Experience:
2nd Photographer, MSC Cruises - MSC Preziosa: Sept 2022 - April 2023
• Guest Photography: Managed a team of 4 photographers to photograph over 4000 guests during a 7-day cruise, at various locations onboard the ship, including during embarkation, formal nights, special events, and activities. This included individual portraits, group shots, and candid photos,
• Photo Editing and Printing: Edit and enhance the photographs using photo editing software. Ensure that the images are of high quality, properly framed, and meet the standards set by the cruise line. Print and deliver the photos to guests promptly.
• Photo Sales and Promotion: Actively promote and sell photographs to cruise ship guests. Present photo packages, prints, and other photo-related products, highlighting their value and benefits. Provide information about pricing, options, and special offers.
• Customer Service: Provide excellent customer service to cruise ship guests. Interact with guests in a friendly and professional manner, answer their questions, and assist with their photography needs. Ensure that guests have a positive experience during their photo sessions.
• Photography Set-Up: Set up and maintain photography stations onboard the ship. This may include arranging backdrops, lighting, and props to create appealing photo settings. Ensure that all necessary equipment is in good working condition.
• Photo Display and Organization: Display and organize photographs in designated areas, such as photo galleries or kiosks. Ensure that the photos are attractively presented and easily accessible for guests to view and purchase.
• Sales Reporting and Cash Handling: Maintain accurate sales records and report daily sales activities to the photography manager.
• Photography Events and Workshops: Assist with special photography events, such as theme nights, parties, or workshops, organized for cruise ship guests.
• Photo Inventory and Equipment Maintenance: Manage photo inventory, including prints, frames, albums, and other photography-related supplies. Ensure that photography equipment is properly maintained, cleaned, and in good working condition
Communications Specialist: Blue Lens Images Aug 2021 - Aug 2022
• Digital Communications Strategy: Developed and executed comprehensive digital communications strategies to effectively convey the organization's messages and goals using target audiences, select appropriate digital channels, and determine key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure success.
• Content Creation: Produced engaging and high-quality digital content that received an average of 3,000 views for various platforms.
• Social Media Management: Managed the organization's presence on social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Increased the number of followers on the organization's social media platforms by 50% within 6 months.
• Public Relations: Increased the amount of positive press coverage by 20% by implementing public relations strategies including building long-term relationships with media contacts, media monitoring, and drafting press releases for all events and initiatives.
• Crisis Communication: Developed and executed a crisis communications plan to effectively manage crisis communication for the organization.
• Brand Management: Developed and implemented a social media style guide to improve content and ensure consistent brand messaging and visual identity across digital and social media channels.
• Developed and executed successful social media campaigns that increased online engagement by 30% for a major healthcare organization.
• Coordinated and managed multiple events, including press conferences and fundraising galas, with attendance ranging from 500 to 1000 guests.
• Drafted and edited press releases, articles, and internal communications materials, resulting in increased media coverage and improved employee engagement.
• Conducted media training for senior executives, improving their skills in interviews and increasing positive media coverage for the organization.
Communication Officer: Council of Governors: Sept 2016 – December 2021
• Photography and Videography: Produced high-quality photographs and videos of various events, meetings, and initiatives related to the Council. Used professional equipment and editing software to ensure visually appealing and engaging content.
• Content Creation: Created compelling visual content, including photo galleries, videos, and multimedia presentations, to support communication campaigns, websites, social media platforms, and other communication channels.
• Event Coverage: Attend and document educational, cultural, and sports events organized or supported by the Council of Governors. Capture key moments, conduct interviews, and produce multimedia content that showcases the impact and importance of these events.
• Photo and Video Editing: Edited and enhanced photographs and videos using industry-standard software tools, ensuring high-quality output and adherence to brand guidelines to produce visually appealing and professional content.
• Digital Asset Management: Organized and maintained a comprehensive library of digital assets, including photographs, videos, and multimedia content. Implement efficient systems for tagging, categorizing, and archiving assets to facilitate easy retrieval and reuse.
• Collaborative Projects: Worked closely with other communication professionals, content creators, and stakeholders to develop and execute multimedia projects. Collaborate with graphic designers, writers, and social media managers to integrate visual content seamlessly into broader communication initiatives.
• Equipment Management: Oversaw the maintenance and organization of photography and videography equipment, including cameras, lenses, tripods, lighting, and audio equipment. Ensure equipment is in proper working condition and available for use when needed.
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Communications and Digital Media Officer; Greengate Media Kenya and 411Exclusive. August 2015 – June 2016;
• Content Creation: Engaging and informative content for various digital platforms such as websites, social media, blogs, and email newsletters. This included writing articles, designing graphics, recording videos, and capturing photos.
• Social Media Management: Managed the organization's social media presence, including developing social media strategies, scheduling posts, responding to comments and messages, and monitoring social media analytics to track the effectiveness of campaigns.
• Digital Marketing: Collaborated with the marketing team to develop digital marketing strategies and campaigns. This involved creating SEOs, Online adverts, and email marketing campaigns.
• Website Management: Oversaw the organization's website and ensure that they were up-to-date, visually appealing, and user-friendly. This included website design and development and monitoring website analytics.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Collaborated with internal teams, external partners, and stakeholders to gather information, coordinate communications, and promote collaboration and engagement.
Digital Media Producer; Africa Insight Communications July 2013 – July 2015;
• Content Strategy: Collaborated with stakeholders to develop a comprehensive content strategy that aligns with the organization's goals and target audience. This included identifying content themes, determining the most suitable digital platforms, and establishing content distribution plans.
• Project Management: Planned, coordinated, and managed the entire lifecycle of digital media projects - defining project goals and deliverables, creating production timelines, allocating resources, and ensuring projects stay on track and within budget.
• Content Creation and Curation: Oversaw the creation of digital media content such as videos, podcasts, infographics, animations, and interactive multimedia experiences - writing
scripts, storyboarding, directing, editing, and providing creative guidance to the production team.
• Team Collaboration: Supervised a team of content creators, videographers, graphic designers, animators, and other specialists to ensure smooth production processes. Provide guidance, feedback, and creative direction to ensure the quality and consistency of the digital media output.
• Technical Expertise: Stayed updated with the latest trends, tools, and technologies in the digital media industry. Maintain knowledge of video editing software, animation tools, graphic design software, and other relevant technologies.
News Media Producer; Ilhas News Agency – Nairobi Office. July 2013 – July 2015;
• News Story Development: Collaborated with journalists and reporters to brainstorm story ideas, research potential topics, and identify newsworthy events and trends. Provide guidance and support in developing compelling and balanced news stories.
• Editorial Direction: Set the editorial direction and priorities for the news team. Determine which stories should be covered, assign reporters to specific assignments, and establish deadlines for content production.
• Coordination and Planning: Coordinated with various teams within the news organization, such as reporters, editors, photographers, and videographers, to plan coverage of news events. Ensured effective communication and coordination among team members.
• Content Production: Oversaw the production process of news stories. This includes monitoring progress, reviewing and editing content, and ensuring adherence to journalistic standards, style guidelines, and legal and ethical considerations.
• Newsroom Management: Managed the day-to-day operations of the newsroom. This involves organizing workflow, scheduling shifts, assigning resources, and ensuring that all tasks are completed on time.
• News Gathering: Stayed updated on current events, news trends, and emerging stories. Monitor news wires, social media, and other sources to identify potential news stories and ensure the news team stays informed.
Communications Associate; aCatalyst Consulting Jan 2010 to Feb 2011;
• Media Relations: Developed and maintained relationships with media outlets, journalists, and reporters. Act as a spokesperson for the organization, handling media inquiries, arranging interviews, and coordinating press conferences and media events.
• Public Affairs: Developed and implemented public affairs strategies to disseminate information about the organization's activities, policies, and initiatives. This may involve preparing press releases, statements, speeches, and other communications materials to ensure accurate and consistent messaging.
• Internal Communications: Facilitated effective internal communication within the organization - preparing internal newsletters, memos, and announcements to keep employees informed about important updates, policies, and events.
• Social Media Management: Oversaw the organization's social media presence and strategy. Created and curated content for social media platforms, monitor online conversations, and engage with followers to build and maintain a positive online presence.
• Brand Management: Helped maintain and enhance the organization's brand identity and reputation. Develop branding guidelines, ensure consistency in messaging and visual representation, and actively promote the organization's brand through various communication channels.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Built and maintained relationships with key stakeholders, such as government agencies, NGOs, business partners, and community groups. Collaborate with them to promote the organization's objectives and foster positive relationships.
Skills:
Expert in: Photography, Media Relations, Digital Communications, Content Creation, Social Media, Crisis Communication, Project Management, Collaboration, Analytical thinking
Intermediate in: Strategic Communications, Branding, Leadership, Marketing
Additionally:
Achievements:
● Oversaw both Photo and Video Production of the 2018 Governor Peer to Peer Learning Success Photo Story that was shown at the 2019 Devolution Conference held in Kakamega County and Governors Trip to the National Governors Association Conference in the USA in 2018 and the Launch of the Socioeconomic Recovery Strategy for County Governments by H.E President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2020.
● Lead Photography and Videography Coordinator for the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th Devolution Conferences and Successfully planned and executed Photography and Videography components for the 2 National Children’s Conferences with over 1000 participants from schools across the 47 Counties
● Organized the first ever Peer to peer Learning Mission for all Governors to Makueni County advocating for better Public Participation for the success of Devolution and Successfully launched the Jukumu Langu public participation manual in partnership with the Ministry of Devolution
Hobbies/ Interests:
● Photography: Exploring different subjects, such as landscapes, portraits, street photography, or documentary photography, and sharing my work on platforms like Instagram or personal blogs.
● Social Media Management: Staying updated with the latest social media trends, experimenting with new features and formats.
● Travel and documenting my experiences through photography, capturing different cultures, landscapes, and people.
● Networking and Professional Development: Attending industry events, conferences, and workshops to expand my professional network. Building connections can lead to collaboration opportunities, career growth, and exposure to new trends and technologies.
