Over 13 years of experience and more than 8 years in online marketing & advertising

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Tesco HSC – 13 July 2006 to Present

Asst. Manager

Handle 3 core dotcom teams with more than 10 employees. Primary role is handling a team of analysts & processes that analyses data and provides mission critical insight to the leadership/ management. Deliver quality reports and analysis on time to help the management understand business, its performance, our customers, their behavior, etc. I am responsible for various regular and adhoc reports and analysis that drive step change based on insights of the performance of the business, trade patterns, customer behavior and web analytics pertaining to Tesco.com. The regular tasks was to ensure a health check on business by tracking & reporting KPIs such as performance against budgets, performance trend analysis, category analysis, visits & conversion trends, marketing channel performance analysis. Was in charge of the regular customer communication through email and CRM programs. The team was a hub to provide all business solutions and understanding as diverse as: -

Career Highlights:

• 1. Successful "Knowledge transfer" and training of the Insight analysts whilst in UK and also on return.
• 2. Transitioned one of the most challenging processes and seamlessly manage the team's work through organized work plan and robust communication.
• 3. Championed and spearhead one of the most challenging project called “Marketing Channel optimizer” that would involve integrating different data sources and present a 360-degree view of the customer.
• 4. Initiated online affiliate program and other innovative techniques like exit popups, partially registered newsletter, and other onsite optimization techniques to increase effective conversion.
• 4. Completed 6 Sigma (Benchmark), Project Management Training and retail certification (IIMB).
• 65. Developed quality trackers & processes using 6 Sigma methods to efficiently manage SLAs & KPIs.

BharatMatrimony.com Pvt. Ltd – 9 June 2004 to Jan 2006

Campaign Manager

Was in charge of the online advertising of BharatMatrimony.com, which is one of the biggest advertisers in the online advertising media in India. I head a team of 4 advertising executives and coordinate with the technical and design team comprising of over 12 members. I was responsible for online media planning, budgeting, executing, analyzing and optimizing the campaign to meet the business objectives and ensure ROI. I nurtured and maintained a healthy working relationship with all the leading portals and websites as well as the various online agencies that services us. Introduced best practice systems and procedures for campaign tracking, reporting and optimizations (including online MIS report formats). With my efficient team I handled media planning, identifying and buying online media, implementing the campaign on various sites, analyze and optimize the campaign (including search engine optimisation), improving customer experience on our website and ultimately ensuring the return on investment to the firm as well as the customer.

Career Highlights:

• 1. Was awarded “Special contribution” by the management for the year 2004
• 2. Was awarded “Special contribution” by the management for the year 2005
• 3. Have been instrumental in finalizing major deals with MSN, Yahoo, Indiatimes and Sify.com apart numerous other sites.
• 4. Initiated online affiliate program and other innovative techniques like exit popups, partially registered newsletter, and other onsite optimization techniques to increase effective conversion.
• 5. Implemented new and innovative tracking systems including methods like 360 degree tracking and reporting functions, Frequency capping, A-B testing and Webtrends – site analysis to optimize the campaign.
• 6. I have introduced efficient processes that were even appreciated by the team of auditors during the ISO 9001: 2000 certification, which was awarded to the firm in Mar 2005.

Rubecon Communication Pvt Ltd. – 28 Jan 2002 to Aug 2003

Sr. Account Executive

I handled extremely creative and challenging clients such as RPG Cellular, Angelform and Sify. Apart from them also handled a set of clients who are small nevertheless potential brands such as Maybell and India Insure. I also had good exposure to other clients that were handled by Rubecon such as Cavin Care, Colour plus, Cholayil, Vijay TV, etc. My job profile included account planning, strategy, competitive study, positioning and ultimately communicating the brand objectives creatively and thereby building the brand. The day to day activities involved interacting and understanding client’s communication requirements, briefing internal creative teams, co-ordinating creative process and presenting the same to the client, it also involves media planning, coordinating with various suppliers, monitoring printing/ production, media analysis, innovations and optimization, etc.

Career Highlights:

• 1. Been involved/ instrumental in the re-launch of the RPG Cellular Brand Campaign of “Chennai Speaks RPG”
• 2. Worked on the pitches of RPG Cellular prepaid account (Wings) and Angelform and emerged successful in securing both the accounts.
• 3. Instrumental in repositioning of the Angelform brand in its new form.

CricInfo India Pvt Ltd. – 17 May 2000 to Jan 2002

Executive - Corporate Communications

Initiate, plan, execute and monitor Advertising, Public relations and other promotions and events, which are directed to communicate the brand features and build awareness of the brand CricInfo. To drive internal online Ad campaigns and tracking of the same, reply to queries (internal as well as external). Being the spokesperson of the company, I also represent and maintain amicable and cordial relationship with the press, marketers, brand managers, various Associations & Boards and the users of the www.cricinfo.com site. (www.cricket.org/link_to_database/MANAGEMENT/PRESS/)

Career Highlights:

• Handled a Major Event in Chandigarh involving nearly 1200 school children
• Conducted a Press conference and banner signing campaign before the departure of the Indian women’s cricket team to the World Cup – 2000
• Coordinated a major online advertising campaign to promote a feature called “Oogly”
• Played a key role in preparing/ charting out clear plan of Brand objective, perception and association.

Southern Railway, Head Quarters Office, Chennai – 08 Oct 1993 to May 2000

Professional cricketer/ Asst. - Computer Applications

Involved in various projects like the computerisation of Quarters registration, employee leave classification and classification of schedule of powers. All the above work involved extensive work-study, logic and computer programming skills.

Career Highlights:

• Received a cash award for meritorious work done towards compilation of schedule of powers on establishment matters

IGGI Resorts International Ltd – 08 Jun 1993 to 30 Sep 1993

Marketing Executive

Responsibilities included target oriented selling and to introduce the novel concept of property sharing and to promote the company’s holiday resort sharing project.

Career Highlights:

• Doubled the Sales target set in a span of two months.

Other/ voluntary work experience

• Local Manager for the New Zealand, Australian and Denmark teams in matches held at Madras in the 1997 Hero Honda Women's World Cup.
• Honorary Secretary, ‘Alappakkam Shakti Civic Exnora’ for the year 1997-98. (A voluntary organisation under the patronage of Exnora International)
• Cricket Manager of the Tamil Nadu junior state Women’s cricket team, which participated in the junior south zone championship in March 1995.
• Local Manager of the visiting England team in the India – England women’s cricket series 1995 Madras.

Professional:

Post Graduate Diploma in Advertising offered by the Madras Advertising Club (1998-99)

Intensive and insightful course in advertising and allied subjects like public relations, market research and Production, where the faculty members are professional practitioners; hence along with theoretical aspects practical insights are also imparted. The course includes a series of projects, presentations and seminars along with three-month internship in an advertising agency.

Bachelor Degree in Commerce (B.com) from Stella Maris College, Chennai (1990-93)

Secured first class (60%) in one of the oldest and renowned institution in India, Stella Maris College. The course in commerce included subjects like – business management, marketing, advertising and salesmanship, and business communication, along with related subjects like advanced accountancy, auditing, economics, company and banking law, etc.

Certificate course in Customer Relationship Management (CRM) - Management Development Institute (MDI) Gurgaon (2003 � 04).

The next logical progression to advertising is undoubtedly CRM, through which communicating to the target audience with personalized and synergized messages at all points of contact is possible. The certificate course in CRM initialized me into the various concepts, tools and applications of CRM. This course has helped me to mine, analyze, and apply effective solution in my present work.

Without data there is no information, without information there is no knowledge and without knowledge we would not progress. I have learnt the techniques and skills of deriving knowledge and applying them in business solutions through this course and through my brand planning/ servicing experience in my advertising career.

Other:

1) Certificate course in Customer Relationship Management (CRM) from Management Development Institute (MDI) Gurgaon.

2) Course in Oracle and D2K from Aptech education

3) Completed Grunstuffe II level examination in German language from Max Muller Bhavan, Chennai.

1) Played cricket both as an amateur and professional at the highest level in National level championship. Represented the State of Tamilnadu (junior and senior teams) from 1988-98 and have also captained the juniors, college and divisional tournaments. I have also represented the Madras University, Southern Railways and the South zone teams.

2) Secured an “A” grade in the Basic Mountaineering course from the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Darjeeling.

3) Stood first in the Best cadet competition in the All India Basic Leadership Camp held at Kamptee in 1991.

4) Won merit certificates in All India Geography Talent Test both in junior and senior level.

5) Won meritorious prizes in drawing and painting competitions.

• Highly commended certificate from the Soviet Cultural Center, Madras.
• Merit certificate in the Camel Colour Contest – Madras City Level.
• First prize in the Wheel Inter School Drawing Competition.

6) Won prizes in athletics in various inter collegiate events.

• First prize in the Vaishnav Cadofest ’90 Cross Country Race.
• Second prize in the Loyola Cadotsav ’90 Cross Country Race.
• Second prize in the Stella Maris College 3000m event.

I am extremely excited to be in this completely path breaking phase in advertising and communication. As we all know it is now the era of communication explosion. Hence this challenge of advertising/ communicating to the evolving audience who use diverse media gives me great exhilaration. I want to introduce paradigm methods/ ways of communication in this era of complexity. I want to be recognised as a great communicator, not only of my ideas, but also of ideas and concepts that would change people’s lives and attitude. Probably be instrumental, through effective communication, to improve the quality of their lives

My key value system comprises hunger for knowledge, striving for perfection, relentless hard work and absolute integrity. I am optimistic, friendly, a team player and believe in camaraderie leadership than authoritarian style of leadership. My weakness is that I always feel I (and my team) could have done better and not totally satisfied with the results.

Personal Details

Date of Birth: 09th December 1972.

Nationality: Indian

Marital Status: Married

Hobbies: Traveling, trekking, books, Painting and Chalk-carving

Languages Known: English, Hindi, Sanskrit, Telugu, Tamil and German.

Reference

1) Mr. Murugavel Janakiraman, C.E.O, BharatMatrimony.com Pvt. Ltd., Chennai

2) Mr. R. Suresh, VP Region head, Mauj Telecom, People Infocom Pvt. Ltd., Chennai

3) Ms. Pratibha Iyer, Manager Business Development, MSN India, Mumbai

4) Mr. Andrew Hall Advertising Manager CricInfo Ltd., U.K.