Richard Heard

As a driven eCommerce and Marketing Manager, I blend innovative strategies in online marketing, direct email campaigns, and social media engagement with technical skills and commercial acumen to tackle complex challenges. My adaptability and hands-on approach have proven successful in the dynamic digital marketplace, making me well-suited for remote roles within the UK or hybrid positions across North Essex and Suffolk. Passionate about agile, forward-thinking environments, I'm ready to leverage my extensive expertise to drive growth and success in my next challenge.

CAREER HISTORY

DotcomBlinds                                                                                                            Jan 2020 – Present
eCommerce & Marketing Manager

DotcomBlinds (a subsidiary of Yewdale Corporation) is an online retailer that supplies Made-to-Measure Blinds and Curtains directly to the consumer market. As eCommerce and Marketing Manager, I have spearheaded numerous initiatives to enhance operations, elevate our online presence, and improve customer satisfaction. My responsibilities include website management, team leadership, supplier negotiation, and comprehensive marketing strategy implementation.

Strategic Website: Spearheaded the redesign to Adobe Magento 2.4, driving developer selection, negotiation, and testing. Resulting in a revamped online presence, substantially improving user experience and increasing sales conversion rates and basket value.

Creative Direction Across Platforms: I oversaw the creation and implementation of site-wide artwork, extending my remit to offline design projects such as roadside billboards and bus campaigns. With a technical understanding and ability to manage front-end elements from a design and coding (HTML & CSS) view, I have significantly bolstered brand visibility and customer engagement across various channels.

Marketing Campaign Management: Directed all marketing efforts, from eShot campaigns to affiliate partnerships, ensuring consistent messaging and deepening partner relationships to expand our reach and impact.

Product Range and Inventory Management: Oversaw 5,000+ SKUs, applying strategic maintenance and optimisation. My guidance on product range reviews and pricing negotiations has been key to maintaining competitiveness and enhancing cost efficiencies.

Leadership and Collaboration: Led a diverse team and collaborated with external agencies and artists globally, fostering a culture of innovation. My management approach has significantly improved product quality, streamlined operations, and advanced our marketing goals.

This role has enabled me to leverage my digital marketing and eCommerce management skills to significantly improve operational efficiency, customer satisfaction, and revenue growth. I am particularly proud of the quantifiable results from the website redesign and the enhanced customer journey, alongside our successful foray into integrated marketing campaigns that have solidified our brand's online and offline presence.
 

Yewdale                                                                                                                     Oct 2015 – to date
Marketing Manager

As Marketing Manager at Yewdale, I led impactful marketing strategies, enhancing brand engagement and innovating our approach across digital and physical platforms. My role was pivotal in managing trade shows, creating marketing materials, producing video content, and pioneering a trade-exclusive eCommerce platform.

Creative Leadership: I led a team of graphic designers and copywriters in developing essential marketing materials, such as price guides and fabric selectors. This initiative significantly enhanced sales support and client engagement by providing more comprehensive and user-friendly resources.

Video Production: Produced and edited engaging video content for various channels, enhancing our digital presence and audience engagement.

Product Photography: Directed white room photography sessions for our systems and components, ensuring high-quality visual content that accurately represented our product range and supported our marketing and sales efforts.

eCommerce Platform Development: Designed and project-managed the launch of a trade eCommerce platform, a pioneering initiative in the industry. This platform not only streamlined the ordering process for trade customers but also positioned Yewdale as a forward-thinking leader in technological adoption.

My strategic and creative leadership in these areas contributed substantially to Yewdale's market position, enhancing the brand's reputation and facilitating continued growth.

Linens Direct                                                                                                  Jun 2013 - Aug 2015
eCommerce Manager

Elevated Linens Direct's e-commerce platform, positioning it as the leading source of revenue and profit, surpassing 40 UK stores. Innovated online marketing and product sourcing, significantly improving customer engagement and sales. Managed a comprehensive overhaul of online product placement and design, leading to enhanced visibility and reviews, and closely collaborated with the Purchasing Department to tailor product offerings for our target audience.

 

PREVIOUS HISTORY

THIRDWAVE UK                                                                                           Sept 2002 – May 2013
Business Development Manager

BRAINSTORM                                                                                               Feb 2001 - Aug 2002
Business Development Manager

ALLCURES.COM                                                                                            May 2000 - Feb 2001
Commercial Development Manager

FOX COMPUTER SYSTEMS                                                                         May 1993 - Apr 2000
Progression to Sales & Marketing Director

IT SKILLS

• eCommerce Platforms: Adobe Magento 2
• Design & Creative: Adobe Creative Suite, Affinity Suite
• Productivity & Collaboration: Google Suite, Microsoft Office Suite
• Email Marketing: MailChimp
• AI: Experience with tools such as ChatGPT for enhancing customer service & marketing strategies

EDUCATION & QUALIFICATIONS

BTEC National Diploma in Computer Studies
Colchester Institute, Essex
Achieved high distinction and merit across all modules

Secondary Education
Ramsay School, Halstead, Essex