About me

All my working experience has been in a customer facing role delivering excellent customer service in a creative & print management arena and gaining a great reputation for meeting the needs of a wide range of clients including some very well-known brands.

I am well versed in the preparation of artwork for print and other media, I have managed my own team of designers in my last role, I very experienced at traffic management of creative projects, I have a great eye for the details and I am experienced at managing quality issues. I have regularly taken briefs, prepared specifications, proof checked artwork, liaised with clients over corrections and relayed them to the designers. I am also experienced at approving customers work on press, if required.

Being a confident and knowledgeable print project manager, I have a fantastic understanding of the full breadth of print & finishing options. I have purchased a wide variety of printed materials for over twenty years and have some very good contacts for gaining great service & quality at affordable prices.

I have excellent client relationship skills complimented by effective interpersonal, communication (both oral and written), negotiation and purchasing skills. I am very experienced at dealing with discrepancies and deciding on corrective actions and communicating them to the relevant teams.

I can offer extensive practical knowledge of PC based IT packages (MS Word, Excel (Advanced), PowerPoint, Project etc.), some mainframe systems (SAP) & good all round IT skills.

My time management skills are excellent; I have a strong work ethic; I am efficient, adaptable, approachable, organised, have a desire to succeed; of smart appearance & a confident manner. I have the ability to manage my own workload and that of others to meet changing deadlines. I am used to thinking on my feet and I work well under pressure. I have always displayed a willingness to learn new skills and pass on my knowledge to others to help them develop. I also have great experience in supporting the colleagues working with me and the clients depending upon me.

Skills

Experienced Production Executive, Estimator & Print Buyer, - Strong account management, negotiation , consultation, estimating & pricing, - Providing advice to customers, preparing briefs, writing specifications, - Excellent relationship management skills with clients & multiple suppliers at all levels, - Good practical experience in print project management with an eye for detail, - Strong production planning/traffic management/work in progress experience & skills, - Extensive knowledge of the print/creative industries at a technical & purchasing level, - Print category specialist, purchasing/contracting & supply chain management skills, - Excellent team member and experienced team manager, - Very experienced at working to deadlines in a time sensitive environment

Sector Experience

April 88 - Aug 11 (Left due to redundancy), Business Manager, Creative Services, Birmingham City Council, Managing the City’s creative teams including Graphic Designers, Production teams, Purchasing team & Administrative functions, - Internal account management including customer visits, client visits & advice on production methods, preparing briefs, producing estimates, obtaining prices, - Relationship management (customers, internal colleagues & multiple suppliers), - Procurement & supply chain management - Supplier assessments & site visits - Issue resolution - Negotiations - Production & Project management - Estimating, - Quality management - Marketing the business - Equalities issues - Health & safety matters - Managing the premises - HR & disciplinary matters

Awards

Matthew Boulton College, City & Guilds - Print Production Management - Works - Passed with Credit (including managing teams & individuals and financial management principles), City & Guilds - Print Production Management - Departmental - Passed, British Printing Industries Federation - Estimating - Passed, City & Guilds - Advanced Craft (Origination) - Passed with Credit, City & Guilds - Basic Craft (Origination) - Passed with Credit, Printing & Publishing Industrial Training Board - Passed with Distinction

Clients

Cadbury Limited, Central Television, Dema Glass (Edinburgh Crystal), dunlop, ICI Limited, IMI Limited, Massey Furguson, Ministry of Defence, Mira Showers, PIRA & other professional bodies, Swan Housewares, T-Mobile

Trade Associations

Professional Bodies & Networks, Association of Print & Communication Managers, Corporate Print Buyers Association, Print Production Professionals, Public Sector Print & New Media Solutions Networking Group, Pre-press, Print & Colour Management Professionals