When I started University I wanted to be a writer, just like my father. I spent 4 years reading manifestos and attempting to write them.  Storybooks and writing really didn’t seem to be my calling and one month after graduation I accepted a role with Skechers USA as a Visual Merchandiser.  After two years managing a $200 million dollar territory, driving across six states in a branded SKECHERS Tahoe, merchandising hundreds of shop floors and promoting Britney Spears 4Wheeler roller skates, I took a risk and moved to the UK.  For six months I fought for an internship and finally managed to gain sponsorship working with the prestigious English brand JIGSAW as a Visual Merchandiser for the UK & Ireland.  This job gave me the opportunity to travel, understand English culture and grow my visual and spacial skills.

Two years later,  I was asked to come back to Skechers USA but this time working for the UK subsidiary in London.  I love the DNA of the Skechers brand and combining the US vision with a European spin made every moment enjoyable. With Skechers I experienced continued personal and professional growth in PR, Marketing, International Media Buying and a role that extended across Europe. I also activated key celebrity endorsements across the EU such as Britney Spears, Kim Kardashian, Ashlee Simpson and Christina Aguilera as well as key category launches such as Twinkle Toes, Shape-Ups, Bobs and the Skechers Fitness Division.

I was promoted at the beginning of 2011 to the role of European Marketing Director for Skechers where I managed a $20M media budget.  I also executed my two biggest marketing activations to date by designing and executing the Skechers Fitness Group shop-in-shop in Harrods, London and partnering with a great team in Spain to help execute the Skechers Kids shop-in-shop at El Corte Ingles in Barcelona.  See below the video I created and showed at the 2011 European Conference covering all the amazing Skechers European marketing.

In September 2012, after 10 amazing years in the UK,  I resigned from my role with Skechers as my family decided to relocate to Boston, Massachusetts. This was a bitter sweet decision as I loved my job and the people at Skechers so much but the new chapter in my life book needed to start and I had to turn the page.

In November 2012 I took on a B2B role for Wolverine Worldwide where I launched the KEDS celebrity endorsement campaign with Taylor Swift. I took her campaign and managed the entire national account portfolio for KEDS. I built each accounts’ marketing plan, POP program, GWP program, solidified the space within the 4-wall, and made sure Taylor Swift was front and center.

After 6 months I was asked head up the visual merchandising and marketing for the B2C side of Sperry Top-Sider (another brand within the WWW portfolio) where I was to support the expansion of the Sperry brand.  I met with the Carlson Group and refined the designed space, created floor fixtures, determined the layout, sourced all authentic props, created the global window design themes, planned the 52 week marketing activation at store level, and booked local media to support the openings. I successfully grew the retail channel from 30 to 51 locations across the USA and had the stunning retail space written up in A.R.E Magazine.

In August 2014 I moved away from B2C marketing and back into B2B as VP of Marketing and Business Development for a management consultancy called hfi. This role allowed me to understand the importance of getting the right people in the right roles. I promoted the use of coaching, 360 feedback, organizational effectiveness, and psychometric assessments to refine the talent management process and growth within organizations while saving money on employee turnover.

In the beginning of 2016 I launched a new company called Bedford Jones.  Bedford Jones uses the hfi assessment suite to match ideal candidates to roles.  This Executive Recruitment firm is disrupting the world of executive search and is truly unique.  I have the ability to utilize all my skills as I continue to build the brand through marketing and media as well as dive deep into the world of candidate selection!

In 2017, I officially started the creation of  Knowing Nanny.  Knowing Nanny provides clients such as nanny agencies and families with personality profiles of potential nannies.  We have an online platform that nannies log into and we assess each applicant from anywhere in the world.  We also offer the questionnaire in 30+ languages through our online platform ensuring nothing is lost in translation.  The assessment allows you to see more about a potential nanny than you ever thought possible and gives you deep insight into their personality. This compliments the interview process, the background and reference checks and helps to look objectively beyond the interview to identify a nanny with the energy, ability and passion to care for children.

So, with 15 years experience I can help any organization to develop and implement effective marketing strategies that get results as well as find ideal candidates for C-suite roles.

My skill set includes:

• Executive Recruiment
• Business Development
• Traditional Marketing: advertising, trade show and events, direct mail and other print media
• Digital Marketing: email marketing, social media, video and all things web.
• Media Buying: TV, Radio, Print, OOH advertising
• Visual Merchandising: concept shops, window design, floor layouts, visual guides

Find out more about what I do, my experience, what other people think, or simply say hello!