Samira Ali , HILLINGDON, United Kingdom

Marketing & Event Director

• Created event company from start-up and it is now well-established brand within the events industry and linked to many 5 star and luxury high end venues throughout the UK
• Project managed large complex corporate events, exhibitions, live events, multi-day corporate conferences, seminars and social events inclusive of gala banquets.
• Created and implemented strategies to ensure best practises in event planning, policies and operations
• Ability to manage multiple projects/events simultaneously in various environments with attention to detail
• Lead teams in complex events and train staff to get them up to speed with tasks in hand
• Create event from brief to conceptualisation and present these ideas, to receiving client/audience to achieve buy in from the client prior to execution.
• Highly experienced in working end to end events
• Strong stakeholder management skills
• Liaised and presented to clients at all levels from CEO to assistants
• Developed and implemented templated systems to ensure success and consistency within events, for all events staff members, from the most senior to junior staff
• Strong industry knowledge of domestic and international locations, venues and hotels
• Excellent negotiating and budgeting skills
• Work well too tight deadlines and in pressurised event environment
• Project Managed- multi project logistics for key internal events and external events
• Building and maintaining relationship with key external industry suppliers, to ensure we achieve the best results for our events
• Developed sponsorship strategy, which allowed leveraging key suppliers to achieve exceptional event outcomes.
• Provided support to other business units in the lead up to, during and post event.
• Knowledge of event production and staging
• Designed a bespoke CRM database, that allowed the collection of data to be used in new lead management, event management per client, supplier management per event, client communications, invoicing and future marketing initiatives.
• Managed marketing activities including promotional, print based, photographic and some social media marketing activities.
• Design of company websites
• Established and built business relationships with hotels, venues, key suppliers and vendors throughout the
UK and abroad


Marketing & Business Development Manager,

I was solely responsible for all strategic marketing and business development decisions for the Group and a respected member of the Management Team. The Group consists of a Law and Accountancy Firm, as a result my position, has given me valuable experience from the full spectrum of marketing, from idea generation, strategy formulation through to execution, making me a well-rounded marketer with a diverse marketing background.

• My main aim was always been in raising brand awareness and Group profile amongst clients, suppliers and industry, and this has been evident from the business generated.
• Critiqued brand and image projection in relation to attracting the desired target market, as a result of altering and enhancing the brand image, we have been more successful in securing business with the pursued cliental.
• I have been highly successfully in negotiating with all suppliers.
• Selected and managing external agencies for achieving desired outcome.
• I have built and maintained relationship with key suppliers to ensure effective and efficient working practices.
• Successfully managed client relationships prior, during and post services provided through the development of my own initiatives.
• Co-developing customer relationship management (CRM) software with the IT department to certify clients receive a high quality of service and to become more tailored in our marketing approach.
• I have actively trained and presented internally on the benefits of marketing and CRM to non-marketing individuals for them to understand the benefits that can be achieved.
• Plan and manage both internal and external communications and undertaken relevant events for the group
• I have developed planned, communicated and implemented marketing strategy that needs to be pursued internally and externally for the Group and Strategic Business Unit (SBU).
• Highly regarded as a valued team player being heavily involved in all future strategy planning for each Group and the SBU.



Marketing Strategy & Communications

Assigned to the Customer-Facing Organisation (CFO); reported into the International Marketing Directors and Managing Director of International Military Business. I conducted a major 2-year international marketing strategy project, liaising with the MoD (Defence Export Service Organisation-DESO) seeking alternatives markets for Aerospace company, focusing heavily on Asian markets particularly on China and India, gained international exposure; as a result of supporting directors in country particularly US, China and India. My role later extended to working in corporate strategy at HQ reporting to the Vice President of Strategy, undertaking projects with emphasis on internal growth, external growth and change management.
• Able to work and converse with executive level colleagues within Smiths Aerospace at Board level and externally within the MoD, having to report my project findings to the Head of DESO.
• Strong leadership skills developed from leading initiatives, managing projects and building relationships.
• Excellent communicator, bridging cross cultural communications gap with my multilingual skills.
• Represented at the Indian and Chinese Air shows, working within large teams to provide accurate information to clients and following up business leads.
• Generated, developed and identified core strategies for Smiths Aerospace within the CFO, Corporate Strategy division and ad hoc strategy teams.
• Created a strategic model that would aid in identifying new business opportunities.
• Critically evaluated market entry strategies for international markets and introduced more cost-effective options than previously considered.
• Led the initiative to introduce, conduct and implement communication products and competitor intelligence information.
• Critically analysed and strategically improved international marketing and communication plans for China and India.
• Evaluated Customer Service division’s current strategies and put forward questions and issues for the formation of a new robust and comprehensive strategy.
• Appraised Retrofit (upgrade) and Replacement Fleet strategy and suggested recommendation in order to improve identification and execution of this line of business.
• Short listed for a ‘Business Leader of Tomorrow Awards’ in 2004 from a national competition as a result of my two-year project.


Business Strategy

Reported directly to the Managing Director, applying theoretical concepts into organisational practice. I was responsible for the feasibility analysis for the company to enter foreign markets
• Introduced, formalised and implemented a market entry plan.
• The project advised on investing in the international market; as a result, it saved sufficient company resources.
• Involved in successful negotiations with service providers such as hotels, restaurants, airlines & other sub-agents.


Project Manager

Project managed in the Global Financial & Executive Risks dept to conduct a socio-economic marketing project of the German market and work shadow executives of different SBU’s.
• Prepared reports for key decision-makers within the UK business of German social customs and cultural norms to aid them when they are in country.
• The report was deemed highly successful and distributed to a larger audience.


Senior Administrator

• Responsible for the administration of the new internal security databases.
• Introduced procedures ensuring faster implementation of information into database.


Marketing Co-ordinator

• Increased the credit card market share for MBNA by promoting the company’s product at public events, as the Company has no retail banks representation.
• I solely managed many events, successfully co-ordinated and led teams to achieve targets.
• Encouraged and motivated team members by suggesting alternative selling strategy & tactics.


Project Management

A voluntary project undertaken during university, my responsibilities included co-ordinating and raising awareness of ‘Christies Day’ a one-day annual charity event, in addition to planning, organising of fundraising materials, venues and liaising with student unions.
• Implemented a new planning approach for the event, building in check points, flexibility and contingencies into the planning and organisation of the event.
• Successfully marketed the event and gained a large number of volunteers than previously.
• Secured high profile sponsors and managed to negotiate more persuasive and targeted prizes from the sponsors. A total of £19,000 was raised on the day, beating the previous year’s total of £15,000.