IAIN PLUMMER

mobile: 077*-***-****

*** ******** ****, ********** *** 2ET

email: acw944@r.postjobfree.com

SUMMARY

Senior commercial and business development strategist with extensive experience working in digital media, information services, e-commerce, and publishing. Entrepreneurial, holistic, and hands-on approach to driving business and generating revenue through sales, marketing, strategic partnering, and promotional media. Experience of running business units with full responsibility for P&L, strategy, staffing, and product. Strong commercial acumen with a track record of creating and executing business development and marketing strategies, opening new markets and launching, growing, and revamping products. Skilled in developing internal structures, systems, KPIs and metrics. Comfortable managing cross-disciplinary teams, and communicating with stakeholders at the highest level. Extensive business development, sales, account management and client development experience.

EXPERTISE

Business Development: Extensive experience in strategic business development, sales and marketing, sales management, sales training, and managing account and client service teams. Exemplary record in hitting sales and client retention targets. Experienced in solution or consultative sales, media, advertising and sponsorship sales, concept sales, and account management and planning.

Commercial/Strategy: Long and short term business planning, market research, key competitor analysis and benchmarking. Design and implementation of performance metrics. Experienced in developing new products and researching new markets.

Leadership: Managing multi-disciplinary teams of all sizes. Controlled staff, travel, and production budgets and set revenue targets, KPIs and metrics. Track record in mentoring and developing staff. Experience of managing remote workers. Familiar with flat, functional, and matrix management structures.

Communication: Extensive experience in writing briefs and proposals, designing marketing collateral, writing ad copy, press releases, presentations, media-packs,, reports, etc, and managing internal and external communications.

Interpersonal: Built key relationships with existing and potential clients. Over 10 years of strategic account management experience, including b2b, agencies, and consultancies. Consultative media planning experience. Represented the organization at countless conferences and client meetings. Drove collaborative projects with C level clients and stakeholders, including affiliate and contra marketing projects.

Marketing: Experience of b2b, and b2c, utilizing the full marketing mix: ATL, BTL, digital, social media, SEO, affiliate marketing, affinity marketing, acquisition marketing; commercial partnering, brand management, PR, product marketing, positioning, pricing.

CAREER

MRP Independent Consultancy (Jul 2013 - Present)

Various consultancy roles. Work undertaken include market and competitor research; new product development and product strategy; new business development and product launch; sales planning and strategy; proofreading, editing, writing and website audits.

Focus Reports: Head of Digital (Sep 2012 – Jul 2013)

Business strategy and implementation role with an independent publisher of magazine supplements operating globally across Pharma, Oil & Gas, and Power sectors. Responsibility for defining and executing digital strategy, including the overhaul of websites, process change management, and creation of new revenue streams. Working directly with CEO, COO, and management consultancy.

Achievements:

Devised and executed digital business plan for Digital Division, including content, marketing, and media strategy.

Lead redevelopment and re-launch of two websites, coordinating web designers, hosts, data teams and editorial teams. Launched two new sites with improved SEO, user experience and functionality.

Worked with directors to define brand strategy and develop logos, taglines, product plan and marketing materials.

Researched, negotiated and activated numerous content and marketing partnerships, including event partnerships, content syndication, ecommerce partnerships, advertising contras, and rss and content feeds.

Conducted extensive market research project, including product and competitor analysis, consumer surveys, and one-to-one interviews with users, advertisers, and key stakeholders and potential stakeholders. Proposed four new products with potential first year revenue of $400,000.

Defined new systems and processes for editorial sales teams to ensure that web content is updated in a timely and commercially viable manner.

Implemented new social media and marketing processes with sales and editorial teams to maximize content visibility and driving traffic through social media, third party media and contributor websites.

Designed media kits and product pitches for existing and new digital products

Set up editorial advisory board, consisting of C level executives of multi-nationals, Owners and CEOs of leading national companies, and top consultants and academics.

MRP Independent Consultancy (Feb 2011- Sep 2012)

Freelance consultant, advising businesses (especially start-ups and SMEs) on commercial strategy, business planning, product marketing, sales and business development. Areas of expertise include market research and competitor analysis; SWOT and PEST; product positioning and pricing; commercial strategy and business planning; change management and restructuring; website design and auditing; marketing and sales materials; promotion through social, press, associations and partnering.

Achievements

Advised a specialist marketing consultancy on entry into several new countries. Used my contact network to select and pitch to potential clients

Advised a start-up entertainment company on marketing strategy. Conducted site audit and suggested advertising, commercial, pricing, and social media strategy.

Advised business information provider on transition from advertising-led business model to subscription and training model. Conducted market and competitor analysis, and advised on product development, pricing, sales and marketing strategy, and reallocation and retraining of staff.

Practical Law Company (PLC) (1996 – Feb 2011)

Internet start-up digital media and publishing company, which is now part of Thomson Reuters. I started with the company at graduate entry level and progressed into increasingly senior roles as the business grew. I held the following positions:

Practical Law: Acting Head of International Division (2009-2011)

Reporting to the board of directors, and managing a multi-disciplinary digital publishing and sales division of over 40 staff, including publishers, account managers, researchers, production and editorial. Overall management of business unit, with full responsibility for product management, sales and business development, P&L, budget, staffing, sales and marketing. Produced 28 digital (websites) and print titles annually, with multi-million pound revenue from subscriptions and advertising/media sales.

Achievements:

Improved media sales performance by 30% through reorganization of department, reallocation of staff, replacement of under-performing products and improvement sales recruitment and training processes.

Managed web advertising telesales and account management teams, hitting over 90% of sales targets on a project by project basis.

Implemented set of financial and non-financial KPIs to ensure that titles matched and exceeded key competitors in terms of website and publication coverage and content.

Took the lead on new media marketing initiatives for the department, including use of Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Worked with external SEO agency to develop and implement a company SEO strategy.

Initiated global research project to gauge market perception of our brand and identify new business opportunities in over 100 international markets.

Increased web traffic by 20% through twitter and Linkedin promotion strategy, google optimization, blogger/media outreach, site partnering and strategic linking.

Worked with the US CEO on establishment of new US office and launch of new US-based product, researching the market and pitching new clients and partners.

Led product marketing across the division, with responsibility for designing marketing materials, allocating marketing budget, and selecting and utilizing external suppliers.

Practical Law: Senior Publisher/Key Account Manager (2004-2009)

Publisher, product head, and business development manager for a portfolio of digital (websites) and print products. Managing the production of pay to play titles from inception to distribution. Responsible for managing editorial, business development, account management, media sales and production teams, commissioning content, and all pre and post publication promotion, marketing and digital media sales. Managed key agency accounts.

Achievements:

Launched several new titles to supplement revenue stream and replace titles reaching end of life cycle. All new titles hit initial revenue targets and grew throughout 3 year product cycle.

Devised and implemented key account strategy, retaining over 80% of accounts year on year, and hitting over 90% of project sales targets.

Sold pay to play, sponsorship and ad opportunities on up to seven digital and print titles per year, hitting financial targets on over 90% of titles.

Established and maintained collaborative and affiliate relationships with prestigious associations and membership organizations, raising the profile and reputation of our brand and increasing web traffic by 20%.

Ran successful international PR campaign which lead to coverage in several national newspapers and trade magazines around the world and syndication of content to numerous websites and publications.

Developed and delivered presentations to external media and marketing organizations, and acted as contact point for incoming media enquiries.

Practical Law: Product Head/Head of Business Development (2001-2004)

Managed transition of product from paper publication to digital web product while retaining revenue rates, significantly increasing profits. Rebranded and redesigned product and took to market. Key account manager and head of business development and sales.

Achievements:

Worked with Head of Content and IT Project Manager on product redesign proposal, leading to the launch of a new global product for international market.

Implemented new account management procedure which reduced late and non-payments by over 80%.

Significant internal and external stakeholder management and change management. Managed expectations of clients with minimal loss of business. Organized retraining and reallocation of staff, resulting in significant savings.

Took over management of two problem key accounts. Retained 90% of business from one and grew the other by 400%.

Key contact for new client and media inquiries and lead account manager.

Designed online and offline marketing materials, wrote copy for mediakits and web pages and put together presentations.

Represented the department at seminars, conferences and client meetings worldwide, delivering numerous demonstrations and presentations.

Practical Law: Global Business Development Manager (1998-2001)

Wide-ranging role which included business development, ad and sponsorship media sales, sales management, and management of key accounts/account planning, designing marketing materials, mailshots, mediapacks and landing pages.

Practical Law: Subscriptions and Circulation Manager (1996-1998)

Customer service, account management, payment processing and accounts receivable, distribution, business development, subscription sales and marketing, database management.

Telelab Limited: Junior Account Manager (1994–1996)

Telemarketing agency providing inbound and outbound services for external clients across varied industries (business development and customer service). Trained and ran teams of up to 40. Wrote call scripts and client briefs.

QUALIFICATIONS AND TRAINING

University of Newcastle Upon Tyne (1991-1994):BA Hons English/Media (2:1)

Queens School, Aldenham Rd, Bushey, Herts (1983-1990): 3 A levels (grade A), 8 GCSE

Additional training: Management, Project management (DSDM), Google adwords, Digital marketing, Social media, CRM, Sales force, Microsoft word, CIM (ongoing), Sales, Business development, Editing and proofreading, IOT..

INTERESTS AND HOBBIES

Media Studies, Social media and digital media, Art and Literature, Sport (Captain of local cricket team), Overseas travel, Live music, I have also run a website on a freelance basis.

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