Sinead Watson

Founder / Independent Consultant at Self-Employed / Independent

Owned and delivered a portfolio of strategic engagement projects across digital, brand, and event channels, driving outcomes for a global network of 500+ high-impact Fellows. Implemented targeted client engagement strategies, led stakeholder alignment, and managed end-to-end delivery of multi-channel campaigns for high-profile partners.

Head of Community at Excellent

Led multi-channel outreach strategies and communications to engage a 3,000+ audience across email, website, blogs, Slack, and LinkedIn. Served as the primary voice of the business, developing customer-centric content series (case studies, testimonials, educational sessions, speaker series) to strengthen engagement, advocacy, and brand loyalty.

Head of Community at Basis

Led customer advocacy initiatives, cultivating relationships with key clients to drive impactful case studies, testimonials, and loyalty strategies. Conducted market research to inform strategy and product development for improved market positioning and customer engagement. Implemented data-driven, segmented marketing campaigns to increase cross-sell/upsell revenue. Built the community from the ground up, expanding to 14+ countries and coordinating top-of-funnel sales with Sales and Marketing to grow the customer base.

Entrepreneurial Engagement Manager at AUT Beta, AUT Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre

Transformed AUT Beta into AUT's flagship Entrepreneurship and Innovation brand, unifying activities across the university. Engaged 40,000+ students and staff, delivering global marketing campaigns across 32+ countries. Collaborated with subject matter experts to develop engaging content addressing evolving industry trends and market demands. Managed budgets and timelines to ensure on-time delivery and stakeholder alignment.

Senior Community and Marketing Manager at Biz Dojo

Refined AUT's entrepreneurship marketing strategy, leading campaigns to attract future students and establishing AUT Beta as a premier destination for entrepreneurial education. Directed social media strategy and managed the marketing technology stack to optimize campaign effectiveness across platforms. Delivered workshops and presentations on entrepreneurship and innovation to diverse audiences, and managed startup venture learning programs involving academics, entrepreneurs, VC firms, corporate and university staff, students and alumni. Enhanced member satisfaction and loyalty through onboarding and personalized customer journey experiences, driving retention and membership growth. Led paid advertising efforts across multiple channels to exceed acquisition targets and optimize ROI, guided by data-driven insights to improve conversion rates by ~80% and align with business objectives.

Senior Community and Marketing Manager at Biz Dojo

Refined and executed entrepreneurship marketing strategies, directed social media and marketing tech, delivered educational content bridging innovation and technology with industry and academia, and led workshops/presentations on entrepreneurship and innovation for diverse audiences. Managed startup venture learning programs and contributed to member onboarding and retention improvements, including data-driven campaigns that boosted acquisition and engagement metrics.

Senior Community and Marketing Manager at Biz Dojo

Refined entrepreneurship marketing strategies, led campaigns to attract future students and establish Biz Dojo as a premier destination for community entrepreneurship education. Designed and delivered educational content bridging innovation and technology with industry and academia; directed social media strategy and marketing technology stack; delivered workshops and presentations on entrepreneurship and innovation; built strong relationships with founders, students, and ecosystems to drive engagement and outcomes.

Program Manager at AUT Beta / AUT

Transformed AUT Beta into AUT's flagship entrepreneurship and innovation brand, unifying diverse activities across the university. Engaged over 40,000 students and staff; developed content bridging innovation and technology with industry and academia; built robust marketing models, secured funding, and navigated scaling of ventures. Directed social media strategy and managed the marketing technology stack to optimize campaign effectiveness and audience engagement; delivered engaging workshops and presentations; led cross-faculty collaboration and governance.

Head of Community at Basis

Led the development and management of customer advocacy initiatives, cultivating strong relationships with key clients to drive impactful case studies, testimonials, and loyalty strategies.