University of Auckland

Product Manager at Causeway Technologies

London, Greater London, United Kingdom

Product Management of Causeway's cloud-based technology offerings.

Causeway Technologies

Product Manager

Gwythan Ltd.

Director

This was both an internal and externally-facing role supporting the sale of large, complex enterprise software solutions to global clients (B2C and B2B).Externally, I worked with some of the world's largest companies, consulting on content supply chain design, strategy, and innovation. I worked directly with senior-level stakeholders on multi-year strategic, tactical and operational initiatives, advising global enterprise customers on digital transformation and change management.Internally, I supervised the development of a global pre- and post-sales operations. I worked collaboratively and cross-functionally on both sales and marketing initiatives, leading with clear and coherent strategies for the industry vertical. This initiative achieved substantially increased regional opportunities and additional pipeline. I coached the global sales teams with knowledge sharing and additional training, which resulted in a significant improvement in their understanding of the travel and hospitality industries. A key skill I brought to SDL was the design of innovative business solutions using their existing products, such as automated translation memory quality assurance,  a neural machine translation-first approach to commodity content, a headless CMS central content repository strategy, and a fresh approach to marketing content using structured content management. Additionally, I proposed and worked with the machine learning team on developing artificial intelligence technology to create automated product descriptions.

SDL plc

VP, Global Solutions

SDL's senior management invited me to join the company to develop a Centre of Excellence for global Enterprise customers. This included many of the world's largest e-commerce companies in the travel and hospitality sectors.A key task was advising clients on delivering a true Customer Experience (CX) vision through content and translation strategies, social intelligence mining and e-commerce systems alignment. I was successful in developing new business through private account management, as well as public speaking engagements and other marketing activities.I was pivotal in developing commercially-sound solutions led by customer need. I trained our sales and marketing teams on new go-to-market strategies for the travel and hospitality sectors. I achieved new opportunities and increased pipeline for the sales teams across the UK, Europe and North America.

Account Director

I took on the opportunity to create a rare beast in most global enterprises, that of a Product Manager with specific responsibility for the full, cross-silo content supply chain, including translation.I led the integration of complex, globally-diverse of business systems and was central in the strategy, planning and delivery of GTA's full content offering. Key tasks included:• Scoping of key projects through impact assessments, risk analysis and solution planning.• Managing multi-million-pound content and translation budgets.• Liaising with cross-functional teams in all aspects of content acquisition, management, translation, application, and delivery.• Developing major technology and process changes to enhance eCommerce content and improve conversion.• Collaborating extensively with commercial partners and suppliers to evolve product ideas into practical commercial propositions.My achievements included the complete rearchitecting of the GTA's information-led content, deep cost savings from new content supplier partnerships, and a unique translation strategy based on business intelligence.

Product Manager for Content

I led the planning, prioritisation and communication initiatives for GTA’s extranet – a globally distributed wholesale e-commerce platform (HTML and XML API).The “Business Integration Lead” role combined the position of Product Owner for Agile development – collating business requirements, advising on Business Analysis, signing off development releases – alongside responsibility for company-wide communications and presentation to the GTA Senior Leadership on content strategy.I also had extra responsibilities in the role of “Content and Translation Manager” at GTA, where I played a central role in defining and executing the strategy for digitally optimised descriptive content for both online and offline business customers, localised across 30 language markets.A major success in this role was introducing new translation processes at GTA based on cutting-edge technologies.

Business Integration Lead and Content & Translation Manager

Content strategy consultant to the world’s leading wholesaler of hotel roomsand ground-based services. My role was to set the strategy for the descriptive content (text and richmedia) on their Point of Sale.

Content Strategy Manager

Planning, developing and supporting websites for education and key corporate clients.

Chris Wright Systems

Technical Director

I led the commercial and feature content development, technological specification, UI design and testing of Sky’s first consumer-facing travel transactional website, creating a £30 million business within 2 years of go-live. I was enormously successful at guiding this endeavour at such an early stage of e-commerce, serving 50 million pages to 8 million monthly unique visitors during my tenure.Daily, I managed targets, budgets, journalists and staff. I commissioned and analysed customer and web research, worked with Sky Travel’s business stakeholders and liaised with Sky’s IT, production and advertising divisions. I was also Executive Producer for online multimedia content covering 500 key holiday destinations.I planned and led the creation of SEO-qualified copy for the commercially sensitive areas of the site, increasing Google free acquisitions by 95%, delivering a 400% increase in page views and a 270% increase in visits. A major achievement was #2 Google ranking for specialist Thomson (TUI) Holiday product, behind TUI itself, #4 all-time ranking for Costa Cruises and #16 all-time ranking for All-Inclusive holidays. This was, and remains, a very competitive market online.From a technology perspective, I oversaw the multi-disciplinary project team to launch Sky’s first in-house Travel web site. I introduced Agile development methodology alongside the Sky IT teams, and was the technical liaison for all builds of the Sky Travel web site; Delivered on-time and under budget.

BSkyB

Web Editor

I was responsible for writing, producing and planning commercial holiday programming for Sky Travel, managing all aspects of its TV production.I developed new-style cruise holiday programming, delivering innovative editorial content. Sky Travel was subsequently awarded ‘Best New Media Agent 2006’ by Costa Cruise Lines. Additional awards gained from Carnival Cruise Corporation.I won the ‘Team Sky’ awards in 2006 and 2007.

TV Producer, Sky Travel

Writing commercially focused television scripts for Sky Travel since the inception of its holiday teleshopping output.I co-wrote the longest-running, most commercially successful show on Sky Travel, Carnival Cruise. Achieved the highest call volumes of the time, writing the Late Deals Live show.I was the creator and project lead for “Real-time Travel Shop”, an automated teleshopping presentation that was a first for the travel industry.

Scriptwriter

I developed strategy and technology for new internet-based advertising products for the start-up e-flet Technologies Ltd.Our product won the BIC Innovation of the Year 2000, awarded by the European Union’s European Business and Innovation Centre.

e-flet Technologies Ltd

Web Developer (contractor)

Account management and development of original TV programming in the scientific and educational sectors.I conceived and wrote the animated TV pilot, "News Beans", in collaboration with the United Nations Communications Office and UNICEF.

Global Vision Network

Co-Head of Science Programming

Organising scientific conferences and special interest groups.

Scientific and Medical Network

Deputy Director

Department of Neurology, working on the immune system of the brain.

Universität Tübingen

Post-doctoral Fellow

Research Fellow at the basic research institute supportted by Novartis (Ciba-Geigy), working on neuronal cell structure.

Kevin Ashbridge

Kevin Ashbridge