I have worked in marketing for 35 years gaining a grounding in customer engagement techniques pre and post the digital era. The fundamental principles are the same, but the channels are different. My passion has been to put the customer at the heart of everything by understanding their needs and wants and then by driving organisational change to service these needsToday, I am using these skills as a NED for Dr Kershaw’s Hospice, helping to generate the 70% of income needed to survive thru charitable donationsI am also Head of Marketing and Customer Engagement at Classroom Secrets, a Saas SME in the education sector, where I have redefined the organisation as a subscription business rather than a volume resource creator, have introduced business planning and budgeting processes and have started to generate lucrative additional revenue streams by creating partnerships with organisations such as BBC EducationPrior to joining Classroom Secrets, I was Interim Marketing Director for SaaS business Park Christmas Savings (T/O £220m) where I redefined the proposition and branding and led the digital transformation of the very traditional business whilst identifying organisational change required to deliver thisBefore Park Christmas Savings, I spent 5 years setting up, developing and mentoring a team of marketing professionals to be become the driving force of a Bunzl UK business, transformed Bon Prix from a catalogue to online brand within 18 months pioneering the use of Facebook advertising, and established lasting legacies for Thornton’s Ice Cream and Special Toffee by defining strategic direction that has stood the test of time (25 years)I was responsible for launching Karaoke into the first pub in the UK and for redefining the role of TV in pubs (a precursor to Sky) both as part of strategies to drive footfallKey Strengths- An in-depth understanding of how digital and traditional marketing levers work together to deliver exceptional customer experience and sustainable, profitable growth- Developing relationships with key stakeholders with strong powers to win hearts and minds amongst Directors, business function heads, marketing and operations teams and external agencies- Developing and bringing to life compelling brand propositions and marketing strategies focused on business strength, as well as shaping and influencing the business development agenda cross-functionally