Nicole Turner

Nicole Turner Curriculum Vitae ‘24 Nicole Turner Web turncomms.com | E-mail-| English | United Kingdom LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-turner-communications/ | - Education Degree BA, Corporate Communications (Psychology), University of Johannesburg, 2008 Certification • Brand Management, University of Cape Town, 2018 • Product Management, University of Cape Town, 2022 Courses • UiPath Action Centre, 2021 • Internal Communications, 2017 • Sun International Management Course, 2017 • Sun International Leadership Course, 2016 • Recruitment Seminar, 2009 Skills Microsoft 365 + SharePoint + Teams + Office Suite + Outlook | Canva | Meltwater | Newsclip |MailChimp | Google Analytics |Google Search Console | SemRush | WordPress | Elementor | PipeDrive | HubSpot | Azure | AWS | UiPath | Gemini | ChatGPT | Midjourney | DALL.E Experience & Competencies Knowledge of Public Cloud Architecture (Microsoft & AWS) | Automation | Marketing Communications | Change Management | Product Marketing | Communication | Public Relations (PR) | Project Management | Leadership & Management Experience | Email Marketing | Market Research & Analysis | Social Media | Google Ads | SEO | PPC | Writing | Content Development | Internal Communications Management | External Communications Management | Strategic Thinking | Editing | Engaging with Senior Management & Board Members | Marketing & Analytical Platforms | Strong Analytical & Reporting Skills | Negotiation | Stakeholder Reporting | Brand Management | Digital Marketing | Marketing Tech Tools | Customer Centric | CX | Stakeholder Management | Creativity & Innovation | UI/UX Design & Strategy | Organic & Paid Channel Optimisation | Campaign Development | Omnichannel Strategy | Contract Management Problem Solving | Excellent Organisational Skills | Project Management Skills | Problem-solving Mindset | Crisis Management | Experience in Small, Medium & Large Organisations Experience as a Consultant & Internal Resource | Product Management | Leadership | Decision-making | Reputation Management | Brand Equity Development Strategy | Agile Methodology | Roadmap Development | Product Lifecycle Management | Culture Development | Financial & Budget Management | Value Proposition Development | Organisational Purpose Development | Product Vision Development | Organisational Vision, Mission, Values & Principles Development | CSR | Thought Leadership | ESG | Programme Development & Management | Business Operations | Team Building | Fundraising | CMS Management Nicole Turner Curriculum Vitae ‘24 Employment History Company: Position: Duration: The Argo | Turner Communications Managing Director | Chief of Operations & Marketing Dec ’23 to present Client | The Argo Achievements: - Demonstrated strategic leadership by securing a significant R5 million investment for the startup, validating its growth potential and investor confidence. This led to the formation of The Argo’s cloud product division - developing CloudCargo, a licensed software product, and Troposphere, a SaaS product. - Effectively incorporated and established a Pty Ltd, defining the authorised share capital, including developing the shareholding agreement, the MOI, and issuing shares. - Successfully conducted a second round of funding pitch for live product funding, driving continued financial support for company growth. - Established a cloud consulting & SaaS business from inception, including developing processes, procedures, and contracting, demonstrating strong entrepreneurial leadership. - Leveraged Product Management skills underpinned by Agile methodology, product lifecycle management, and roadmap development for SaaS and licensed software, ensuring efficient product development and market responsiveness. - Orchestrate the strategic marketing, brand, communications, PR, go-to-market, digital marketing planning and implementation - this includes planning frameworks and CI/CD documentation based on best practices for consistent ROI delivery to drive brand awareness and customer engagement. - Spearhead cultural development initiatives and operations alongside the development of the brand as well as internal and external communications strategies to foster a positive and cohesive organisational culture and brand image. - Deal with Contract Management in the form of legal contracting, HR contracting, contract negotiation and governance requirements for the business, retaining ad hoc legal assistance where appropriate. This effectively ensures compliance and risk management. - Leverage technical proficiency to build, write, design and launch The Argo website using Elementor on WordPress. - Strategically selected digital products for business marketing and operations to optimise efficiency and performance. - Employ GenAI prompt engineering to gather initial information and relevant primary sources and refine the information to develop industry insights which inform strategy and decision-making. - Utilise GenAI prompt engineering to generate base content, foster creativity, and identify trending topics, serving as a foundation for content strategies. Conduct thorough review and analysis, amending and refining the generated content before finalisation and incorporation into strategic plans and subject matter. - Manage overall business operations, including strategic direction, HR, finance, and marketing, driving organisational success and profitability. - Develop the pricing strategy, revenue management model, and operational analytics to track and optimise client profitability, financial performance, and operational efficiency. - Developed and articulated business strategy, alongside establishing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for tracking delivery and fostering growth. Nicole Turner Curriculum Vitae ‘24 - Researched, defined and implemented the value proposition, market definition and differentiation analysis for the brands and products in order to position as well as grow the business within the relevant markets. The Argo Skills & Expertise Highlights: Strategic Leadership | Negotiation | Financial Management | Agile Methodology | Project Management | Strategic Planning | Contract Management | Marketing & Communications | Data Analytics & Insights | Leadership | Culture Development | Communication | Governance & Compliance | Web Development | Negotiation | Technology Integration | Culture Development | Budget Management | Value Proposition Development | Vision Development | Organisational Purpose Development | Operational Tech Tooling | Product Management | Roadmap Development | Product Lifecycle Management | Go-to-Market Strategy | Organisational Leadership | Budgeting | Management Microsoft 365 + SharePoint + Teams + Office Suite + Outlook | Canva | WordPress | Elementor | PipeDrive | Azure | AWS | ESG | Programme Development | Fundraising | Market Research Company: Position: Duration: Tangent Solutions | Turner Communications Strategic Communications Director Consultant April ’21 to March ‘23 Client | Tangent Solutions: Achievements: - - - - - - - Aligned leadership's strategic vision with the company's cultural identity by collaboratively developing and implementing the business’s purpose, vision, mission, values, and principles, fostering a cohesive organisational culture that drives success and employee engagement. Defined the company's nomenclature and shaped the Corporate Identity/Corporate Design (CI/CD) to align with the organisation's culture, ensuring that brand elements reflect and reinforce the company's values and ethos. Developed, executed, managed, and optimised the internal and external communications strategy, boosting stakeholder engagement and brand reputation through change management. Employed GenAI prompt engineering to generate base content, foster creativity, and identify trending topics, serving as a foundation for content strategies. Conducted thorough review and analysis, amending and refining the generated content before finalisation and incorporation into strategic plans and subject matter. Introduced and implemented industry-standard metric analysis and optimisation practices into the business. Reviewing performance against strategic goals, competitor analytics, advertising performance, and industry performance, forming the foundation for proactive decision-making. Leveraged native and integrated analytics tooling to create comprehensive analytical reports, providing valuable insights for informed decision-making across marketing initiatives and business operations. Project managed the migration and refresh of the business’s web product from Bitrix to WordPress. Product delivery included directing UI/UX design as well as crafting content to optimise CX and SEO. Defined the products and product solutions to create a cohesive, intuitive platform that drives engagement. Implemented and defined KPI tracking aligned to the marketing strategy to drive departmental performance and effectively optimise marketing efforts. Built the strategic brand, messaging and product positioning for traditional as well as digital channels based on the relevant target audiences to ensure a consistent organisational brand identity that encourages stakeholder recall to drive engagement. Nicole Turner Curriculum Vitae ‘24 - - Implemented the case study framework focused on metrics and analysis to deliver credible proof of execution and value. Increased online engagement as well as reach through the delivery of paid and organic content aligned with industry best practices per channel. Increased Quality Google Ads Leads from 0 to an average of 4 quality leads a week on a spend of between £340 (R8 000) and £500 (R12 000) a month. Averaging quotes of £22 000 (+R500 000) a month and Sales to an average of £4255 (R98 000) per month over 12 months. Developed the HR Communications strategy in collaboration with HR to focus on optimising employee experience and engaging employees through HR initiatives. Developed change communications and content around performance management, talent management, monthly recognition, as well as culture & behaviours. Developed structured change communication plans and compelling messages to inform, engage and motivate employees. Researched, defined and implemented the value proposition, market definition and differentiation analysis for the brands and products in order to position as well as grow the business within the relevant markets. Experience: • Created and developed internal kick-off culture event, onboarding literature and video content aligned to purpose. • Developed Tangent’s nomenclature and messaging and extended the brand CI/CD to align with the purpose. • Developed Tangent’s new website, including project management and writing aligned to SEO. • Implemented on-page, off-page, technical SEO, PR & marketing metrics for monthly analytics reporting and data-based decision-making. • Implemented and developed the communications strategy and budget. • Wrote and edited press releases, editorials, blogs, websites, advertising, newsletters, and social media as part of the larger strategy. • Media and stakeholder liaisons, engagements, and activations, alongside press release distribution. • Campaign development, performance, measurement and optimisation across digital channels. • Marketing governance in relation to GDPR & POPI. • Drive brand awareness and market positioning. • Developed innovative campaigns and events to drive the proposition messaging to target audiences through digital and traditional channels, focusing on various stakeholders. • Developed the ‘go to market’ strategies and messaging alongside the business area leadership teams. • Managed external agencies and internal stakeholders. • Content and collateral development are required to support ‘go-to-market’ campaign efforts, maximise search visibility, drive engagement, and increase our web presence. • Developed quarterly content planning calendars for internal and external communications. • Identified HR activities to support employee development, collaboration and growth opportunities. • Developed content for different internal channels to ignite employee action and engagement. • Worked with stakeholders and directors to develop ideas and content. Nicole Turner Curriculum Vitae ‘24 • Created, planned and executed staff, media and client events. • Developed and built HR toolkit & media toolkit. • Developed employee questionnaires and surveys on crucial HR topics to help drive 2-way communications and analysed the data to deliver business insights in order to shape business practices and processes. • Pick up new technologies via self-learning to integrate into business as part of communications and optimisation. Tangent Solutions Skills & Expertise Highlights: Strategic Leadership | Change Management | Product Management | Brand Strategy & Development | Communication Strategy | Vision Development | Data Analytics & Insights | Digital Marketing Optimisation | Content Development & Marketing | Employee Engagement & Culture Building | Project Management | Stakeholder Management | Marketing Governance & Compliance | SEO & SEM Strategy | Website Development & Optimisation | Media Relations & Public Relations | Cross-Functional Collaboration | Innovation & Technology Adoption | Contract Management | Negotiation Culture Development | Budget Management | Value Proposition Development | Purpose Development | Programme Development | Team Building | Market Research Company: Position: Duration: Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) Corporate Communications Manager July 2019 to August 2020 Achievements: - Project managed the development and launch of the CTICC’s new website alongside the management of the technical agency per the project scope; o Planned and tested the backend and frontend workflow automation processes for ordering and client onboarding to ensure compliance with regulatory policies, including PoPI and GDPR. o Designed and planned the UI/UX for the website, wrote the content utilising best practice SEO techniques, performed QC testing of the UI/UX and the integrations as well as defined the online e-commerce store products and packages. - Enhanced online visibility by implementing paid digital advertising strategies on social platforms, activated the CTICC’s Google Ads platform and launched its inaugural campaigns. - Streamlined internal catering, IT and procurement workflows and approvals by managing the development of a customised conferencing CMS incorporating digital ordering, onboarding and an online payment system. - Redefined the operations and marketing metrics for proactive analysis and decision-making. The updated data incorporates digital advertising metrics to review impact, website SEO and traffic metrics to analyse performance as well as digital workflow metrics to surface usage and maintenance information. - Crafted the change management strategy alongside the internal brand to deliver internal change that leveraged omnichannel platforms, consistent messaging and transparent communications. Experience: • Strategised, planned, developed and executed press releases, editorials, blogs, website content, speeches, presentations, advertisements, newsletters, social media posts, marketing campaigns and SEM campaigns, ensuring alignment with brand messaging to amplify brand presence, drive targeted audience engagement and SEO optimisation. Nicole Turner Curriculum Vitae ‘24 • Crafted compelling content for both B2B and B2C markets across relevant platforms for the defined target audiences, incorporating strategic SEO methodologies to optimise content for search engines. • Managed the brand agency outputs and budgets and supplemented marketing requirements utilising design tooling to create visually engaging content for various marketing campaigns and platforms, enhancing brand visibility and audience engagement. • Executed targeted email marketing campaigns using MailChimp, driving engagement and nurturing customer relationships. • Established and maintained relationships with media and stakeholders, facilitating engagement and activations to enhance brand visibility and reputation. • Managed comprehensive product strategies to facilitate seamless collaboration and project management across teams. • Implemented media monitoring tooling to track PR and brand performance as well as manage brand equity and brand reputation effectively. • Leveraged Google Analytics, Google Search Console, Screaming Frog and SemRush to analyse website performance, conduct market research, and optimise digital marketing strategies for maximum impact. • Coordinated the production and editing of Annual Reports alongside supervising the microsite development and deployment. • Managed the contracting processes aligned to compliance requirements, including the writing, reviewing and interviewing for RFQs, tenders, and RFPs. CTICC Skills & Expertise Highlights SEO Optimisation | Change Management | Project Management | Digital Marketing | Process Optimisation | Data Analysis and Metrics | Content Strategy and Management | Relationship Management | Brand Management | Contracting and Compliance | Communication & Reporting | Visual Content Creation | Email Marketing | Media Relations | Public Relations | Product Strategy | Market Research | Annual Report Production | Contract Management | ESG | Programme Development | Team Building Companies | 2012 - 2019 • Crown & Champa Resorts (CCR), Maldives, Group PR & Marketing Manager | Dec ‘17 – Jan ‘19 • Sun International, Sun City, PR, Communications & Brand Management | May ‘15 – Nov ‘17 • Strategic Public Relations, Account Manager | Sept ‘12 – April ‘15 Overview of Achievements Since 2012: - Develop holistic business strategies, integrating digital, sales, advertising, direct marketing and public relations (PR) strategy, holistically aligned to parent brand and sub-brand marketing, brand and PR strategy. - Increase brand equity internationally through the development and implementation of strategic communications departments for various brands in the B2B, B2B2C, B2D and B2C space. - Defined and implemented the communications strategy and framework for internal change management across a number of businesses. - Developed a holistic, integrated brand, marketing and communications function aligned to the sales, revenue and HR departments. - Crafted, rolled out, and managed the branding and rebranding for various businesses. - Managed the marketing for the pre-opening of international property brands. Nicole Turner Curriculum Vitae ‘24 - Sourced agencies across the globe to implement the strategic initiatives set out in the framework in accordance with the defined plan for companies. - Researched, defined and implemented the value proposition, market definition and differentiation analysis for the brands in order to position and grow the business within the relevant markets. - Formalise and improve the guest experience through the development and management of touchpoint mapping, content, and operational activities for improved CX and brand consistency. - Strategically defined and selected the communications channels for marketing and internal communication implementation aligned to the defined audience in order to maximise collaboration and brand equity for business. - Defined the brand vision, mission, purpose, values, and guidelines of businesses to broaden internal communications in order to deliver the customer experience through touchpoint development, thus priming an environment conducive to living the brand promise. - Build brand equity for businesses to increase direct purchases, directly impacting and improving the business’s revenue margin. This included increasing one business’s direct purchases from 3% to 7%. - Initiated and created business creatives, standards (CI/CD) and asset packs for business groups. Implemented standardised content frameworks aligned to the brand, ensuring continuity and consistency with the creation of brand messaging documents. Created large-scale marketing campaigns for digital and traditional platforms, including the multiproperty ’Memorable Moments’ brand campaign. Creation and implementation of communications strategies, plans, budgets, ROI analytics and KPI frameworks. Developed and implemented the rebranding, positioning, and reputational change strategies for various companies and brands. Defined, managed, and implemented the relaunch marketing and communication strategies for a number of brands and companies. Increased active PR value by 45% between 2015 and 2017 year on year from £- (R-) in 2015 to £- (R-) in 2016. Strategically defined marketing development as well as loyalty programme strategies for a range of brands. Managed client relationships to achieve consistent client satisfaction by exceeding targets by crafting integrated PR and Marketing strategies. Devised and executed strategic plans for Integrated PR and marketing efforts to enhance brand visibility and establish market leadership. Positioned brands as industry authorities through the development of stories, research development and the implementation of synergistic initiatives to showcase expertise and drive thought leadership, ultimately reinforcing reputation and influence in competitive markets. Maintained consistent recurring debit order subscription numbers through client service management and sales strategy. Led agencies, designers, sales teams and staff to build a thriving business. - - Overview of Experience Since 2009: Strategic Planning, Budgets, Research & Analytics Over 12 years of experience in strategic planning, budgeting, research and analytics, including the delivery of annual industry trends research and analysis., Research management – scoping and development. Loyalty programme development and VIP strategy. Integrated, omnichannel strategy incorporating – paid, earned, shared and owned based on traditional and digital channels incorporating PR, advertising, marketing and brand. Developing strategic proposals and concepts. Nicole Turner Curriculum Vitae ‘24 Holistic budget delivery and quarterly forecasting - event budgets, marketing & advertising budgets, PR budgets and departmental budgets. Define metrics for analytical reporting. Google Analytics & metric surfacing. Analytics UTM development & management. PR analytics. Develop analytical dashboarding report concepts. Marketing and product analytics, LTV, CAC, NPS, etc. Managed ROI on investment for marketing and PR at a minimum rate of 3 to 1. Proactive data-driven decision-making based on analytics. Delivered revenue growth. Marketing & Brand Management: Over 15 years of experience in branding and marketing, including Go-to-market product strategies. Holistic marketing strategies, planners & calendars for multichannel delivery – PR, social, and advertising. Social Media campaign development. Social Media Advertising (SSM). Brand positioning development – standardised messaging and defining the brand voice. Brand management. Media and influencer-paid partnerships. Brand business naming. Brand nomenclature development. Brand identity modelling. Brand building. Brand architecture strategy. CX development. Touchpoint mapping & development. Value proposition development. Vision development. CI/CD development and management. Campaign development – marketing and brand campaigns. Brand photography concepts & management. Brand film shoot concepts & management. Managed content library. Advertising concept creation. Advertising schedule development and management. Advertising printing and file optimisation for all relevant platforms. Advertising artwork management. Out of Home (OOH) advertising. Print advertising. Broadcast advertising. Digital advertising. Google advertising (PPC). Search engine marketing. Search Engine Marketing (SEM). Brand gifting concepts for stakeholders. Increased brand equity. Delivered MQLs. Communication, Content Development, Writing & PR Management: Over 15 years of writing experience complemented by over 12 years of content creation, PR and communication management, including PR activities. Digital PR. PR strategy. Media product launches. Interviews. Trend responses for media stories. Media relationship management. Influencer relationship management. Press release distribution. One-on-one media interview. Media pitches for stories and interviews across digital and traditional platforms. Negotiating media barters, coverage and advertising. Reputation rehabilitation and change management. Crisis communications - crisis management, crisis communications SOPs, crisis management framework, crisis planning, crisis writing & media liaison. Managed and monitored relevant third-party user content-driven sites – customer review and employee review sites. Product content development - content creation, concepts & design development, as well as the brand layout, writing and editing of such content, including booklets, brochures, directories, fact finders, etc., alongside managing the printing, brand concepts and placement. Writing - technical writing, SEO writing, website writing, advertising slogan writing, social media writing, product content writing for all mediums and media, internal writing, Speech writing, media response writing, client newsletter writing, invite writing, staff magazine writing, editing of all writing. SEO link building. SEO keyword strategy. Social Media calendar development. Social Media content writing. Social Media hashtag strategy. Turn-key event management from concept and planning to launch. Media pack development for products and events. Client events. Media events. Influencer events. Event management. Media brand events. Product launch events. Event bookings. Event planning & schedule of events. Media list creation & event list creation. Event media kits. Invite development, distribution, and attendance management. SharePoint Site development. Editorial calendar management & development. In-house client magazine management - content creation, layout, and writing. Internal staff magazine management - content creation, layout, writing. Intranet development and communications management and development. Delivered YoY increases and progress across PR values, brand recognition and reputational change delivery. Leadership, Team, Vendor & Agency Management: Nicole Turner Curriculum Vitae ‘24 I have been managing, leading and developing teams for over 15 years, encompassing 8 years of establishing departmental team structures supported by vendors and agencies to ensure efficiency. Department formation and team development. KPI development. Performance management of staff. Approval/sign-off of all – marketing, advertising, writing, brand development, and content. Team management – marketing teams, design teams, public relations teams – between 2 and 19 staff. Operational management and industry certification management – SOP management, SOP development, SOP audits. Managed clients. Managed agencies – advertising, PR, design, research house and brand. Recruitment - job spec development, hiring, KPI development and performance management. Work culture development. Process development. Managing between 2 and 21 employees. Company Name: Position: Duration: Employment Various 2003 onwards Experience & Skills: Chemistry | Production | Process Flow | Time Analysis | Branding | Marketing | Recruitment | Management | Leadership | SOP Audits | SOP Management | Data Sheet Management | Finance & Tax | Consulting | Contracting | Negotiation | Management SEO writing | Keywords analysis & strategy Full-time • Turner Communications – Consulting | Jan ’19 to present o Consulting to The Argo o Consulted with Tangent Solutions • • • • o Consulted Strategic Public Relations Klazema Communications - Turner Communications - SEO Content Writer | Aug ‘20 to April ‘21 Curves - Marketing & Communications Manager | Feb ‘11 – Aug ‘12 Clinical Sciences Diagnostics - Lab Manager, Branding & Communications | Sept ‘09 – Jan ‘11 Catalyst Human Asset Management - Relationship Manager | Feb ‘09 – Aug ‘09 Part-time Xogo - Assistant Manager | M&A The Glen – Waitress | Oakdene Optometrists – Receptionist | Private company – Hostess | Various companies – Promotions | The Coffee Note - Waitress Synopsis I develop tailored marketing strategies that align businesses' touchpoints, brand, culture, and customer experience with their purpose. I possess over 15+ years of experience in diverse industries and excel in internal and external communications, B2B/B2C markets, project management, and digital marketing. Skilled in team leadership, agency management, and strategic planning, I continuously seek personal and professional growth. My analytical, transparent, and balanced approach to problem-solving means I thrive in dynamic environments. My approach to fostering innovation, productivity, and success through collaboration is client-centric and detail-oriented. I aim to deliver optimal results by combining multiple ideas and refining them into a product or concept that can be continuously iterated on and progress with the dynamic business world and clients’ needs.