Douglas: Business and Marketing Strategy Expert

An interim marketing consultant since 2001 who holds an MBA from Manchester Business School, Douglas has completed a range of compelling assignments with global technology and commerce companies such as Vodafone and MasterCard, in which he has defined market positionings, developed content strategy, launched products and advised on new commercial strategies.

In his corporate career, Douglas held commerce, strategy and marketing roles with leading consultancies and corporate organisations including Mondex, provider of smart card software and solutions, Gemini Consulting and Abram, Hawkes PLC (now owned by Valoris).

For Vodafone UK Content Services

As an interim marketing consultant, Douglas played a key role in the launch of Vodafone live!, Vodafone's biggest ever product launch. This work encompassed:

• Business development: As one of a team of two, he recruited all UK content providers for Vodafone live! including News International, Dow Jones, EMAP, Rivals.net and Time Out.
• Product management: Douglas defined all requirements for customers' purchase experience, worked with the company's technical team on testing / delivery, and advised content partners on implementation.
• Strategy development: He further developed a two-year content strategy for Vodafone live! including identification of future consumer targets and customer needs. As part of this strategy development, he assessed the product's initial performance post-launch and identified critical success factors to achieve future objectives.

For Mondex

In roles that included Head of Strategy and Planning as well as Head of Marketing for this smart card software and systems provider, Douglas reported to the CEO and managed a staff of 14 and a budget of approximately £1 million to achieve among other things:

• A complete change to the marketing focus of the business, defining propositions for new virtual channels – Internet, mobile phone and digital TV.
• The alignment of sales and marketing efforts between HQ (UK) and offices in the US, Australia and Japan.
• Leadership of a comprehensive strategic review, including gaining Board and shareholder approval for resulting changes in business direction.
• The development of a business plan for re-funding of the business, based on the revised strategy. Douglas presented the investment case to many prospective financial and strategic investors.

For strategic marketing consultancy Abram, Hawkes PLC

Douglas managed a team of six direct reports, all consultants, where he:

• Built the team from scratch and assigned team members to projects, resulting in a significant improvement in project profitability across the business.
• Won many new accounts including Clydesdale Bank and Sun Alliance Mortgage Co., and delivered high levels of repeat business from existing clients.
• Sold individual projects up to a value of approximately £75k.
• Advised Girobank on the introduction of credit card fees, and the successful control of attrition, limited to unprofitable segments of the customer base.
• Increased recruitment and retention of customers for Thomson Regional Newspapers.
• Assessed potential for 'direct writing' of life products for Sun Alliance.
• Identified revenue and profit drivers for Age Concern Insurance Services.

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