Michael Fern Email & Phone Number

Glasgow, Gb

Glasgow, Gb

Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom

I am a core part of our team, providing business to business communications to thousands of funeral directors around the UK, internal communications to staff, and support to customer facing employees. Working closely with the executive team, all of our communications support the business' long term strategic goals.I edit our trade publication SAIFInsight and specialise in digital, audio and visual communications including our Partnership Podcast and video content for in-person and digital event work. This involves using the Adobe Creative Suite to produce multimedia content.Building on our pre-pandemic event work, I have led the team's move into virtual events, producing a live online awards event and leading on running 50 online training webinars. These provided trained to over 2,500 funeral director staff, which ensured they could continue working with us after the advent of Financial Conduct Authority regulation.Additionally, I am a subject matter expert in using our data to boost and segment our messages through SQL, Tableau and Microsoft Excel, and support colleagues in the data team to refine our contact data. I also support direct reports and other team members to produce our email newsletters, use data effectively and design appealing communications.

Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom

In addition to acting as editor of the SAIFInsight trade publication, I used design and data expertise to help achieve and inform the company's strategy, and provided a diverse, innovative range of in-house and external communication solutions including video, podcast and digital event production. We have a wide range of stakeholders and I helped ensure we targeted each different group with written, video and audio communications appropriate to their needs.As the team's production and design lead, and an Adobe Certified Associate, I was responsible for the production of high quality in-house content. This included the production of podcasts, external and internal facing videos, motion graphics and animations, and general graphic design.As data lead I segmented and manipulated stakeholder contact data to send highly targeted messages, supported our Research & Insight team with surveying stakeholders, and worked with projects across the business to ensure our data was accurate and our systems met our communication needs. I also managed the websites of ownership association SAIFCharter and the SAIFInsight magazine.

Glasgow, United Kingdom

I worked with a third party to run quarterly surveying of customers and stakeholder businesses, analysing these results and producing internal reports for our leadership team, as well as working across the business to produce ad hoc research and insights. As a member of our Data Analytics community group, I used various tools to standardise and share reporting across the business.As magazine editor, I led the project to redesign our funeral director-targeted trade publication, and built up the online version to surpass 1,000 monthly views.As A/V specialist and trained Adobe Certified Associate, I launched and produced our fortnightly podcast, carried out graphic design and produced professional audio and video content for various events.I maintained relationships with stakeholders and shareholder businesses, including working closely with the leadership of the trade association for independent funeral directors and the top of our own business.Acting as intranet administrator, I helped bring in a new, updated intranet used daily by the bulk of staff.

Glasgow, United Kingdom

My main responsibilities as a member this award winning communications team involved creating multimedia content for external and internal use. In particular:* As editor of our monthly trade magazine, I oversaw the upgrade from working with a single designer to using an external publisher. Each month this involves writing much of the copy, proofing the whole publication and rewriting as required, liaising between the publisher, trade association stakeholder and our own staff, and ultimate responsibility for sign-off. I also took charge of the in-house project to build saifinsight.co.uk as the magazine went online for the first time.* I was responsible for planning and producing communications to the company's thousands of funeral director stakeholders around the UK, using a variety of channels including email, letter, magazine and multimedia* I wrote the majority of Golden Charter awards entries over this time, including the winning entry for the 2016 Glasgow Business Award for Excellence in Communications* A Sharepoint super-user and one of only four intranet administrators, I have been involved in the intranet's design and responsible for championing its use and acting as first-line support for users* My design expertise meant I produced infographics and regularly used Photoshop to improve the look and professionalism of our output* My video editing abilities, organisational skills and technical knowledge have helped Golden Charter produce unique and entertaining events on a small budget and with a limited team number* I have written a variety of communications - press releases for the media, online newsletters, and internal messages for head office and field staff* I have been responsible for a monthly rolling survey of consumers and stakeholders: I was involved in designing the original and then reported quarterly to help draw conclusions

Glasgow, United Kingdom

Main duties involved writing and publicising news and press releases, regularly creating and posting the company's social networking content, developing and carrying out a long-term PR strategy, and performing research to inform the strategy. Other responsibilities included liasing with the media, planning individual campaigns, and updating the company's news and social networking outlets live from conferences and events.One facet of my role which I was particularly responsible for spearheading was my sole responsibility for filming, editing, uploading and promoting videos for PASMA. These videos gave details on PASMA training and services, and offered insight and reaction from delegates at the various events which the Association attends every year. My videos led to the rejuvenation of the PASMA YouTube channel, which had previously gone unused for some time.

I have written articles for various publications, including news for the Kirkintilloch Times, news and album reviews for specialist music website Forfolkssake.com, and music reviews for national magazine the Pink Paper. Additionally in 2010 I edited the Edinburgh Napier University newspaper, Veritas, and wrote film reviews for an Edinburgh focused cultural blog.

Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Primarily involved locating, summarising, and sending out relevant political intelligence and news on a deadline to clients. Other tasks included watching and summarising parliamentary committee meetings and debates, performing online and telephone research, social networking, spreadsheet data entry, and proof-reading.

Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Tasks included re-writing and fact-checking foreign correspondents’ articles, setting up the layout of newsletters, and contacting subscribers with the finished product at the same time daily.