Michael Walker Email and Phone Number

SL8 Agency is a business focused on three key competencies, namely a full service Marketing Agency, an Events Specialist, and owner of a bar (Bond Society) in the inner city of Johannesburg.

• Management of the strategic marketing team, ensuring the servicing of Business Connexion divisions, business units, engagement, regions and international offices.• Driving and packing of entire groups product set and developing GTM for new products. • Conceptualised and managed/implemented key strategies such as Ten10 (B2B Sales Focus), SPARK (Thought Leadership), Power of X (Cross Selling platform), CIO Connectivity Series, Marketing Family, and TechTV.• Conceptualised the DOT App.• Strategic focus includes entire business from Exco level, international offices, business units and engagement, driving solutions marketing and corporate marketing externally and internally. • Helped align group marketing closer to the business; developed and managed key relationships with Exco, Business Heads and Engagement.• End-to-end B2B marketing requirements of Business Connexion’s enterprise engagement clusters (Industrial & Commercial, Retail & Finance, Mining and Petrochem & Oil vertical clusters).• Managing a large number of agencies from concept to implementation of simultaneous projects, from digital campaigns, to advertorials, thought leadership, and audio visual creation.• Budget creation, allocation and management.• Member of Business Connexion Senior Leadership Team – 76 people in the team out of 7000 employees.• Key member of The Internet of Things Focus Group.

• Launched South African Reserve Bank’s upgraded bank notes to South African public – Communications strategy included ATL & BTL from high LSM to low LSM; key messaging, community activation programme, media liaison, thought-leadership articles; releases, event management, and crisis communications procedures.• Managed Department of Water & Forestry Woman and Water Awards – Key messages, media liaison, releases, event management, invite coordination, supplier coordination, and media tracking.• Conceptualised and managed Water Week for Department of Water and Forestry – Coordinated campaign with Comutanet to drive health and safety messages to lower LSM, oversaw ATL campaign on major communications platforms, amplification of messages through public relations. Reported direct to head of communications in the department.• Conceptualised and activated the Power of X campaign for Independent Electoral Commission – Event activation, media negotiations, releases, song amplification, speech writing. Reported direct to the head of the IEC• Launched the Origins Centre with President Thabo Mbeki to the public – Event conceptualisation and activation, key messages, Media DNA activation and amplification, presidential coordination. • TBWA\ Hunt Lascaris – team lead on award winning anti-piracy campaign for Tsotsi film which won a Cannes Lion in 2008.• TBWA\ Hunt Lascaris – team lead on “call girls” campaign • Managed Department of Public Works EPWP account with full 360 marketing thought and initiatives.• Conceptualised and drove Sasol’s Olympic sponsorship campaign, “The Coach”.• Worked on the account of Eskom and Telkom activating key Exco priorities for both companies.