2022 - Present

Sr Director of Research & Insight, NA at We Are Social (SF, USA)

Promoted to North American lead to steer and upskill the R&I practice with a focus on data effectiveness and thought leadership. Selected clients include Diageo, Fossil Group, Paramount+, and TikTok Canada.

Areas of focus:

• Research & writing: Shaping agency thought leadership agenda by fusing North American insight into global research and shaping local thinking. Presenting via webinars, podcasts, in-person events or published papers.

• Defining success: Articulating social objectives, KPIs & targets that ladder business to social goals. Leading cross-functional performance reporting for creative, content and influence streams to inform decision-making.

• Consumer insights: Articulating the voice of the consumer from social listening, panel/concept testing, focus groups and trend analysis to translate and inform targeting and messaging/positioning for clients. 

2019 - 2022

Director of Research & Insight, CA at We Are Social (Toronto, CA)

Delivered actionable insights through research/measurement to drive/defend strategic and creative solutions. Select clients included Truss Beverages, Molson Coors, TurboTax and General Mills.

Areas of focus:

• Social insight generation: Led audience segmentation and qualitative research to develop a social consumer journey map for TurboTax Canada. This artifact helped drive 2.6x social impressions and 2.4x YoY signups.

• Business development: Influenced team & business driving team and new business growth.

• Audience segmentation: Leveraged consumer insight from social, search and culture to identify targets leveraging tools such as content analysis, Audiense and Demographics Pro.

2016-2019

Digital Strategy Director, Citizen Relations (Toronto, CA)

Led integrated programs and digital client relationships with a focus on amplifying brand messages through social media, influencer relationships and content marketing. Select clients included Kao Canada, Tim Hortons, TurboTax and Ontario Wood.

Areas for focus:

  • Account leadership: Led integrated TurboTax programming including PR, social and paid media in two tax seasons. The ‘That’s Smart’ strategy led to a ~2% increase in year-over-year (YoY) sales for the brand. The following year’s ‘Smarter Together’ program led to Strategy Magazine award nomination. Also led Tim Hortons social program for RRRoll Up the Rim: Canada 150 that won Gold CPRS award.

  • Brand health analysis: Oversaw ‘threat level threshold’ analysis supporting PepsiCo issues management.

2012-2016

Senior Manager, Search & Digital, Edelman Digital (Toronto, CA)

Developed programs with a focus on driving audiences to take action on-site and developed Edelman Canada’s search marketing department. Select clients included Intuit, Foresters Financial, Fire & Emergency Services Training Institute (FESTI) & Go RVing Canada.

Areas of focus:

  • Business development: Pioneered Edelman Canada search offering; oversaw related new business, resourcing, training, cross-practice integration, and client liaison. Led a multi-region mandate for a global insurance brand. Earned company Google Partner status.

  • Program development: Developed Intuit QuickBooks advocacy program; identified businesses, captured their stories and told the product/business benefit through Edelman-produced blog, video, photo and testimonial content.

  • Client relationship management: Led client relationship and programming for the Fire and Emergency Services Institute to drive course registrations, overseeing paid social, paid search and UX. Client gave overall relationship score of 9.7/10 in feedback.

2010-2012

Content & Engagement Manager, Edelman (London, UK)

Managed content across Europe, Middle East and Africa for technology and consumer clients and provided insights and optimizations. Select clients included BlackBerry, Qualcomm and Unilever.

Areas of focus included:

  • Project management: Promoted to content project manager for BlackBerry social properties in EMEA; oversaw strategy, process, training, content creation and client relationship.

    • Led team of four in UK office; trained clients and colleagues in Middle East, Turkey, South Africa and Italy offices on engagement process and platforms.

    • Worked closely with senior clients during three-day service outage to coordinate content delivery across 10 countries.

  • Content production: Established process to effectively manage and monitor all social content creation across multiple markets (UK, RU, US and EU) for Qualcomm.

  • Knowledge sharing: Co-launched EMEA Community Managers group; developing monthly newsletter and knowledge share session. Elected as member of Search Engine Optimization specialty group; developed IP (via Edelman blog and PRCA Association talk) for Edelman offering.

2008-2010

Consultant, GCI Group (Toronto, CA)

Helped brands establish their online voices and understand their impact as a social media specialist and analyst. Select clients included Tourism Prince Edward Island, Belkin, Mattel and Amgen.

Areas of focus included:

  • Social listening, media monitoring and analysis:

    • Developed weekly analysis related to Harmonized Sales Tax introduction for the Ontario Ministry of Revenue including landscape analysis, trends and successes/threats.

    • Monitored competitive landscape for Freedom Mobile (then Globalive) daily, providing insight and analysis into competition within Canada, CRTC activity and online mobile discussions using platforms including Sysomos, iRadar, Twitter and Mediavantage.

  • Copywriting: Acted as managing editor and wrote for monthly GCI trend newsletter, Squeezed Fresh.

Causes

  • Toronto Inner-City Rugby Foundation: Copywriter and Editor for Everyone’s Game: Increasing Inclusivity in Sport toolkit (2018)

  • Toronto Kiwanis Boys & Girls Clubs: Sponsorship & Events Committee member (2013-2016)

  • Dx3 Ambassador: Arranged three Edelman/Dx3 co-branded events (2013-2015) and was monthly columnist for own recurring feature entitled Getting Digital With… (2015-2016)

Select Speaking Events

  • Think Forward: We Are Social event coordinator and panelist (2023 & 2019)

  • Miami Ad School: Making with Measurement in Mind (course creator & instructor (2019 - 2021)

  • George Brown College: SEO, Paid Search & Web Analytics course creator & instructor (2015-2016)

  • Intuit Accountants: Building Online Brand Awareness (2015)

  • HIGHLINE: Brand Building through PR (2014)

  • Women in Business Conference: Building Your Personal & Professional Brand panelist (2014)

Education

  • Google Search Certification (2016)

  • University of Toronto: School of Continuing Studies, E-Commerce and E-Business Management (2010-2013)

  • Humber College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning: Postgraduate Certificate: Public Relations, School of Media Studies (High Honours (2008) 

  • Carleton University: Bachelor of Journalism and Psychology Combined (High Honours) (2003-2007)