URSULA PALA RESUME e-mail: ursulapala@gmail.com Skype: ursulapala Linkedin Profile: : https://it.linkedin.com/in/ursulapala Infographic Resume: http://resumup.com/7020315/visual_infographic_resume

PERSONAL STATEMENT: I am a qualified savvy Brand and Communications Strategist with a great passion for branding and audience building via all online and offline channels. I helped B2B and B2C brands to maximize engagement with consumers, clients and influencers. I created, executed and measured innovative marketing strategies and individual campaigns. I have experience with managing complex projects and launching successful integrated campaigns. I am an idea generator with a real entrepreneurial spirit. I created high performing strategies both local and worldwide that produced lots of buzz with small budgets for brands like RDS Radio Dimensione Suono, Red Bull Energy Drink and, more recently, Maker Faire – The European Edition. I have a knack for sensing the zeitgeist in order to catch the momentum and exploit it to the maximum. I have an excellent feeling for consumer’s/shopper insight and a natural ability for problem solving and team motivation. I was originally trained as social behaviourist and then as a journalist before following a career in marketing communications. Syncretism, Rapid learning, Adaptability are my most valuable traits. I developed my own integrated methodology in marketing communications.

Areas of expertise: ATL/BTL Comms; Media Planning: Classical & Digital; UGC activation on social media; Media Relations; Publicity, Digital PR; Creating Events Format; Short film Production. Sectors: Beverages, Entertainment; Sport and Music, Broadcasting: Radio and TV; Innovation; Special Events.

KEY SKILLS: Strategic Marketing – Planning Campaigns & Project

Management Branding and Visual Identity Out of Box Thinker Pre event story telling Web Analytics & Data Analysis

Social Media Marketing – B2C Content Marketing Corporate and Consumer Blogging, Creative Copywriting Market, Client & Consumer Research Disruptive Marketing Lateral thinking Excellent Networking Skills

TECHNICAL / SOFTWARE SKILLS: Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Power Point, Word,

Publisher) Social Media Networks - Facebook, Google+,

Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Vine. Always up-to-date

PPC – Facebook & Google Integrated social media Platforms (HootSuite

& Tweet Deck) Google Suite – AdWords, Analytics, Drive.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

Head of Corporate Communication and Director of Special Projects – Rome Chamber of Commerce (December 2004 – Today); Projects www.makerfairerome.eu; http://tedxpompeii.com/staff/; http://europeanmakerweek.eu; http://europeanmakerweek.eu; Festa del Cinema, Fiction Fest and many more (permanent contract)Key Areas: Planning and KPI Setting, Agency and Internal Team Management; Media Relation, Short Film Production, Events Production and Communications.Responsibilities: Overseeing all communications marketing activities including content marketing, social media and off line and

on line advertising (Overall digital marketing assessment and strategy i.e. social media strategy – organic and paid.)

Creating and implementing new worldwide strategy for International events (eg, Maker Faire Rome – The European Edition, Digitally and Classic Eg www.europeanmakerweek.eu as part of the promotional events within the Maker Faire Rome Communication Strategy).

Responsible for yearly Communication budget for Chamber of Commerce events and Adv campaigns focus: special projects both BtoB & BtoC.

Leading up a marketing communications team of 8. Agencies and supplier’s management. Defining key performance indicator report, based on findings of marketing researches . Overseeing the Media Relation team by designing customized strategies when required.

Major Achievements - Special Projects: Building from scratch new communication strategies for the Chamber of Commerce Events. Leading the Communications Strategy for Maker Faire Rome – The European Edition (for the first edition in 2013

20.000 people were expected to participate. They were 36.000 eventually. For The 2nd European Edition held in Rome from 3 to 5 October 2014 they were about 90.000 and over 100k in 2015 and over 110K in 2016 (held in Rome.)

Implementation of Public Relations, Media Relations and Advertising (ATL & BTL) plans. On Maker Faire Rome Facebook page, 6 million viewer gained organically lasting 2 weeks ( before and after the

event)

1

Media Spending Value produced by publicity went up from £900 thousand euros to £50 million from 2013 to 2016 for MFR only.

Head of Communications - Red Bull Energy Drink - Milan/Salzburg (Sept 2000- Dec 2004 - permanent contract)

Key Areas: B2C, Display, Affiliate Network, Social Media, Planning and KPI Setting, Agency and Internal Team Management; Media Relation, Short Film Production, Events Production; Publicity; Media Relation.

Responsibilities: Overseeing all communications marketing activities including content marketing, social media and PPC/Display

advertising off line and on line Creating and implementing new worldwide strategy for Red Bull’s events (e.g., Red Bull Soap Box; Formula

1Racing Team) Responsible for yearly communication budget (over £ 2Million) Leading up a marketing team of 6 and agencies. Defining key performance indicators report based on findings of marketing researches.Achievements: Building from scratch a new communication strategy to conquer the Italian Market in a 3-year program Implementation of special key measurements to monitor and justify marketing budget and campaign success

(ROI; KPI) to be adopted worldwide. Implementation of Media plan (publicity): national and International coverage. I was able to manage a 3 year

coverage for each content/ event. Media Spending Value produced by Media Relation went up from £800 thousand euros(when I took the job) to £41 million (when I left the Company) by using a budget of 250 thousand euro per year.

Successfully managing the execution of internally developed marketing strategies designed by me for the international Red Bull Projects (such as Soap Box; Red Bull Music Academy; Red Bull X Fighter, among others). I also started the Red Bull Media House project.

Head of Communications – RDS Radio Dimensione Suono - (Rome / Milan/ New York/ Miami) - Radio Broadcasting ( Nov. 1993 – Sep. 2000) (permanent contract)Key Areas: B2C, Website Development Project Management; Media Relation and Publicity, Content Marketing, Strategy & Planning, KPI Setting, Supplier and Agency Liaison, Team management Responsibilities: To research, create and implement the marketing plan and a 5 years’ strategy. Responsible for yearly marketing budget leading up a marketing team and agency and supplier management. Media relation Corporate/ Programs/ Speakers/ Great Events (such as Pavarotti & Friends, Vota la Voce;

Sanremo; Un disco per l’Estate, Festival di Recanati, Vasco Rossi Tours and many more)Achievements: constant increase in the radio station’s press coverage. First Italian Private Radio for 5 years in a row (Source:

Media Index evaluation for years 1995/2000) Implementation of Public Relations plan - national and International coverage and in targeted publications (e.g.

Billboard, Variety). Project managed the build of the new website working along with an in house designer and a web developer Setting Key Performance Indicator reports, creating and enforcing new best business practices to measure

success and performance – Key measurements to monitor and justify marketing budget and campaign success (ROI; KPI).

TIM - Head of CRM - Rome/Milan Nov 1991- Nov 1993 (permanent contract)

I handled client relations, trained the workers and carried out checks on their work.Key successes: Best Italian Telecommunication Customer Service. About this experience I can assert that running a CRM was more a school of life rather than a job. I learnt a lot about people and how to communicate effectively at any level.

EDUCATION

- Journalist, Order of journalist card no. 158865. I started writing in my high school period but it was an on/off collateral activities of mine and a passion. Finally in 2002 I was allowed to enter in the Journalistic Association. The Journalistic Order is a kind of Institution in Italy, ruled by law and under the supervision of The Ministries of Justice and Internal Affairs.

- Master M.A.G.I.C.A. – Management for Audiovisual Projects. (1992) - University: Bachelor Degree in Political Science, L.U.I.S.S., Libera Università Internazionale degli Studi

Sociali, Guido Carli of Rome, Italy. Major: Industrial Relations, Subject: Labour Sociology. / 4 years + 5 Marketing Communications elective classes). A Level - 1985-1991.

- Classical High School-leaving certificate A Level (Grammar School) from the Institute Collegio Nazarene of Rome (5 years)- Rome – Italy. 1980 – 1985.

LANGUAGE: English: Proficiency. Spanish: Upper Intermediate Level. French: Intermediate Level (reading and speaking only). Italian: mother tongue.

2