RESUME
A tertiary-educated, postgraduate-qualified communication, marketing and media thoroughbred with a 30-year track record of local, national and international successes in Australia, Hong Kong and the United Kingdom. A skilled storyteller, accomplished adviser and experienced executive with verifiable victories while leading and collaborating with individuals and groups that perform in high-pressure work settings, developing and executing plans that align with high-level organisational goals and crafting and disseminating messages that resonate with high-value target audiences.
EMPLOYMENT
2024-
Communication, Marketing and Media Consultant
markworwood.com
markworwood.com is a communication, marketing and media consultancy that specialises in servicing companies operating in the editorial, entertainment and sports spaces.
- Ghostwriting corporate content – executive blogs, opinion pieces and marketing newsletters – composing media communications such as alerts, releases and statements and configuring simple-to-use business websites for non-technical administrators to maintain and update.
2022-2024
Senior Production Editor
South China Morning Post
The South China Morning Post is Hong Kong’s unofficial newspaper of record and most trusted mass media organisation, with more than 130 million unique visitors to its website during 2023.
- Produced – wrote, subbed and laid out – its racing pages, including daily news stories, semi-weekly form guides and weekly feature articles, as one member of its two-person desk covering Hong Kong’s most popular sport and the city’s largest taxpayer, the Jockey Club.
- Authored its top 2022-2023 racing story – Zac Purton slams chief steward’s ‘new standard’: ‘It isn’t going to be sustainable’ – which engaged online readers 25 per cent longer than other items, and penned its Friday interviews with Hong Kong personalities.
2021-2022
External Media Communications Manager
WA Police Union
The WA Police Union provides industrial, legal and welfare services to nearly 7,000 police officers, police recruits, police auxiliary officers, Aboriginal liaison officers and cadets in Western Australia.
- Executed its Switch Off Duty strategy, which formed the centrepiece of its successful industrial relations campaign for better working conditions, including supervising its commercial productions, building its educational websites and telling its emotional stories.
- Organised its highest-rated annual conference – the theme of which was the mental health challenges facing police officers – and protected the reputation of its member acquitted of an on-duty murder – First Class Constable Brent Wyndham – through prudent communications.
2020-2021
Communication, Marketing and Media Consultant
markworwood.com
- Conducted online and in-person content strategy sessions and media training workshops, including brainstorming high-quality coverage opportunities, teaching basic journalism techniques and coaching designated spokespeople through mock interviews with constructive feedback.
2016-2020
Racing and Wagering Manager
Western Australian Turf Club (Perth Racing)
The Western Australian Turf Club is WA’s metropolitan home of thoroughbred racing, operates two Perth venues – Ascot Racecourse and Belmont Park – and hosts more than 90 meetings a season.
- Reimagined its spring and autumn carnivals, notably creating the world’s original thoroughbred racing festival that featured a Group One race worth at least $1 million on three consecutive Saturdays – Railway Stakes, Winterbottom Stakes and Kingston Town Classic.
- Devised its game-changing Equine All Stars Incentive Scheme, which alleviated the substantial expenses associated with interstate- and overseas-based horses competing in The Masters and resulted in four straight years of record-breaking nominations, visitors, runners and profits.
- Increased its TABtouch affiliate wagering income by more than 1,400 per cent, proposing, negotiating and executing a landmark agreement between Racing and Wagering Western Australia and all the state’s clubs, which benefitted the latter by seven figures annually.
- Presented its in-house multimedia previews, reviews and podcasts – The Box Seat, The Run of the Race and Tongue Tie Off, respectively – administered its social media presences – Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube – and hosted Sky Racing telecasts of its meetings.
- Designed its Perth Racing at Home streaming service, which enabled its locked-out members and, subsequently, via a commercial contract with Racing and Wagering Western Australia, registered owners to watch preliminaries, races and replays during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
- Managed its most heavily regulated operational divisions – racing and wagering’s two teams, 80 workers and $50 million budgets – introduced its Australia-first Good Friday fixture and steered its special projects, the biggest of which was its $2.4 million Ascot SuperScreen.
2013-2016
Chief Intelligence Officer
Last Minute Mail (closed)
Last Minute Mail was Australia’s leading subscription-based racing and sports betting advisory service, which covered domestic racing events weekly and international sports competitions daily.
- Assessed its selected Australian races – performance ratings, speed maps and intelligence reports – and used an extensive network of global contacts developed over three decades to identify the world’s optimal sports wagers, irrespective of tournament, time or location.
2012-2013
Communication, Marketing and Media Consultant
markworwood.com
- Coordinated the Australian launch of Norway-based dating agency Digisec Media, including hiring, briefing and overseeing a niche advertising firm, generating mainstream publicity from the newsworthy results of commissioned surveys and representing the company as a spokesperson.
2011-2012
Product Evangelist
Macquarie University
Informatics is a computer science department that creates an information technology edge for Macquarie University by designing, deploying and delivering great products and services.
- Promoted its proprietary applications – BoardPad, DataSwitch, iLab, iLearn, iTeach, OneForge, OneVision, Tracker and Units – and moderated its monthly events – Federation Forums, Tech Talks and Town Halls – which evangelised its new initiatives to its students, faculty and staff.
2010-2011
Head of Communications
tomwaterhouse.com
Tom was not born to be a footballer, win a major or wear the baggy green. But with four generations of betting knowledge in his blood, Tom was born to bet because he was born a Waterhouse.
- Orchestrated its introductions to punters, including organising launch parties, establishing communication channels – blogs, newsletters and videos – and conceptualising commercial spots such as In The Blood, which leveraged the Waterhouse dynasty of Charles, Bill, Robbie and Tom.
2009-2010
Account Manager
Anne Wild & Associates
Anne Wild & Associates is a well-established and highly successful Sydney-based boutique full-service public relations agency that specialises in two streams – lifestyle/travel and business/innovation.
- Advised its clients, particularly Australia’s biggest provider of industry-specific research, IBISWorld, Lion City statutory body, the Singapore Tourism Board, and international energy firm focused on catalysing clean, safe and affordable heat with zero emissions, Star Scientific.
2008-2009
Media Manager
Sydney 2009 World Masters Games (IMGA)
The Sydney 2009 World Masters Games was the seventh edition of the world’s largest multi-sport event, with a record 28,676 athletes from 95 countries competing across 28 sports at 72 venues.
- Created its “local news juggernaut” – New South Wales minister Jodi McKay’s metaphor – that ensured the project exceeded its public target of 25,000 competitors, satisfied its government stakeholders and boosted its state’s coffers with an estimated economic benefit of $60.2 million.
- Negotiated its media partnerships – ABC Radio, Channel Nine and News Limited – recruited its ambassadors, including seven Olympic champions, and persuaded best-selling author Peter FitzSimons to write a Games oath – Let’s Play – as its legacy item.
- Crafted its keynote speeches, including ceremonial addresses for Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark – who sailed a boat with Australian yachtsman Chris Meehan – New South Wales premier Nathan Rees and International Masters Games Association president Kai Holm.
2007-2008
Media Manager
Sydney FC
Sydney FC is Australia’s highest-profile men’s domestic soccer side, with its honours including one OFC Champions League, two Australia Cups and five A-League Championships.
- Defused its public relations crises – executives sacking coaches, players seeking transfers and fans assaulting referees – handled its media operations and composed its marketing communications to grow its average A-League attendance by 9.2 per cent annually.
2002-2007
Media Manager
Centrebet (closed)
Centrebet was the first Southern Hemisphere organisation to accept a sports wager online and the first non-TAB betting agency in Australia to employ a media manager.
- Developed its media master plan, replaced its inefficient contractors with efficient employees and surmounted its regulatory obstacles to position it as the top corporate online bookmaker in six countries – Australia, Denmark, Finland, New Zealand, Norway and Sweden.
- Lobbied its regulator – the Northern Territory Government – to approve wagering markets on the outcomes of television shows, political elections and the like, which introduced novelty betting to Australia and contributed to its public floating with a market capitalisation of $174 million.
2001-2002
Traveller
Not Applicable
1996-2000
Chief Sports Writer
Racing Post
The Racing Post is the world’s premier wagering publication, with Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum founding the United Kingdom-based media company.
- Headed its comprehensive coverage of marquee tournaments – 1998 FIFA World Cup, Rugby World Cup 1999 and Sydney 2000 Olympic Games – deputised for its sports editor regularly and represented its interests as a resident pundit on BBC and L!VE TV programs.
EDUCATION
1995-1996
Postgraduate Diploma Broadcast Journalism
University of Central Lancashire
A Broadcast Journalism Training Council-accredited postgraduate diploma that featured one industry placement. Modules included radio journalism, television journalism and media law.
1992-1995
Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Psychology with Public Media
Trinity and All Saints College (Leeds Trinity University)
A University of Leeds-awarded bachelor’s degree with honours that featured two placements. Qualified with AAC A-Level grades: Economics (A), General Studies (A) and Maths (C).
TRAINING
1995
Graduate Development Program
British Horseracing Board (British Horseracing Authority)
An exclusive course – more than 1,700 applicants for 17 scholarships – that began with two weeks of learning from the best at the British Racing School and ended with two months of work experience.
