Samantha Dourson

Events and membership professional with a background in historic motorsport, art and education. At a historic and competition race-car dealership, planned and delivered around 15 events a year, including Goodwood Revival and Monaco Historic, managed a partnership stand at Rétromobile Paris, and looked after HNW clients, buyers and partners. Founded an online school and built its paid membership website from scratch, and turned a client newsletter into a weekly publication.

Enjoys building something from the ground up. Californian who built her early career there before moving to the UK in 2013; open to a hybrid UK/US arrangement or to relocating.

Executive & Operations Administrator - Mitchell Curated - Cotswolds

(2026-01 - 2026-10)

Boutique historic and competition race-car dealership, Cotswolds, reporting directly to the Founder & Director and managing his diary, travel and itineraries.

• Planned and delivered around 15 events a year, including Goodwood Revival, Monaco Historic and Wilton Legends: stand layout and design, load-in/out, vendor coordination, stand security, on-site logistics, guest hosting, cost estimates and spend tracking.
• Led integrated marketing across paid, owned, earned and experiential channels, setting marketing direction and the content calendar around stock launches and events; managed the website, SEO and online marketplaces, and briefed freelance photographers and social media support (Instagram, Facebook).
• Managed the Motor Racing Legends partnership at Rétromobile Paris, covering stand and display build, partner coordination and guest experience.
• Trusted point of contact for HNW clients, buyers, sellers and partners through correspondence, showroom visits and events; handled private HNW sales with anonymous buyers with discretion.
• Took the newsletter from fewer than ten editions a year to weekly (30+ in 2026), growing the subscriber list by over 60% in under a year while sustaining 65-74% open rates and up to 16% click-through.
• Managed the full operational lifecycle of each high-value car, from onboarding and asset tracking through listings and online marketplaces to sale, supporting more than threefold year-on-year sales growth in 2026.
• Designed print and digital collateral, including event brochures, signage, bespoke coffee-table books for each car and the annual catalogue.
• Secured roughly monthly coverage in Magneto, Autosport and Classic & Sports Car, among others.

3D Sculptural Projects & Commissions Administrator - Science Ltd (UK) Damien Hirst Studio

(2023 - 2025)

• Organised hospitality, including food and drink, for the artist’s client visits, large partnership meetings and site-visit days.
• Project-managed the international exhibition and commissions programme, leading specialist fabricators, carvers and foundries (Pangolin Editions, Lalique) on 12-month-plus HNW and hospitality commissions such as Sexy Fish Manchester and Dubai and Four Seasons Resort Lanai, to budget, schedule and quality.
• Oversaw and ran weekly asset photography sessions with Prudence Cumings Associates; approved and colour-matched all images to the original artworks and secured Damien Hirst’s sign-off, including for the Tiffany & Co. collaboration display at Selfridges.
• Coordinated 5-10 concurrent projects with 5-15 external suppliers and partners, and reported weekly to senior leadership.

Founder & Director - The Polaris School (online)

(2020 - 2023)

• Founded and directed a remote international online school with 150+ learners across five continents, and recruited and led four teachers.
• Designed the site structure and set up the membership website in Webflow, with a gated library of 200+ videos, tiered pricing, Outseta membership access and Stripe payments.
• Grew enrolment, retention and uptake each year, using tiered, concessionary and cooperative group pricing.
• Designed the enquiry, enrolment and onboarding process for new families, including registration, student records and communications.

Marketing & Communications, and Teacher - Wynstones School

(2016 - 2020)

• Led the 80th Anniversary programme end to end: a heritage exhibition and community events with staff, alumni and local partners, including a ticketed alumni dinner and fundraising that reached 100% of target.
• Coordinated an annual Carol Service at Gloucester Cathedral, sold out every year, plus open days and community events with families, trustees and partners.
• Set up HubSpot lists and automations for 350+ students and parents, a 1,000+ alumni portal and community stakeholders.
• When two nearby schools closed, reached out to their families and managed their move to Wynstones, taking under-enrolled classes to capacity.

Freelance Project & Marketing Manager - Freelance

(2019 - 2025)

Marketing campaigns, PR and press, production and event logistics for independent artists and cultural events. Clients included contemporary chamber composer and pianist Daniel Inzani, Hidden Notes Festival (artist liaison, performers’ schedules and on-site needs), and sculptors Kim Francis, Eden Sculpture and Giles Rayner.

Artist & Creative Director - Independent

(2024)

Large-scale charcoal and immersive practice; exhibitions include Light & Line (two-person show with photographer Sylvain Guenot, The Yard Gallery, 2025; artist, creative director, film editor and campaign lead) plus additional group shows (2024-present).

Executive Assistant to the CEO; Marketing Manager; Corporate Compliance Officer - BACS Inc. - California

(2000 - 2005)

• Hired as Executive Assistant to the CEO, then Marketing Manager leading a three-person team, then Corporate Compliance Officer, supervising a six-person team; continued EA duties throughout; company’s licensed Corporate Notary.

Executive Assistant to the Managing Director; Accounting Assistant - DBT Accountants - California

(2006 - 2013)

• Hired as Executive Assistant to the Managing Director, later Accounting Assistant; EA duties continued throughout.

B.S. Business Administration - Marketing - San Jose State University