Meslyn M. GEORGE

Strategic Leadership: Provide visionary leadership and strategic direction for the agency, guiding it to become a leading force in the marketing and public relations industry in the Caribbean.

• Build and lead a high-performing team of marketing and PR professionals.
• Fostered a collaborative and innovative work culture, ensuring that the team remained at the forefront of industry trends and best practices.
• Create the strategic direction of the company and implement various changes and enhancements.

Client Acquisition and Management: Successfully acquired and manage a diverse portfolio of clients from various industries.

• Develop and maintain strong client relationships, serving as their primary point of contact and ensuring their satisfaction.

Revenue Growth: Implement growth strategies that consistently increase the agency's revenue year-over-year.

• Develop pricing structures, negotiate contracts, and identify new revenue streams.

Campaign Development - Spearhead the conceptualization and execution of innovative marketing and PR campaigns that achieve outstanding results for clients.

• Works closely with the team to develop creative strategies tailored to each client's unique goals and challenges.

Industry Thought Leadership: Maintained a strong presence in the marketing and PR industry by participating in conferences, speaking engagements, and contributing thought leadership articles.

• Positioned the agency as a trusted authority in the field.

Ethical Practices: Ensures that the agency adheres to ethical business practices and industry standards, building a reputation for integrity and transparency.

Crisis Management: Effectively manages crisis situations for clients, providing timely and strategic responses to protect their brand reputation.

ACHIEVEMENTS

• Client Retention: Maintained an exceptional client retention rate, with many clients remaining with the agency for multiple years due to the quality of service and results delivered.
• Growth: Achieved consistent revenue growth year after year.
• Expansion: Successfully expanded the agency's reach into regional markets, serving clients across multiple countries.

GKMS BVI Operations - Manage the day-to-day business operations, including operations management, location oversight, administration and marketing.

• Conduct regular assessments of agent locations to ensure the presence of essential retail operational infrastructure, enhancing delivery of quality customer service.
• Provide training and guidance to various locations to improve operational efficiency.
• Identify inefficiencies in systems and processes across the agent network and execute corrective measures.

Strategic Marketing - Develop and implement plans aimed at increasing brand awareness and foot traffic at the various BVI Western Union locations.

• Formulate quarterly marketing strategies, incorporating targeted campaigns and utilizing digital and traditional media.
• Successfully execute all on-ground marketing initiatives and customer engagement activities

Budgeting and Forecasting - Collaborate closely with the Regional Manager to prepare annual budgets for the BVI and performance targets for locations.

• Conduct regular performance reviews and assessments.
• Prepare annual budget and growth projections in keeping with economic factors and business opportunities.

ACHIEVEMENTS

• Digital Application Roll-Out: Developed a compelling business case for the introduction of a digital money transfer application in the BVI.
• Pandemic Resilience: Played a pivotal role in guiding the business through challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the implementation of the levy, managing to mitigate the significant revenue reduction experienced by the business during this period.

Interim CEO Responsibilities - Acted as CEO in the absence of the CEO, overseeing day-to-day operations, including accounting and facility management.

• Reviewed the Tenant's billing system to assess accuracy and efficiency, recommending improvements to optimize revenue potential and ensure billing compliance with Rent Collection Policy.
• Coordinated and implemented protective measures in preparation for an impending storm (Hurricane Irma), securing all company assets, internal and external, while keeping staff and stakeholders well-informed throughout the process.

Successful Leasing Program - Successfully sourced and secured a unique tenant mix for the new facility, setting it apart from competitors and achieving a remarkable 99% occupancy rate within the first three (3) years of operation.

• Review and vet tenant applications against the leasing policy and the current tenant mix identifying key areas that will enhance the facility's offerings.
• Established and managed tenant leases through negotiation and drafting, aligning rates with the financial model and ensuring leases reflected the most current terms and conditions of tenancy.
• Collaborated with the legal team to strategize on the company's legal position concerning various matters, providing guidance to management on a strategic approach that ensured the company's actions remained above reproach.

Effective Marketing Strategies - Developed a marketing program for the cruise and shopping facility that appealed to its key target markets including cruise, overnight guests, and residents.

• Developed and executed marketing programs targeting key markets, increasing brand awareness to 95% within the local market and 90% within the cruise sector in just over two (2) years of opening.
• Created and executed marketing campaigns and events that increased foot traffic to the facility and built awareness of the various stores and product offerings
• Built and maintained key relationships with industry partners, through regular communication and providing pertinent information relative to any new initiatives and company development.
• Coordinated and approved all marketing material for the company, ensuring that it was in keeping with the Company's brand and messaging.

Public Relations Leadership - Designed public relations efforts and strategies that cultivated a positive public reputation for the company, becoming the preferred shopping facility and event venue.

• Managed the company's public reputation and image, drafting external messages and information, and crafting responses to media inquiries.
• Created and implemented the company's media policy, outlining how media inquiries and interactions should be handled by internal staff and defining the roles and responsibilities of organizational leaders in media interactions.

ACHIEVEMENTS

• Developed and implemented company policies, including events and media policies.
• Created and developed the company's crisis communication plan.
• Established brand guidelines for Tortola Pier Park.
• Created and executed the annual signature event for the facility (Jazz & Style Festival).
• Produced the company's brochure and shopping map.
• Created, implemented, and maintained the company's website and social media platforms.

Public and Media Relations - drafted public relations material and coordinated media events.

• Wrote press releases and radio ads and monitored and managed tourism blogs
• Assisted with the planning, setup and execution of press conferences

Event Management - Developed events that will help to highlight and build awareness of key tourism products in the BVI

• Assisted with the creation and execution of events through planning, securing vendors, and liaising with event partners and sponsors

Film Production - Acted as the liaison between the international production team and the film commission by coordinating various video and photo shoots to facilitate feature pieces and promotion of the destination.

• Created and coordinated itineraries for the shoot including identifying areas that will showcase the BVI's assets and satisfy their filming requirements.

ACHIEVEMENTS

• Creator of Restaurant Week, an event created to promote restaurants located on Virgin Gorda and Tortola
• Co-Creator of Anegada Lobster Festival, an event created to promote the food offerings in Anegada and drive traffic to Anegada via tourist and local residence from the other islands.

Transaction Processing - Processed the day-to-day financial transactions of customers including opening new accounts, preparing banker's checks, executing wire transfers, updating customer's information in the system, and answering customer inquiries

End of Day Ratification - Balanced the day's transactions ensuring that all daily transactions were properly executed and recorded and matched cash received for that day.

ACHIEVEMENTS

• Improved team efficiency by developing a more effective way to process customer transactions, utilizing the team's strengths and weaknesses.