Experience

WOLF

• United Kingdom
• Entertainment
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Chief Strategy Officer

  • May 2023 - Present

  This role is about creating strategic frameworks that drive business decisions, and set operational teams on the right course. It's about working with CEO and consumer-facing teams to understand the changing needs of the market, and regularly setting the business's required strategies accordingly.At WOLF, after 3 years since launching the brand, the time came to reposition us in response to the evolving needs of the market. My role is to oversee the strategic changes to the product and how it is communicated in the market, and in order to drive user and revenue growth, and drive business value.My responsibilities include:- The development of partnerships with key organisations in our core market, to drive WOLF's growth alongside fundamental benefits for our partners- Strategically overseeing the roll-out of our app on Virtual Reality headsets, so that it delivers on the requirement of exciting consumers and partners in our core region- Looking after our PR and business-to-business communications, to ensure that our key company messaging comes through Show less

• Chief Growth Officer

  • Jan 2022 - May 2023

  As Chief Growth Officer, my focus was on the 4-year-plan for the business, looking at the hires, company structure and consumer offering that would be necessary for growth.Overseeing data, PR, partnerships and overall strategy, key to the role was driving the long-term vision of the business forward to succeed in delighting consumers in our core market and exciting partners with our online world of community and entertainment.Achievements included:- Seeing the business 3x its user base and 2x its revenue after launching the WOLF brand with huge product improvements as an evolution of Palringo- Working with the CEO on a transformative strategy to double down on the areas of the product that worked best for consumers, as part of the plan for the period to 2026- Gaining brand visibility in a range of real-world events, TV, print and online media for our content creation programme, VR concept unveiling and key tentpole moments- Partnerships with content creator academies and production houses in our core region- Ongoing successful profile-building of our unique annual women's talent festival, with prizes such as song creation and music video production for the winners Show less

• Chief Customer Officer

  • Jul 2019 - Dec 2021

  WOLF (originally an acronym for The World's Online Festival), was founded as Palringo in 2006, and has a rich history of pioneering innovations.Palringo was the first ever chat app to launch on the Apple App Store (2008). It then became the first mobile app to introduce chatbots – and the first to introduce sticker packs (2011).Palringo was also the first to launch gamified chat reputation (2012) – pioneering a new revenue model delivering breakthrough ARPUs – while connecting millions of users with a deep sense of belonging within the app’s friendly, like-minded online communities.Building on its proven heritage of world-first innovation, and leveraging its state-of-the-art technology platform, in 2020 we as Palringo introduced a breakthrough market offering – WOLF, The World's Online Festival!We built a user-created world filled with group chat, live audio shows, friendship and entertainment. The app became a festival on your mobile – users could interact with the people on stage, create their own audio shows and experience the magic of real-world festivals, online.WOLF in numbers:- 56m accounts created- 20,000 active chat groups- From a max of 2,500 users per group, this became 30k+- 15m text chats per day- 2 hours average daily dwell time per user- £150 average monthly spend per paying user- 35% of users return every dayThe focus of my role championed what users need and want:- Leading the user-focused strategy for the business, and ensure user requirements are driving the business strategy and product planning- Increase the core user metrics of the business, with focus on acquisition, retention, engagement and monetisation- Further develop the strategy, structure and process for WOLF in delivering an excellent user experience throughout the app- Devise and deliver the long-term brand and product strategy to deliver value to the business Show less



BlueJam Media

• United Kingdom
• Advertising Services

• Director, Co-Founder

  • Jun 2015 - Jun 2019

  I ran BlueJam for 4 years. Our brand was based upon High-Impact Content, Delivered With Passion.Specialising in fitness, nutrition, health, tech and in particular running, the content provided:- Content strategy- Content creation- Content distributionWe created BlueJam Media in the summer of 2015 to offer brands and publishers great-quality editorial, and to get it in front of the right people. We launched new brands, launched big brands onto new platforms, and grew editorial propositions that had a reach of millions.We had a variety of clients, but focused on fitness and health – everything we did for clients in that space had to deliver on our mission of helping brands enable their audiences to get fit for life. Our vision was for people to create habits that meant they stayed at their fittest and healthiest, in order to always feel good about themselves.We worked with brands advising them how to regularly inspire, entertainment, inform and educate their customers using:- Longform guides- Digestible list features- Interviews- Videos- Podcasts- Infographics- Made-for-social engagement postsOur go-to-market mechanisms for this content included:- Email- Google (SEO & SEM: Search Engine Optimisation & Pay Per Click)- Instagram- Influencer websites and social channels- Facebook- LinkedIn- Twitter- Publishing company editorial brand websites and social channelsLong-term revenue and profit for client brands was the ultimate focus. Show less

• Publisher, UNWRAPP

  • Jun 2015 - Jun 2019

  We launched UNWRAPP as an owned advertising-funded media brand of BlueJam Media.I focus on the business growth of the brand.UNWRAPP was a discovery platform for beautifully designed things you want in your life. The business model was based on native advertising – taking fantastic innovative products we were reviewing for our audience, and boosting this content to a wider pool of the right demographic to drive awareness and sales.



Factory Media

• London, United Kingdom

• Publisher

  • Aug 2014 - Jun 2015

  I was brought in to help Factory Media generate a new concept in fitness publishing. So during Autumn 2014 I worked with key members of Factory's in-house team to devise the concept of Unbound, a website charged with the job of helping make fitness feel more fun, sociable and appealing as part of your lifestyle than any other mainstream media source. As Launch Publisher, I was there to oversee the development of the consumer editorial proposition, the technical and design development, audience discovery and commercialisation of the product. We wanted to apply to Unbound the principles and latest thinking in lean customer development, mobile-first UX, social media and SEO audience development, and agile governance of the product roadmap. Unbound launched on 4 Feb 2015 Achievements: - Uniques up 338% vs target during launch phase Show less



Bauer Media Group

• Germany
• Media Production
• 700 & Above Employee

• Digital Business Manager

  • 2012 - Aug 2014

  In a publishing role across the digital platforms of a portfolio of Bauer Media's UK brands - including Empire, Kerrang!, MOJO and Q - I was responsible for all aspects of the digital business. I led creation of websites, email communications and social media pages that people love - bringing in revenue for my publishers and their advertising clients in the process, or achieving their social responsibility goals. I was responsible for excellence in editorial, product (design, build and functionality) and commerciality - with the goal of making everything I work on the best at something (or everything, in some cases) in its field.I also worked across the whole portfolio of Bauer's London Lifestyle area, which includes brands such as Grazia and Mother&Baby. Projects here included looking at sharing learnings around digital editorial output, email newsletters and social media, as well as original web game, infographic and interactive content production. Overseeing the technical, editorial, marketing, advertising sales and e-commerce elements of each website involves making sure everything and everyone is joined up, maximising resource to create the best possible products for our audiences - and focussing on efficiently hitting and exceeding revenue and profit targets.Achievements: - Ran Kerrang!'s mobile-responsive relaunch on WordPress in March 2014Result: 1,834% month-on-month increase in page views after launch. Best Bauer Media UK relaunch to date in % terms- Launched data visualisation brand The Equaliser, producing daily counter-intuitive football stats, having taken it to Bauer Media Exec for sign off in April 2014Result: Engagement level doubled expectation, with 60% email open rate- Oversaw MOJO's mobile-responsive relaunch on WordPress in July 2013Result: Page views up 750% year-on-year Show less

• Launch Publisher, GoThinkBig.co.uk

  • Jul 2012 - Dec 2012

  Leadership of technical, commercial and editorial teams on this new product development, GoThinkBig.co.uk - a partnership between Bauer Media and O2 to create the UK's best online/mobile destination for young career-seekers.This intensive six-month project was to launch high-profile digital social enterprise on behalf of these two large businesses. Management of P&L, web development, editorial development, amplification using social media/SEO/newsletters, business liaison. Digital publishing expertise.Achievements:- In June 2013, GoThinkBig.co.uk was shortlisted for the AOP Award for Best Commercial Partnership- With the strong foundation we gave it from the start, GoThinkBig.co.uk continues to flourish to this day, at the time of writing in 2018, more than 6 years on Show less

• Editor-in-Chief

  • Jun 2011 - May 2012

  I moved more into the commercial side of the business with this role. I moved day-to-day website editors into place on my brands, leaving me to work closely with advertising sales and e-commerce teams, as well as technical, marketing, digital marketing, PR and other departments. Beyond the immediate revenue, profitability and traffic goals of my brands on monthly, quarterly and annual basis, one of my targets was to help Bauer integrate digital into the rest of the business. This involved things like de-mystifying digital by communicating to print product colleagues in English, not jargon, and encouraging those co-workers to feel ownership of their websites, social media, newsletters and apps.I was also shortlisted for one of the industry's top awards:- Best Website Editor(BSME Awards) Show less

• Associate Editor

  • Apr 2010 - Jun 2011

  Promoted to take on a larger number of direct reports, including setting up an internship programme, where around 7-8 interns worked with me for 3 months or so at a time. I helped steer them towards an ideal first full-time job somewhere, or a pretty ideal freelance set-up. I was responsible for carrying out the digital strategy of the business, answerable to the Director of Digital, as one of the three senior digital journalists in Bauer Media.In 2011 while doing this role I was shortlisted for more senior industry awards than any other British magazine website editor: - Best Website- Best Editorial Team- Best Product Team (all AOP Awards) Winner of:- Best Website(Bauer Media's internal awards)Shortlisted for:- Best Editor (Print or Digital)(Bauer Media's internal awards) Show less

• Web Editor, Editorial Team Leader

  • Aug 2008 - Apr 2010

  Senior lifestyle journalist: managing team of developer/designer, staff writer, mobile editor and freelances; responsible for unique user, page impression and video view figures, and keeping it all under the tightest possible budget.



Vision Sports Publishing

• Author, The Arsenal Miscellany

  • Feb 2007 - Oct 2012

  Wrote a 45,000-word book of funny facts and tantalising trivia about Arsenal FC in spring 2007. Updated second edition in spring 2008. Third edition published autumn 2012, with new foreword by Alan 'Smudger' Smith Wrote a 45,000-word book of funny facts and tantalising trivia about Arsenal FC in spring 2007. Updated second edition in spring 2008. Third edition published autumn 2012, with new foreword by Alan 'Smudger' Smith



Sky

• United Kingdom
• Broadcast Media Production and Distribution
• 700 & Above Employee

• Editor, Sky.com

  • Nov 2007 - Aug 2008

  Editor, Sky's flagship home page: selecting content, coordinating with channel editors, writing headlines and sells, editing videos. As part of Sky homepage editorial team, responsible for managing daily Lunch Break Videos compilation page. Editor, Sky's flagship home page: selecting content, coordinating with channel editors, writing headlines and sells, editing videos. As part of Sky homepage editorial team, responsible for managing daily Lunch Break Videos compilation page.



AOL

• United States
• Software Development
• 700 & Above Employee

• Sport Editor/Deputy Sport Editor

  • Jun 2006 - Nov 2007

  Feature writer during World Cup 2006; Video Editor of AOL; Film channel feature writer and interviewer; Sports duties included running F1 channel in Lewis Hamilton's debut season, ongoing football writer, launching Rugby World Cup microsite, and the embarrassingly successful WAGs microsite (Sports-related, naturally) Feature writer during World Cup 2006; Video Editor of AOL; Film channel feature writer and interviewer; Sports duties included running F1 channel in Lewis Hamilton's debut season, ongoing football writer, launching Rugby World Cup microsite, and the embarrassingly successful WAGs microsite (Sports-related, naturally)



Freelance

• Writer and sub-editor

  • Jul 2000 - Jun 2006

  Predominantly freelance after university, until working for AOL, Sky and Bauer in recent years. Publications written and subbed for include The Times, The Daily Mirror, The Guardian, The Sunday Times, The Independent, FHM, Whatsonwhen.com, The Rough Guides, Fodors Guides, The Itchy Guides and Which Holiday. Predominantly freelance after university, until working for AOL, Sky and Bauer in recent years. Publications written and subbed for include The Times, The Daily Mirror, The Guardian, The Sunday Times, The Independent, FHM, Whatsonwhen.com, The Rough Guides, Fodors Guides, The Itchy Guides and Which Holiday.