Fiction Author
WendyWannerBooks
Total years of experience :28 years, 1 Months
Under the penname Wendy Wanner, writes supernatural suspense novels interweaving folklore, cultural idiosyncrasies and that little touch of the paranormal.
• The Color of Fear (2017)
• A Twist of Karma (2020)
Helping to move Staytus forward with luxury resort and hotel guest communications. Aiding expansion of the SweetBeam in-room communications and Staytus Destination app, as well as launch of a high value travelers Club App.
Leading the expansion of this location-based mobile advertising platform provider into the Middle East and North Africa. Responsible for business plan, working with investors, talent acquisition, building key client partnerships, input to tech development to meet local market needs.
• Built business from no presence in market/trial to sustainable within one year
Sits on this digital marketing agency’s Management Team and helps drive the company strategy and business. Leads the client services team in servicing the clients, and is also involved in new business. Ultimately responsible for all client relationships, profitability and long-term planning and strategy.
• Executed strategic account planning and met client needs by ramping-up the client services team by recruiting, hiring and training new Account and Client Directors.
• Worked with clients and agency teams on digital strategies, website launches, product launches, social initiatives, media and analytics.
• Key clients include Etihad, Johnson & Johnson, MasterCard and Jumeirah.
ATS, Abu Dhabi, UAE 2012 - present
Marketing Manager / Sales Operations Manager, MEA
Solely responsible for leading all marketing activities in MEA, as well as working within the sales team as Sales Ops for this public safety and security company.
NOKIA, MEA, Dubai, UAE 2008 - 2012
Head of Operator Marketing, Retail Marketing, IMEA
Responsible for igniting co-branding opportunities and longer term partnerships around product and service launches with key global operators. Leading the area teams in development of personnel skills, marketing planning and budgets. Overseeing and evaluating local executions.
Services Marketing Manager MEA/Business Development Manager for Media
Responsible for starting-up MEA's Developer Marketing operations, rolling out and developing services solutions including Ovi Store, NFC, Browser and Messaging, and planning digital, retail and activation activities.
• Guided MEA towards a competent ecosystem organization by uniting Forum Nokia, Solution Sales, Services Marketing, Developer Marketing and Digital with shared goals and processes.
• Leading role in hiring and inducting Developer Marketing team in the Local Sales Units towards common goals aligned with local market needs and MEA objectives.
• Launched Ovi Store and developer outreach across MEA achieving over 150 million downloads in MEA, 1 million downloads/week in Saudi, Arabic Ovi Store and a 998% increase in local apps and 754% increase in local developers within a 10 month period.
GTM Program Manager MENA/ Business Development Manager
Managing new product and life cycle programs by incorporating global input with sales unit and local sales unit needs in all areas including product variants, marketing, logistics and sales, with a special emphasis on identifying and realizing business potential.
• Led process alignment and integration between sales units and clusters.
• Successfully ran some of Nokia's highest profile device programs with good global to LSU integration.
FORUM NOKIA, Helsinki, Finland 2007 - 2008
Regional Marketing Manager, EMEA
Leading strategic creation and tactical execution of regional Forum Nokia developer outreach campaigns for European, Middle Eastern and Africa countries, with special attention to aligning with other regions' marketing priorities and global initiatives. Headed Download! marketing in EMEA and ran activities related to Developer Programs.
• Led internal communications to improve business group understanding and commitment to Forum Nokia within Nokia, resulting in increased Nokia involvement and commitment to regional D! and developer marketing activities.
• Piloted mobi banner campaigns with partners such as Vivendi, FCC, i2 and Playfon with increases in downloads ranging from 25% to 414%.
• Ramadan campaign in MEA resulted in 125% increase in regional D! revenue, 164% with partner i2.
IMAGENEERING WORLDWIDE PARTNERS, Helsinki, Finland
Strategic Marketing Consultant, IMAGEWORKS 2005 - 2006
Consulting international Finnish corporations in marketing and branding issues ranging from company positioning, post-merger integration, internal communications, corporate communications, investor relations, web issues, product positioning and portfolios, product marketing and branding.
• Created company strategy and business plan with owner for niche offering of marketing communications and strategy consultation to international process industries.
Account Director, International Accounts, IMAGENEERING 2002 - 2003
Responsible for global customers, especially wood/paper products and medical industries, and for new business pitches. Also increased cooperation with Worldwide Partners global advertising network.
• Initiated new business approaches and followed through by delivering well-crafted pitches.
• Concentrated on increasing customers in the agency's core competencies areas in order to offer the customer full value-chain expertise.
STORA ENSO FINE PAPERS, Amsterdam, The Netherlands 1998 - 2002
Brand Manager, Office Papers
Responsible for harmonizing the office paper brands around appearance, market position, brand promise. Managing internal communication platforms for information sharing and best practice realization. Also continued driving divisional marketing communications.
• Represented the division on the corporate communications team regarding corporate branding, web issues (internal and external), and print media.
• Launched new divisional interactive business tool, FineLink, through global training and marketing campaign.
• Created the first truly Internet branded consumer product in Stora Enso (Berga office paper)
• Produced and implemented a virtual paperschooling program for external use and internal training.
Marketing Supervisor
Responsible for overseeing advertising and marketing and maintaining the corporate guidelines within Office and Graphic Papers, as well as managing advertising campaigns, launches, promotional materials, exhibitions and brands.
• Created the first divisional and business unit brochures for the newly-merged Stora Enso.
• Handled post-merger internal marketing and communication issues as the Communications Manager for the SESAM integration initiative.
IMAGENEERING WORLDWIDE PARTNERS, Helsinki, Finland 1996 - 1998
Copywriter
Responsible for writing ad, press release, magazine and book copy, conceptual campaigns, designing corporate images and slogans, editing various publications and project management.
• Cooperated with customers in building corporate and brand images.
• Created and presented numerous launch campaigns.
• Designed and implemented a media plan for various ad and article placements in global magazines and journals.
KIELIOPISTO LANGUISTA, Helsinki, Finland 1995 - 1996
Production Manager
Responsible for hiring, training and supervising over 30 teachers, office administration, customer service, quality control, teacher/student coordination and course sales.
• Established an administrative process for teaching and course planning.
• Designed and implemented a teacher training course and assessment program which increased productivity 40%.
• Conducted production and quality control checks, which resulted in 80% less customer complaints.
Head English Teacher
Responsible for interviewing students and customizing courses targeting the professional needs.
• Taught business English to executives from some of Finland's largest corporations.
B.A., Anthropology / Business Administration, University of California Los Angeles, UCLA 1995 1995 • Cum Laude • Golden Key National Honor Society • Dean's Honor List
• College Honors Program