Jolene Cornford

• Responsible for the client management of retained contract with Omnicom, ensuring I understood the business challenges and strategy which fed into each talent brief needed
• Drive business development by creating and managing a structured roadmap and pipeline to support company growth and revenue generation.
• Identify high-caliber candidates for key roles within media and advertising, aligning talent solutions with client needs.
• Utilize AI-powered recruitment platform Manatal for sourcing, tracking, and managing candidates efficiently.

• Oversee all advertising sales for ANZA’s magazine, website, eDM, and social media channels.
• Develop and nurture long-term partnerships with key advertisers and sponsors, ensuring sustained business growth.
• Deliver data-driven insights and performance reports to optimize online advertising strategies.
• Manage end-to-end sales and marketing initiatives, from prospecting to campaign execution.
• Operate within a small, agile team, taking a hands-on approach to drive results and maximize revenue opportunities.

I played a central role in the creation and launch of Smile Agency by The Bashful Group in 2018, contributing significantly to its growth and development. As Client Service Lead, my focus has been on four core areas: relationship building, strategic thinking, creative expertise, and financial acumen.

• Established a proven brand methodology to guide clients from unclear briefs and business challenges to clear strategic pathways, executing brand strategies across workshops and follow-up sessions.
• Managed key client relationships for notable brands including Zimmermann, Sheike, Sass & Bide, Witchery, Neuw, Rolla’s, and Schwarzkopf.
• Led all aspects of client projects, from brand strategy and campaign development to content production, design briefs, and rollouts.
• Acted as the custodian of client accounts, nurturing longstanding relationships—Zimmermann, for example, remains our founding and longest-standing client.
• Proactively identified new business opportunities within fashion, beauty, and lifestyle sectors, managing the end-to-end process of all pitches and cross-agency opportunities.
• Ensured on-time and on-budget project delivery, overseeing production management for shoots at varying scales.
• Drove content planning to ensure a consistent and compelling brand story across all touchpoints.
• Met monthly and quarterly financial targets, providing comprehensive budget management and increasing profitability on each job by a minimum of 20%.
• Demonstrated problem-solving skills across client issues, production challenges, and supplier management.
• Fostered a positive internal communication environment, supporting effective team dynamics and ensuring collaboration across departments.
• Led and mentored the client service team, cultivating a positive agency culture that keeps everyone smiling.

Hired to build and maintain strong relationships with fashion and beauty clients, managing a diverse client list from luxury fashion brand Zimmermann to optical retailer OPSM and high street brand Best & Less.

• Managed a fast-paced monthly production schedule with full media rollout.
• Stayed informed on market trends and key brand movements in a dynamic sector.
• Facilitated communication between clients, suppliers, and media agencies to deliver bi-monthly creative.
• Led project management, juggling tight timelines, managing budgets, coordinating resources, and ensuring smooth execution.
• Oversaw production for fast-paced shoots.
• Managed multiple budgets and revenue streams, driving profitability and forecasting monthly/quarterly financial performance.

Managed key accounts including Pepe Jeans Global, M&S ecommerce (fashion and accessories), and Kiko Milano.

• Kiko Milano: Led the transition of the brand from a high street retailer to a credible, aspirational brand as part of an aggressive growth strategy. Reshaped the Spring team to support a fast-paced retail model and deliver 360-degree communications, while managing key client relationships through a pivotal change in their business model.
• M&S: Managed the largest and longest-standing client at Spring, focusing on building strong relationships and understanding the client’s business, politics, and market dynamics. Headed the account alongside the production team to deliver over 500k assets annually for the M&S website, balancing creative content delivery with process efficiencies and workflow improvements.
• Pepe Jeans: Delivered two seasonal 360 campaigns per year, with a focus on engagement through content. Successfully launched the "Get it On" challenge fronted by Georgia May Jagger and Jordan Barrett which generated a huge viral moment before the days of Tik Tok!

Brought in to manage Go Compare’s brand relaunch, the agency's largest client at the time, and implement 'big agency rigour' to a small team with minimal processes.

• Played a key role in building a strong client relationship while managing large ATL budgets and overseeing production for multiple campaigns.
• Delivered four major brand campaigns within 12 months, including nine TVC ads, alongside supporting print, digital, and social strategies.
• I implemented processes and raised the bar to improve client service and streamline production workflows.

• Year One: Worked on integrated campaigns for large FMCG clients like Onken, Pilgrims Choice, and Kerrygold, with a focus on ATL.
• Year Two: Acted as Republic Clothing's in-house Marketing Director while also partnering with the agency. This unique role was designed to ensure true collaboration, working seamlessly as one unified team. Republic Clothing had a strong growth strategy across their in-house fashion brands where we tapped into Youth Culture and Music in a broad range of activations and campaigns.