David Melko

Marketing specialist with experience in campaign execution, paid and organic social, lead generation, and eCommerce. Part of the team that grew McMaster’s 10 Bay residence from 40% to 93% occupancy in one leasing season.

Marketing Specialist at McMaster University – 10 Bay Student Residence (2025-05 – 2026-10)

• Contributed to growing building occupancy from approximately 40% to over 93% between May and September 2025 through integrated marketing and outreach strategies. Occupancy stood at 81% as of September 2026.
• Ran paid campaigns on Google Ads, Meta Ads Manager, TikTok and LinkedIn, generating 815K+ monthly impressions and 8,900+ clicks with a 33% search conversion rate.
• Edited video and photo content for the @liveatmac and @10bayresidence Instagram accounts.
• Helped plan and run Better Together, a resident referral promotion: set it up in StarRez with the IT team, then designed and rolled out the promotion and its materials. Occupancy grew 10% over the following month.
• Built and managed a social media team of 5 graduate students, introducing the program from scratch, training all members on Loomly, and establishing a posting schedule of daily stories and 3 posts per week. Grew the building’s Instagram following about 60%, from 400 to 638.
• Designed and launched the building’s tour operations from the ground up, implementing a Microsoft Bookings scheduling system (later transitioned to Acuity) and training front desk staff. Tracked 405 completed tours from June 2025 to October 2026; 176 attendees signed leases, a 43% tour-to-lease conversion rate.
• Introduced a post-tour survey system including survey design, contact collection, response tracking, and automated follow-up email workflows to capture insights on leasing decisions.
• Planned and executed 10+ monthly Open House events independently, managing all logistics including vendor relationships, staffing, catering, booking systems, and on-site execution. Created this program from scratch.
• Led internal outreach to over 150 Faculty of Health Sciences and Graduate Studies programs, researching intake numbers, term lengths, and residency locations, and building direct relationships to promote 10 Bay to prospective students.

Marketing and Sales Operations Coordinator at Carnegie Capital Group (2024-09 – 2025-03)

• Booked 5 consultation calls per week from 80–90 cold calls a day, introducing SR&ED tax incentive services to prospective clients (average client refund of approximately $25K).
• Built and qualified a targeted 4,000-lead prospect list in Freshsales, Pipedrive and ZoomInfo.
• Lifted email open rates from 15% to 38% and improved reply rates by building segmented lists and A/B testing messaging in Reply.io, as part of helping launch the company’s email marketing program.
• Tracked LinkedIn analytics and adjusted organic content to improve the company’s reach and engagement.

Project Manager at Grass Butler (2023-10 – 2025-05)

• Oversaw 30+ landscaping projects from conception to completion, defining scope, developing design plans, and delivering accurate cost estimates.
• Established and tracked project KPIs, delivering regular performance reports with strategic insights and recommendations to the business owner.

eCommerce Advisor at Digital Main Street (2024-01 – 2024-06)

• Conducted consultations with 23 small businesses to assess eCommerce needs and deliver strategic recommendations across digital marketing and cybersecurity.
• Provided hands-on support to 7 businesses in building and launching customized online stores on Shopify and Square, tailored to each client’s unique goals.
• Managed up to 17 concurrent client-facing projects, consistently meeting deadlines while maintaining a high standard of service and client satisfaction.
• Built meaningful relationships with diverse clients through strong communication and cultural sensitivity, providing ongoing guidance throughout their eCommerce journeys.

Summer Student – Patrol Lead Supervisor at City of Hamilton (2021-06 – 2023-10)

• Supervised and trained a team of 6 staff members, developing onboarding processes that improved team cohesiveness and operational consistency.
• Managed cleanliness and maintenance of 15 parks across Hamilton, scheduling daily routes to ensure facilities met municipal hygiene standards.
• Maintained professional communication with supervisors to address assignments and resolve operational issues efficiently.

Merchandiser at PepsiCo (2022-11 – 2023-05)

• Developed and executed merchandising strategies across multiple retail environments to optimize product placement and drive sales performance.
• Collaborated with store managers to improve product visibility and managed inventory levels to reduce waste and increase efficiency.

Marketing Intern at Beach Chair Marketing (2022-03 – 2022-03)

• Sourced, curated, and posted social media content implementing engagement strategies to grow brand awareness for clients.
• Developed and executed a social media content strategy that improved brand image and consistency for current and prospective clients.

Honours Bachelor of Commerce in Integrated Business and Humanities – McMaster University (2019 – 2023)