Laura Wards
Marketing Director at Projectmates - Systemates Inc.- Claim this Profile
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Bio
Hilary Hampton
Laura has been one of the most valuable managers and mentors I've ever had. She leads with patience, respect, kindness, and inspiration. I've never had a question go unanswered, and she always makes sure to take the time to explain the why behind her answers so that you can actually learn for next time. I can say that any company would be lucky to have Laura leading their people. Her impressive set of skills and her unique ability to make people want to work hard, make her an invaluable asset to the team.
Roberto Canales - Corporate Finance Executive
I’ve known Laura for almost 6 years. We were colleagues at WorldVentures for that entire time and in my tenure as Chief Financial Officer there, I was fortunate to have had her managing the communications internally and externally in the organization. She’s a trusted subject matter expert and has an uncanny ability to decipher what is important and what is not. Her business acumen is second to none and her creativity and ability to scale between strategic thinking and tactical execution is seamless. She is very comfortable with being measured against goals. She managed projects both domestically and internationally and proved to be an invaluable asset to me and the organization in times of crisis. I hope I have the good fortune to work with her again and should anyone reading this recommendation have the opportunity to work with her, hire her, you will know what it’s like to work with a strong woman and true professional that cares deeply about what she does.
Hilary Hampton
Laura has been one of the most valuable managers and mentors I've ever had. She leads with patience, respect, kindness, and inspiration. I've never had a question go unanswered, and she always makes sure to take the time to explain the why behind her answers so that you can actually learn for next time. I can say that any company would be lucky to have Laura leading their people. Her impressive set of skills and her unique ability to make people want to work hard, make her an invaluable asset to the team.
Roberto Canales - Corporate Finance Executive
I’ve known Laura for almost 6 years. We were colleagues at WorldVentures for that entire time and in my tenure as Chief Financial Officer there, I was fortunate to have had her managing the communications internally and externally in the organization. She’s a trusted subject matter expert and has an uncanny ability to decipher what is important and what is not. Her business acumen is second to none and her creativity and ability to scale between strategic thinking and tactical execution is seamless. She is very comfortable with being measured against goals. She managed projects both domestically and internationally and proved to be an invaluable asset to me and the organization in times of crisis. I hope I have the good fortune to work with her again and should anyone reading this recommendation have the opportunity to work with her, hire her, you will know what it’s like to work with a strong woman and true professional that cares deeply about what she does.
Hilary Hampton
Laura has been one of the most valuable managers and mentors I've ever had. She leads with patience, respect, kindness, and inspiration. I've never had a question go unanswered, and she always makes sure to take the time to explain the why behind her answers so that you can actually learn for next time. I can say that any company would be lucky to have Laura leading their people. Her impressive set of skills and her unique ability to make people want to work hard, make her an invaluable asset to the team.
Roberto Canales - Corporate Finance Executive
I’ve known Laura for almost 6 years. We were colleagues at WorldVentures for that entire time and in my tenure as Chief Financial Officer there, I was fortunate to have had her managing the communications internally and externally in the organization. She’s a trusted subject matter expert and has an uncanny ability to decipher what is important and what is not. Her business acumen is second to none and her creativity and ability to scale between strategic thinking and tactical execution is seamless. She is very comfortable with being measured against goals. She managed projects both domestically and internationally and proved to be an invaluable asset to me and the organization in times of crisis. I hope I have the good fortune to work with her again and should anyone reading this recommendation have the opportunity to work with her, hire her, you will know what it’s like to work with a strong woman and true professional that cares deeply about what she does.
Hilary Hampton
Laura has been one of the most valuable managers and mentors I've ever had. She leads with patience, respect, kindness, and inspiration. I've never had a question go unanswered, and she always makes sure to take the time to explain the why behind her answers so that you can actually learn for next time. I can say that any company would be lucky to have Laura leading their people. Her impressive set of skills and her unique ability to make people want to work hard, make her an invaluable asset to the team.
Roberto Canales - Corporate Finance Executive
I’ve known Laura for almost 6 years. We were colleagues at WorldVentures for that entire time and in my tenure as Chief Financial Officer there, I was fortunate to have had her managing the communications internally and externally in the organization. She’s a trusted subject matter expert and has an uncanny ability to decipher what is important and what is not. Her business acumen is second to none and her creativity and ability to scale between strategic thinking and tactical execution is seamless. She is very comfortable with being measured against goals. She managed projects both domestically and internationally and proved to be an invaluable asset to me and the organization in times of crisis. I hope I have the good fortune to work with her again and should anyone reading this recommendation have the opportunity to work with her, hire her, you will know what it’s like to work with a strong woman and true professional that cares deeply about what she does.
Credentials
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Influencer Marketing - Industry Specialist
Meltwater AcademySep, 2021- Oct, 2024 -
Snapchat Advertising Essentials
Snap Inc.Oct, 2020- Oct, 2024 -
Email Marketing Certification
HubSpot AcademyFeb, 2020- Oct, 2024 -
SEO Fundamentals
SEMrush AcademyNov, 2020- Oct, 2024 -
Inbound Marketing Certification
HubSpot AcademySep, 2019- Oct, 2024 -
Contextual Marketing Certification
HubSpot AcademySep, 2020- Oct, 2024 -
Advanced Social Media Strategy Training and Certification
PR News -
Diploma in Digital Marketing
Shaw Academy -
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certification
ExpertRating Inc. -
Project Management
ExpertRating Inc.
Experience
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Projectmates by Systemates Inc.
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United States
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Software Development
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1 - 100 Employee
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Marketing Director
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Apr 2020 - Present
• Lead and implement an overarching enterprise marketing and events strategy fully integrated with the long-term business growth strategy. • Translate knowledge of marketing tactics and customer personas into compelling marketing materials and campaigns. • Manage external communications and visibility, including management of owned media to develop the brand and advance market positioning. • Develop and maintain a campaign measurement framework to ensure optimization in alignment with overall demand generation funnel targets for acquisition, expansion and retention. • Collaborate with Sales to maximize the yield of all campaigns with sales qualified leads and pipeline as the primary KPI and drive steadily increasing MQL creation. • Design, plan, manage and optimize integrated digital campaigns across multiple channels. (SEM, Email, Display Media, Native, Social, Video, Webinars, and Events) • Leverage data to support and drive brand strategy, achieve key revenue targets, and influence diverse audiences and influencers. • Provide media relations counsel and support, including responding to media inquiries and targeting profile-raising opportunities in key national, local and trade press. Show less
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L+K Communications
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Public Relations and Communications Services
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Principal Consultant
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May 2017 - Present
Help define and refine brand value and consistency for start ups and entrepreneurial businesses. Define specific strategies and methods for effective communication to increase brand awareness, boost reputation, and build a community of brand advocates through compelling storytelling. Establish robust omni-channel marketing communication strategies to drive engagement and customer acquisition for clients in MedTech, FinTech, travel, beauty, and medical device industries. Help define and refine brand value and consistency for start ups and entrepreneurial businesses. Define specific strategies and methods for effective communication to increase brand awareness, boost reputation, and build a community of brand advocates through compelling storytelling. Establish robust omni-channel marketing communication strategies to drive engagement and customer acquisition for clients in MedTech, FinTech, travel, beauty, and medical device industries.
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American First Finance
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United States
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Financial Services
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100 - 200 Employee
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Director of Marketing & Communications
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Mar 2019 - Mar 2020
Strategy: Create and manage the corporate positioning, brand foundation and corporate story in relation to the company vision and corporate values. Lead, drive, and implement strategic priorities and content strategy inclusive of brand strategy, customer insights, shopper marketing, customer acquisition, and digital marketing. Branding: Quantify and demonstrate the value of the brand. Conceptualize, develop and launch enterprise brand system and its multiple components. Oversee brand architecture strategy, related go-to-market branding decisions, assets, tools, and governance. Marketing: Provide best practices and innovative guidance in all areas of marketing and communications including customer experience, analytics, CRM, inbound/outbound marketing, and digital media across the organization. Plan and execute strategic, timely and results-driven marketing material. Guide and nurture creative work to ensure it delivers on business value. Analyze marketing and sales data to develop insights and make recommendations on areas for optimization. Create scalable processes that ensure best practices in tracking marketing programs. Communication: Promote company’s vision, culture, brand and reputation by developing and directing the internal and external communication strategies. Create compelling and engaging communication materials for dissemination via multiple platforms and outlets. Show less
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WORLDVENTURES HOLDINGS (CYPRUS) LIMITED
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United Kingdom
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Consumer Services
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Head of Corporate Affairs
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Sep 2015 - Jul 2017
Protected, promoted and enhanced a positive public image of seven travel company subsidiaries/brands to ensure future success. • Safeguarded corporate reputation by architecting a proactive corporate narrative and disseminating it cohesively across all platforms and audiences. • Established and launched aggressive digital marketing strategy and won numerous awards for social media marketing campaigns. • Successfully positioned company products and subsidiaries in industry/trade publications as well as local and national media. The Corporate Affairs team was established with the following functions: Corporate relations, corporate sponsorship, public relations, corporate communication, social media, community relations and online reputation management. Promoted from Senior Director to Vice President in 2017. Show less
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WorldVentures Holdings
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United States
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Leisure, Travel & Tourism
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700 & Above Employee
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Global Marketing Communication Director
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Jul 2012 - Sep 2015
Established company’s first marketing department and grew award-winning internal agency team to 36.Developed global marketing communications strategy to help increase revenue by $720M over four years. Executed and produced marketing communications materials, including corporate literature, staff newsletters, internal magazine, press releases, articles, products/services brochures, email blasts, blogs, web content, videos and presentations. Managed annual convention that hosts 100,000+ attendees. Show less
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International Communications Manager
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Apr 2011 - Jul 2012
Developed strategy for international crisis communication and proactive global press coverage. Established in-country production, translation and distribution of marketing collateral. Researched, wrote, edited and produced a variety of localized communications materials. Provided international event support. SELECTED ACHIEVEMENTS:• Earned two promotions within two years.• Wrote and implemented company’s crisis communication plan.
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Communication Specialist and Senior Copywriter
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Feb 2010 - Apr 2011
Wrote original copy to motivate, persuade and sell for feature articles, international magazines, press releases, weekly newsletters, advertisements, and B2C and B2B marketing collateral. Managed all phases of the translation process of marketing collateral and websites. Wrote clear, concise copy to support communication strategy. Worked with client briefs to conceive, develop and produce effective marketing materials. SELECTED ACHIEVEMENTS:• Feature articles published in international magazines. Show less
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On Magazine
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Dallas/Fort Worth Area
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Senior Editor
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Sep 2010 - Apr 2013
Wrote and edited copy to ensure a consistent voice and adherence to the article’s intended scope as well as ON Magazine’s quality standards and style guidelines. Edited articles for accuracy, clarity and quality. Conducted research and interviews to gather article insights. Wrote and edited copy to ensure a consistent voice and adherence to the article’s intended scope as well as ON Magazine’s quality standards and style guidelines. Edited articles for accuracy, clarity and quality. Conducted research and interviews to gather article insights.
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ESR – Science and Research
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New Zealand
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Research Services
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300 - 400 Employee
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Marketing Communications Advisor
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Jan 2007 - Feb 2009
Executed promotion and distribution of products and services to meet the needs of domestic and international clients. Facilitated product launches. Wrote clear, concise copy for products and services aimed at the B2B market. Conducted extensive research on products, target audiences and competitor activities globally. Organized special events and tradeshows. Established systems and procedures to improve efficiency of department. Coordinated work flow for production of marketing collateral. SELECTED ACHIEVEMENTS: • Wrote and implemented communication strategy for the National Centre for Biosecurity and Infectious Disease (NCBID). • Received commendations for communication style, accuracy and attention to detail. Show less
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Wellington City Council
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New Zealand
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Government Administration
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700 & Above Employee
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Communications, Marketing & Events for Botanic Gardens
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Nov 2003 - Jan 2007
Managed annual event calendar and strategically repositioned signature Spring Festival event to increase attendance 55%. Developed constructive and cooperative working relationships with media to gain extensive press coverage for events and garden initiatives. Successfully rebranded gardens to align within tourism industry to make Wellington Botanic Garden the city’s No. 2 tourism destination. Managed annual event calendar and strategically repositioned signature Spring Festival event to increase attendance 55%. Developed constructive and cooperative working relationships with media to gain extensive press coverage for events and garden initiatives. Successfully rebranded gardens to align within tourism industry to make Wellington Botanic Garden the city’s No. 2 tourism destination.
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NBCUniversal
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United States
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Entertainment Providers
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700 & Above Employee
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Marketing/Promotions Producer
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Jan 1999 - Aug 2002
Managed campaigns from the production stage to completion. Wrote promotional copy aligned with daily newscasts. Wrote and produced station image campaigns, advertisements and special reports for television and radio. Wrote and copy edited all forms of station collateral including press releases, web content, signage and print advertising. Organized press kits. Coordinated station tradeshows and special events. Managed campaigns from the production stage to completion. Wrote promotional copy aligned with daily newscasts. Wrote and produced station image campaigns, advertisements and special reports for television and radio. Wrote and copy edited all forms of station collateral including press releases, web content, signage and print advertising. Organized press kits. Coordinated station tradeshows and special events.
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WBNS-TV
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Broadcast Media Production and Distribution
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100 - 200 Employee
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Marketing Promotions/Producer
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Sep 1997 - Dec 1998
Wrote promotional copy aligned with daily newscasts for both television and radio. Wrote and produced station promotions, advertisements and public service announcements. Wrote promotional copy aligned with daily newscasts for both television and radio. Wrote and produced station promotions, advertisements and public service announcements.
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Education
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The Ohio State University
Undergraduate -
1999 - 2001
Ashford University
BA
Community
