partners, creating strategic growth and launch plans.• Market Insights: Conducted in-depth market and consumer research to inform program differentiators, positioning, and pricing strategies.• Budget Planning: Planned and forecasted a substantial marketing budget exceeding $100M, ensuring effective allocation and ROI.• B2C Marketing: Provided strategic recommendations for B2C marketing launch channels, optimizing reach and engagement.• Pro Forma Process: Collaborated with Finance, Program Launch, Creative, and Media teams to assess ROI and roll out new offerings through a detailed pro forma process.

After a successful tenure at Florida Virtual School (FLVS), I transitioned into a consulting role, offering strategic guidance to organizations across various industries.• Strategic Marketing Consulting: Partnered with organizations to provide expert guidance on marketing strategies, marketing plans, market research, and communications.• Market Research and Insights: Conducted in-depth market research and analysis to uncover insights, trends, and opportunities for clients.• Communications Strategy Development: Developed customized communications strategies to enhance client branding, thought leadership, and customer engagement.• Project Management: Managed consulting projects from inception to implementation, ensuring alignment with client objectives and timelines.• Client Relationship Management: Built strong relationships with clients, understanding their unique challenges and goals to deliver tailored solutions.• Industry Expertise: Leveraged broad industry knowledge and experience to drive innovative marketing solutions and deliver measurable results.

Orlando, Florida, Us

Promoted to Executive Director of Marketing & Communications in 2014, I continued to lead the Marketing, Communications, and Customer Care teams at Florida Virtual School (FLVS), overseeing a multimillion-dollar department budget and managing a team of over 25 professionals.• Strategic Leadership: As a member of the senior leadership team, collaborated with the CEO, Board of Trustees, and department leaders to align initiatives with enterprise strategic goals.• Team Management: Directed the performance and development of Marketing, Communications, and Customer Care teams to achieve organizational objectives and enhance customer satisfaction.• Financial Oversight: Created and managed the department’s multimillion-dollar budget, ensuring efficient allocation of resources to maximize ROI.• Achievement of Enrollment Goals: Successfully exceeded enrollment goals by leveraging innovative marketing strategies and operational efficiencies.• Customer Service Excellence: Introduced a new chat feature, increasing chat support by 200%, and achieved a 92% customer satisfaction rating. Enhanced call center efficiencies, resulting in a 20% budget cost savings.• Rebranding Initiative: Orchestrated a comprehensive rebranding effort for FLVS, including a new program name for the Flex offering, a responsive website redesign, and the successful “I am FLVS” campaign.• Campaign Success: Led marketing efforts that contributed to a 47% increase in website visits and a 40% increase in enrollments following the rebrand and Summer campaign in 2016.• Award-Winning Campaign: The “I am FLVS” campaign earned multiple marketing and communications awards, including district, state, and national ADDYs in 2017.• Community Engagement: Managed community events, thought leadership initiatives, and participation in conferences and trade shows to promote FLVS’s brand and offerings.

Orlando, Florida, Us

Promoted in 2013 to Director of Marketing & Communications, I assumed leadership of the Marketing, Communications, and Customer Service teams at Florida Virtual School (FLVS), the nation’s largest K-12 virtual school.• Creative Campaigns: Directed award-winning marketing campaigns such as the "Go Ahead" campaign, which earned 10 ADDY awards and one Telly award, exceeding enrollment goals by 26% in 2014.• Communications Leadership: Directed all internal and external communications efforts, including internal staff communications, student and parent communications, thought leadership, media relations, crisis communications, awards submissions, conferences, white papers, and speechwriting/presentations for executives.• Customer Care Oversight: Managed Customer Care efforts, including the intranet, call center operations, and internal customer service initiatives. Implemented a customer journey map and executed digital engagement tactics to enhance customer experience.• Team Leadership: Built and led a cross-functional team focused on delivering high-impact marketing and communications strategies that supported FLVS’s mission and growth objectives.• Leadership Participation: Actively participated in leadership strategy meetings, executive coaching, and leadership development initiatives to drive organizational excellence and personal growth.

Orlando, Florida, Us

In 2010, I accepted an opportunity with Florida Virtual School (FLVS), the nation’s largest K-12 virtual school. FLVS had experienced rapid, organic growth but struggled to define a cohesive marketing and brand strategy.• Integrated Marketing & Communications: Developed and managed the school's first comprehensive integrated marketing and communications plan, establishing and overseeing the marketing budget.• B2C and B2B Marketing: Led all B2C (student enrollment acquisition) and B2B (K-12 schools and districts) marketing efforts, including strategic planning, product marketing, and market research.• Creative Campaigns: Directed innovative marketing campaigns, including the successful "Go Ahead" campaign to build brand awareness and drive school enrollments.• Digital and Event Marketing: Managed digital marketing initiatives such as social media, blog, SEM, SEO, and digital media, along with event marketing, websites, and mobile apps.• Agency Collaboration: Sourced, evaluated, and hired an advertising agency to enhance FLVS’s marketing capabilities, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives and maximizing campaign effectiveness.• Thought Leadership and Research: Conducted market research, competitive analysis, customer listening, surveys, white papers, and product testing to inform strategic decisions.• Team Leadership: Built and led a high-functioning, results-driven, and collaborative marketing team, partnering with an agency to achieve our goals.• Admissions & Registration System: Collaborated on the development of a new school Admissions & Registration system, resulting in a more intuitive user experience and increased enrollments.• Leadership Participation: Actively participated in leadership strategy meetings, leadership development opportunities, and worked with an executive coach to further organizational and personal growth.

Orlando, Fl, Us

Following my tenure at Harcourt/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, where I gained valuable experience in education, I pursued agency-side expertise at FDG Creative.• Strategic Marketing Campaigns: Developed and coordinated strategic marketing campaigns across various industries including higher education, K-12 education, hospitality, and real estate.• Client Management: Managed relationships with multiple clients, with a focus on providing tailored marketing strategies and solutions; acted as the lead strategist and account manager for Florida Virtual School, implementing comprehensive marketing initiatives to support their objectives.• Brand Strategy Development: Created impactful brand strategies that aligned with client goals and market dynamics.• Media Planning and Recommendations: Formulated effective media plans and recommendations to optimize client visibility and engagement.• Marketing ROI Reporting: Generated detailed reports on marketing ROI, providing insights and recommendations for continuous improvement.• Business Development: Played a key role in agency growth through proactive business development efforts, including client pitches, presentations, and proposal development.• Cross-functional Collaboration: Collaborated closely with creative teams, media buyers, and analysts to ensure seamless integration of marketing strategies with creative executions and performance metrics.

Boston, Massachusetts, Us

Promoted to Director of Marketing in 2007, I led the revitalization of all marketing strategies and campaigns, established robust marketing processes, standards, and procedures, and forged strategic partnerships to drive new product development and customized marketing solutions.• Strategic Leadership: Energized marketing efforts, steering the development and execution of comprehensive marketing strategies aligned with company objectives.• Process Improvement: Established marketing processes, standards, and procedures to enhance efficiency and effectiveness across the marketing function.• Partnership Development: Cultivated relationships with key partners and collaborated closely with the executive team and sales force to drive innovation in product development and marketing solutions.• Event Marketing Strategy: Implemented an event marketing strategy focused on customer listening and lead generation, resulting in valuable insights and the development of two innovative digital products that disrupted the marketplace.• Business Turnaround: Led a transformative effort that turned a non-profitable company into a profitable enterprise, achieving over 50% sales growth between 2004 and 2008.• Company Sale Process: Played a pivotal role in the company sale process initiated by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in early 2009. Participated in meetings with potential buyers, conducted presentations, and facilitated the transition process following the company’s sale in the summer of 2009.

Boston, Massachusetts, Us

In 2007, I had the opportunity to lead a cross-organizational team tasked with creating innovative ideas and products and inspiring organizational innovation.• Cross-Organizational Innovation Leadership: Headed a cross-organizational team dedicated to generating innovative ideas and products, fostering a culture of creativity, and inspiring organizational innovation.• Idea Generation: Facilitated brainstorming sessions and innovation workshops to identify and develop new product ideas and process improvements.• Collaboration: Worked closely with various departments, including R&D, marketing, and sales, to ensure alignment and integration of innovative initiatives.• Implementation: Oversaw the execution of selected innovative projects, from concept to market launch, ensuring timely and successful delivery.• Cultural Shift: Played a pivotal role in shifting the organizational mindset towards embracing creativity and continuous improvement.

Us

Selected as a key member of a strategic team at Harcourt tasked with rebuilding and rebranding a non-profitable company within its portfolio. Over several years, our team successfully defined a new mission and vision, completely revamped the product line, and executed a comprehensive rebranding and repositioning strategy.• Sales Growth Leadership: Led initiatives that resulted in a significant 65% growth in online sales within one year and a 50% growth in sales over a four-year period through effective customer segmentation strategies.• Strategic Collaboration: Collaborated with executive leadership to develop and implement product, branding, and marketing strategies aligned with company objectives.• Budget Management: Managed the marketing mix and budget, optimizing resources to maximize ROI and support strategic initiatives.• Team Leadership: Led a high-performing marketing team, fostering a collaborative environment focused on achieving marketing and business goals.• Professional Development: Initiated enrollment in the Professional MBA night program at Rollins in 2005, leveraging newly acquired marketing strategies and business skills to drive real-time results and enhance organizational outcomes.

Us

Promoted to Senior Graphic Designer in 2002, I spearheaded the creation of design themes for major campaigns, product launches, and events at Harcourt School Publishers.• Campaign and Event Design Leadership: Led the conceptualization and development of design themes for large-scale marketing campaigns and educational product launches, ensuring alignment with brand guidelines and marketing objectives.• Ecommerce Site Graphics: Provided graphics and layout designs for the Harcourt ecommerce site, enhancing user experience and supporting online sales initiatives.• Creative Strategy Development: Collaborated closely with marketing teams and stakeholders to translate strategic goals into visually compelling designs that effectively communicated key messages and promoted educational products.• Cross-functional Collaboration: Worked closely with cross-functional teams including marketing, product management, and digital teams to deliver cohesive and impactful design solutions.•Project Management: Managed multiple projects simultaneously, from concept through to execution, while meeting deadlines and budget requirements.• Continuous Improvement: Implemented design best practices and kept abreast of industry trends to continuously improve design quality and effectiveness.

Us

Began my career in 2000 with Harcourt School Publishers, a leading K-12 textbook publisher, where I played a pivotal role as a Graphic Designer.• Marketing Design Expertise: Translated marketing copy into visually compelling designs for a wide range of print materials including catalogs, brochures, flyers, sample boxes, sales presentations, and promotional materials.• Customized Sales Collateral: Created customized sales collateral tailored to specific client needs and market segments, ensuring alignment with brand guidelines and marketing objectives.• Event Branding: Designed themes, booth signage, and graphics for major K-12 education conferences such as NSTA, ISTE, and FETC, enhancing brand visibility and engagement at industry events.• Creative Concept Development: Developed innovative design concepts that effectively communicated key messages and resonated with target audiences in the education sector.• Collaborative Projects: Collaborated closely with marketing teams, copywriters, and sales teams to deliver cohesive and impactful marketing campaigns and materials.• Adherence to Deadlines and Budgets: Managed multiple projects simultaneously, meeting tight deadlines and budget constraints while maintaining high-quality design standards.

New Smyrna Beach, Florida, Us

Immediately following graduation from UCF, I was selected as one of eight graphic designers for a prestigious residency program at Atlantic Center of the Arts, studying under internationally-renowned designer David Carson.• Master Artist Residency: Engaged in a three-week intensive residency alongside two other master artists in different disciplines, personally selected by David Carson.• Collaborative Sessions: Participated in collaborative sessions with a diverse group of artists, fostering cross-disciplinary projects and creative exchange.• Independent Projects: Worked independently on personal projects, exploring and expanding my graphic design skills and creative vision.• Professional Development: Gained insights and mentorship from David Carson and peers, enhancing my understanding of contemporary design practices and artistic expression.• Portfolio Enrichment: Leveraged the residency to enrich my portfolio with innovative and experimental design work inspired by the collaborative and immersive environment of ACA.

Master Of Business Administration - Mba, Marketing & Management

Bachelor Of Fine Arts - Bfa, Fine And Studio Arts

Bachelor Of Fine Arts - Bfa, Graphic Design