Caroline Laird

Experience

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  Reed Business Information

  Jan 2003 - Dec 2005

  Marketing Manager & Creative Services
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  Southern Cross Broadcasting / Fairfax Media

  Jan 2006 - Feb 2010

  Online Director

  I began at Southern Cross Broadcasting (SCB) as the Product Manager and developed one of the first digital, community radio portals (MyTalk), in Australia. I had a team of content producers, technical developers and a creative person, working to grow the site’s traffic, regional presence and cohesion with on air-radio personnel, including John Laws. The following areas where critical to the successful growth and strength of the MyTalk brand:• Product direction and strategy (1, 3 and 5 year product road-maps)• Functional specifications• Brand engagement• Analytical and strategic direction: traffic forecasts, business planning and execution.• Data processing• Strategic partnerships and value creation for syndication partnersSCB was taken over by Fairfax Media on September 2007 and one of the acquired divisions of SCB (SMA) became part of Fairfax Media. I become the Online Director responsible for building a new online and mobile retail music store. My key responsibilities included:• Product scope: concept, brief, functional specifications and database interrogations• Music Label licensing and legal negotiations• Resource allocation and timeframes• Test planning and priority allocation• Risk and assumptions• Entry, exit and on-going support, schedules and management Show less

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  The Reading Room.com

  Mar 2010 - Mar 2013

  Sales and Product Director

  Investor and employee of the start-up book site TheReadingRoom.com when my old manager, the CEO and co-founder, approached me. We started with a modest 200 beta members and a blank client database. My role, as the Product Director, was to grow the traffic and build The Reading Room to a critical mass that could be commercialised. For the first year I worked on a wide range of business initiatives including developing the product roadmap, functional specifications, SEM, SEO, social media and branding, through to implementing affiliate programs, new relationships with strategic partners and building crucial relationships with the book publishers predominately in the US and Australian markets.As the site reached its agreed critical mass my role shifted to Sales Director, which is where my current role resides. By travelling to New York once a month to see the major publishers I built relationships with middle managers, VPs, Global Publishers and Corporate Level Executives. Account management and relationship building, in-hand with digital knowledge, strategic planning and consultation were part of the success and growth of our presence in the book industry and has established The Reading Room as a global player in the eBook and digital market for books. My top-line responsibilities as Sales Director:• Sales, pipeline and forecast for the US & AUS markets• Sales strategy and execution: 1, 3 and 5 years• Creation of client partnership proposals• Close business proposals and ensure signed contracts• Digital consulting and strategy building for publishers• Post-campaign reporting, client service management and feedback analysis• Long-term relationship building• Identify new opportunities Show less

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  Google

  Jun 2013 - now

  Evangelist of digital transformation and advocacy of Australian retailers

  • Director, Professional Services at Google

    Nov 2022 - now

  • Head Of Technical Services

    Oct 2018 - Nov 2022

  • Head of Industry, Automotive

    May 2017 - Oct 2018

  • Senior Industry Manager, Global Business, Retail

    Jun 2013 - Oct 2018
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  SchoolAid Trust

  Oct 2016 - now

  Non Executive Board Member

  KidsGive is designed for young people who enlist the guidance of their parents, teachers and communities to help them make a difference. KidsGive is inspired by SchoolAid, a trusted not-for-profit organisation with a proven track record in kids giving. www.kidsgive.com.au