Resume

Mark Farmer

127 Ellsworth Avenue
Toronto, Ontario  M6G 2K5
Telephone:
E-mail:
Twitter: markus64

Career Goal

Value Statement

Experience

Education

Speaking & Volunteering

Other Skills

References

• Leading a comprehensive website redesign project and the implementation of a Drupal content management system (CMS).
• Responsible for leading social media efforts at the institution, including development of a governance structure, establishment of a cross-functional stakeholder team and corresponding steering group, and staff training and evangelism.
• Managing a team of internal developers, designers and producers, Ottawa-based web development and project management firms, and a New York design agency to redevelop the museum’s website, social media, online content and more.
• Overseeing the work of a New York-based design agency, Ottawa-based web development and project management firms, and a Toronto-based web design contractor.
• Working with a variety of internal stakeholders (including the CEO, vice presidents and directors) to create various strategic communications components, including an organizational needs analysis, competitive scan, social media guidelines and more. Created an online communications / social media working group & steering team.
• Negotiating relationships with Google, Wikimedia foundation and other industry leaders.

• Led daily operations for development and management of two bilingual websites, including management of online application system for annual Sponsorship Marketing Awards. Executed website competitor analysis and organizational needs assessment.
• Implemented the first social media tools at the association, including blogs, streaming video, podcasts, Twitter and webinars. Increased seminar registration 70% over previous best record through the use of webinars.
• Re-designed the association’s monthly newsletter for electronic distribution, and cross-linked to a bilingual blog. Page views for each newsletter release eclipsed the previous site traffic record by an average of 65%.
• Increased overall web traffic: unique visits up 69%, page views up 50% and unique visitors up 33% despite declining membership and a recession.
• Produced custom reports from Google Analytics and Campaign Monitor for senior management, and produced recommendations for communications strategy and SEO based on this information.
• Responsible for researching emerging social media trends & technologies and online metrics for the association.
• Ongoing bilingual website content development.

• Google Adwords and SEO/SEM for solar technology company.
• Increased site traffic from an average of 3 visits per day before launch to 105 after.
• Advised management on social media strategy through blogging, Twitter and YouTube channels.

• Google Analytics/Adwords analysis & reporting, and SEO/SEM for interactive agency clients including Bayer Canada, Genuine Health, Intendis Inc., Purdue Pharma and Medicis Pharmaceutical.

• Design and management of e-mail communications for BC-based fundraising organization.

• Successfully redeveloped two large websites in less than two months as part of a company-wide rebranding exercise, including quality assurance, testing & troubleshooting, migration of hosting, and coordination of external resources (external developers, new and existing host, and IT coordinators).
• Advised Creative Director on web development best practices and migration strategy.
• Produced a series of instructional Flash-based videos for external Summerhill client, The Home Depot.
• Ongoing bilingual website content development and QA.

• Designed and developed the prototype for a hyperlocal website system for Toronto neighbourhoods, integrating blogging, real-time Twitter and RSS feeds, polling and video, based on a customized installation of Joomla CMS.
• Created a MySQL database of area merchants.

• Progressed from Webmaster to Creative Director and Technology Champion over five years.
• Managed daily operations and development of eight main websites involving six programs, fifteen internal clients and thousands of web pages. Led the organization's electronic communications and jointly led its strategic communications, development and brand, in tandem with senior management.
• Produced quarterly project plans in consultation with the organization’s program managers and senior management. Assigned tasks to web staff, monitored progress and produced updates for management.
• Oversaw an average annual increase in web traffic across all programs of 317% by pages accessed and 436% by unique visitors.
• Coordinated production of a video PSA for national distribution, and a Google AdWords campaign, resulting in a record 68 gigabytes of data served on Earth Day 2007 (April 22) to over 67,000 unique visitors.
• Managed a small team made up of a varying mix of designers, contractors, IT coordinators and interns to produce ten to twelve site/microsite designs and redesigns per annum on average.

• Created organizational web development strategy.
• Developed and maintained (remotely from Toronto) various site components.

• Formulated site audit and analysis, communications and strategic plan, and competitor analysis for online-exams.com. Re-developed site content and interface.
• Led migration of site and database to third-party ISP.
• Administered, developed and troubleshot MS SQL database & IIS web server.

• Web lead for several intranet design projects:
  • Created usability & user surveys for client.
  • Audited the delivery of information & training efforts for a new business process, and developed a communications plan and user survey to support  the implementation team’s ongoing efforts.
  • Edited all training & promotional materials.
  • Designed intranet site to support the project’s ongoing information needs.
• SAP database migration project:
  • Led a team of associates, contractors, planners and clerks through a series of tight deadlines.
  • Coached & trained team members, maintaining strict data integrity benchmarks throughout the process.
  • Coordinated work flow, managed project issues and prepared detailed status reports for management.

• Researched, wrote, edited, designed and produced a monthly newsletter for staff and faculty, with a distribution of 2000.
• Executed communications for the Freedom of Information & Protection of Privacy Act and the Institute's strategic planning process, including communications planning, brochures, posters and e-mail campaign.
• Conducted newsletter readership survey for the Institute's president.

• Performed strategic planning and communications for Municipality's website redesign.
• Executed site audit and created maintenance plan, user survey and analysis.

• Worked on a variety of teams for various clients in a fast-paced, full-service communications company.
• Responsible for research, writing, layout and design of a variety of press releases, speeches, reports, advertisements and other materials.
• Provided administrative, production and IT support to public affairs team.

Postgraduate Certificate in Internet Management, 2001
Humber College, Toronto ON
- Graduated with Honours

Bachelor of Journalism, 1993
University of King's College, Halifax NS
- President's list

Bachelor of Arts (English), 1991
Saint Mary's University, Halifax NS
- Achievement Scholarship
- Dean's list

• 2012: Author of a paper on Google Analytics for the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works 2012 AGM
• 2012: Speaker, NXNE Interactive
• 2012: Panelist, Social Media Week Toronto
• 2011 - present: Co-organizer, Ignite Culture
• 2011 - present: Member of Council, The Ontario Museums Association
• 2011 - present: Founder, Toronto Museums & Culture Online Collective
• 2011 - present: Co-organizer, Social Media Café Toronto.
• 2011: Speaker, Toronto Association for Volunteer Administration’s Workshop Series.
• 2011: Keynote speaker, Community Living Ontario's 12th annual communications workshop
• 2010 - present: Social media correspondent, indiecan.com.
• 2009 - 2012: Speaker, MyCharityConnects technology conference.
• 2009 - 2012: Speaker, PodCamp Toronto technology conference.
• 2009 - 2010: Presenter, CanadaHelps webinar series.
• 2008 - 2010: Member, Society for New Communications Research.
• 2006 - 2008: Member, Humber College's advisory committee for multimedia programs.

• Functional in English, speaks and writes French.
• Extensive professional writing and editing experience — portfolio available upon request.

Available upon request.