Sam Parker

Account Director with over 10 years of digital experience; a keen interest in emerging technologies, problem-solving and a continual hunger to learn underpin my work. Currently Affiliate Account Director at Mindshare WW (part of GroupM, WPP), leading on the Apple Retail account across 21 territories across EMEA, as well as the emerging Indian market. Also Account Director across other leading EMEA brands.

Employment History 

Mindshare Worldwide, London, August 2021 - Present 

• Account Director, leading two Account Management Teams (6 people), overseeing the Affiliate programmes for both Apple (across 21 EMEA countries) and AllSaints UK.

• Core aims of the Apple.com programme include forecasting, setting and hitting channel revenue and cost of sale goals for Apple DTC across all product lines; iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Accessories. We set the targets with the client to ensure this, all of which aligns with Apple’s ambitious wider business growth goals.

• Establishing strategic initiatives and team processes, such as robust weekly, monthly and quarterly reporting cadences for Apple’s use across internal teams provides the framework for the team to meet these goals.

• Joining both Apple accounts at a mature level meant that overseeing the programmes was centered around efficiencies, growth and optimisation. Efficiencies came by updating or replacing existing practices, which in turn led to growth. Optimisation came from working very closely with existing partners, regularly auditing the entire programme and strategically recruiting in high growth segments, such as Fintech apps like Clearpay/Klarna.

• Internal stakeholder management at Apple across different departments as well as channels (PPC/Social), from Manager through to Regional Director level is essential. For example, quarterly meetings with the Apple Health team, in which we educate on the Affiliate channel, allowing for a test and learn approach to new partnerships, such as Apple’s successful partnership with Vitality, driving incremental growth in Apple Watch sales.

• Cross-territory management and optimisation is key across Apple core markets of T5 western Europe and India, as well as 20 EMEA countries. Working on the ground with local market leads and presenting the most premium Affiliate activity across a wide range of innovative, local partnership models in the Fintech, Banking, Loyalty, B2B and premium Content segments is a consistent aspect of the role.

• This is conducted in a very high-paced and constantly changing environment, Apple has high expectations of their Agency and also a large number of stakeholders often sending last minute requests. Two such examples could include preparation for new product launch events and subsequent execution of campaigns across partners, or a forecast for Mac and iPad revenue over the initial week of their Back to School campaign.

• Adaptability and a high level of organizational skill is paramount, as well as a very close eye to detail when working with very large data sets, which is a daily requirement of the role.

• Freelance Affiliate Director overseeing the global Affiliate programmes for PVH Group (Tommy Hilfiger and CK), Burberry and The Economist. Also previously directed the global Esure, Cigna Global, and Hollister accounts.

• The point of escalation for all accounts and a mentor for Account Managers as well as Account Executives, my role consisted of ensuring the team was working as effectively as possible and achieving strategic KPIs set out by the client within the requirements of the SLA.

• Such KPI’s predominantly incorporated revenue growth, ROI, lead generation, customer acquisition and partnership diversification, which informed strategies I devised for the team to execute.

• Analysis of performance data across all paid channels was essential to create said strategies, which included adapting the types of offer promoted / ways the offer was shown and the type of content produced in order to target the right audience and drive strong ROAS.

• Key to the role also was to ensure that the latest technology / partnership opportunities were presented to clients and activated efficiently.

• Channel Partnerships Development Director for the EMEA region, focussing on sourcing new and managing/growing existing agency partnerships for the world’s leading SaaS Partnerships Platform. 

• This was performed by creating and implementing strategies for acquisition and growth of channel partners; primarily Media Agency (Holding Group and Independent), but also Advertiser, Publisher and Ad Tech.

• Such strategies included engaging channel partners through interactive platform workshop sessions; educating both day-to-day platform users and C-suite leaders on the benefits of managing their clients via Impact’s “Partnership Cloud” platform. These clients were cross vertical, including Retail, Telco, Travel/OTA and more.

• Closely working with Agencies and direct clients to negotiate mutually beneficial partnerships between brands, for example Uber and Ticketmaster with Airbnb; creating user journeys such as booking a concert ticket in a certain city and targeting this user (using Ticketmaster data), with a localized Airbnb ad in app/email or Uber with an offer to download the app.

Education 

Liverpool John Moores University - MSc Commercial Property Development (Merit)

The Grange, Hartford - A Levels – 3 Grades (ABB)