Manager, Strategic Communications

• Sep 2018 - Present

Lead and collaborate with various areas of business to provide effective communications strategies while ensuring consistent key messaging across all channels including media relations, social media, internal and industry partner communications. Lead external facing projects including the quarterly Insights Publications for Ontario and support event planning. Created and maintained social media strategy and social care processes for the first three years of legalization. Identify possible issues through media monitoring, while partnering with relevant departments to create long and short term solutions. Create, write and organize content for internal communications including company meetings, intranet updates and regular posts. Manage internal communications including organizational announcements, executive communications, change management projects, business support and DEI activities. Support daily media monitoring reporting for all internal and government stakeholders. Collaborate with communications team to develop crisis management key messaging, write press releases and scripting. Strong digital knowledge of social media management platforms, Meltwater, Hootsuite, Microsoft Office 365, Wordpress and Adobe Creative Suite. Show less

Store Manager

• Apr 2018 - Aug 2018

Supported various projects including store operations, talent acquisition, health and safety, and visual merchandising. This included interviewing hundreds of candidates across Ontario with a focus in Burlington, Hamilton, Mississauga and Kitchener-Waterloo. Developed visual merchandising standards designed for original OCS retail stores including resourcing acrylic elements, category displays, inventory organization and maintenance of fixtures. Created a wellness strategy intended for retail store and office environments, planned new store opening supplies and supported incident reporting. Show less

Senior Manager, Toronto Market

• Jan 2016 - Mar 2018

Lead and inspired Toronto teams to drive in-store experience through store visits, sharing insights and possible solutions to improve while continuing to lead the Yorkdale location. Analyzed and shared insights of customer experience results through Net Promoter Score/Medallia as well as mystery shop results. Represented LEGO Brand Retail in Shanghai, China to train the Disney team on LEGO branded customer experience. Supported Operational and Marketing teams regarding various events and pilot projects. Coached and documented performance reviews for leaders and teams. Show less

Store Manager Trainer

• Apr 2013 - Mar 2018

Actively trained new Store Managers and teams to create LEGO branded experiences. New store openings included Yorkdale and Polo Park in Winnipeg. This role required strong communication skills that involved on the job training, formal classroom sessions, individual and group sessions. Drove results through building a high performance team involving the planning and execution of long and short term action plans for $5 million volume store. Designed internal training documents for LEGO Brand Retail stores and in store team building activities. This included Brick Specialist Workbooks (steps of service), instructional design for POS System and instructional videos. Recruited, selected and trained team members while managing employee performance. Managed payroll, schedules, P&L, recognition and visual standards on a regular basis to ensure store operations are successful. Show less

Merchants' Board of Directors

• Apr 2014 - Apr 2016

Category Manager

• Dec 2011 - Apr 2013

Focused on building a high performance team in a $15-$20 million high volume store involving the planning and execution of long and short term action plans. Collaboratively worked with a large leadership team. Managed talent lifecycle of associates including onboarding, assessment, retention, career development, succession planning and recognition. Regularly coached associates and peers through observations to develop strong behaviours and effectively delivered feedback when needed. Supported facilitation of training for International and Canadian Leadership Teams, including business insights, analyzing category sales reports, merchandise flow, workforce management and coaching. Facilitated company initiatives/workshops and communication of brand standards for all-store meetings. Strategized and planned execution of product launches to effectively impact company goals and maintain consistency of brand image. Prepared and executed several physical inventories. Effectively communicated business results focusing on Bras, Beauty and Emerging categories. Show less

Global Visual Merchandising Mentor

• 2008 - Dec 2011

Communicated visual merchandising standards, goals and visions of Apple Retail consistently among multiple locations within Eastern Canada. Engaged, developed and maintained relationships at all levels including store teams, market leaders, fellow international mentors, and market support teams. Delivered feedback and recommendations to the Retail Merchandising Market Support team as well as at a store level. Independently facilitated and coached store teams on maintaining consistent brand standards. Efficiently organized, planned, prioritized and managed multiple tasks within specific time frames for product launches, new store openings and regular planogram changes. This includes consistently facilitating training in the moment to build sustainable visual teams. Assisted with total store awareness of shrink levels and loss prevention. Transitioned roles including Concierge, Specialist, Back of House and Visual Lead. Show less

Script Reader Intern

• 2009 - 2010

Critically read scripts for motion pictures and developed a written formal analysis on characters, dialogue and structure within a strict deadline. Provided feedback from an objective point of view on the success rate of each script with an emphasis on the target audience, film performance and use of similar elements in past films. Critically read scripts for motion pictures and developed a written formal analysis on characters, dialogue and structure within a strict deadline. Provided feedback from an objective point of view on the success rate of each script with an emphasis on the target audience, film performance and use of similar elements in past films.

English Instructor

• 2007 - Aug 2008

Designed creative lesson plans and independently taught approximately 340 students conversational English from the age of 3 to 14, effectively achieving learning objectives developed by the curriculum team. Designed, organized and distributed additional teaching materials for colleagues. Organized and lead discussions, team building exercises and workshops among teachers regarding classroom management skills, challenging classes, parent observation lessons and lesson demonstrations. Evaluated, supervised and assisted training to practicing newly hired English teachers. Work performance leadership recognized through position offer as a Performance Supervisor. Show less

Blackwood Gallery Exhibition Coordinator

• 2006 - 2007

Facilitated visitors’ learning with current exhibitions through discussions. This involved explanations for students unfamiliar with the arts, as well as other visitors. Researched, organized and designed additional information packages regarding the exhibition for both visitors and other representatives of the gallery while contributing to the installation of exhibiting artists. Facilitated visitors’ learning with current exhibitions through discussions. This involved explanations for students unfamiliar with the arts, as well as other visitors. Researched, organized and designed additional information packages regarding the exhibition for both visitors and other representatives of the gallery while contributing to the installation of exhibiting artists.

Teaching Assistant

• 2005 - 2007

Worked with students individually and as a group to effectively develop concepts and ideas through critiques and constructive criticism. Involved thinking of creative solutions while maintaining each students original ideas as well as providing technical support (Adobe Creative Suite) to achieve their final work. Worked with students individually and as a group to effectively develop concepts and ideas through critiques and constructive criticism. Involved thinking of creative solutions while maintaining each students original ideas as well as providing technical support (Adobe Creative Suite) to achieve their final work.