I am a creative services & operations specialist who loves bringing calm to chaos.
I have spent over seven years creating processes that allow creative teams to thrive and do their best work, whilst remaining efficient and within budget.
I thrive in fast paced creative environments and am driven by solving problems before they become blockers. I enjoy building the systems that let great ideas move fast.
Currently heading up creative operations & resource across multiple teams including strategy, creative, content & design, owning the workflow engine from brief intake through to delivery. Recently led the Asana migration, & ran an operations leadership workshop to define our processes following a recent acquisition by Publicis Groupe. Tackled complex issues around freelancer hire, capacity planning, workflow design & process alignment amongst senior stakeholders.
Started my journey at Mars United Commerce as a Client Director, managing integrated campaigns across shopper marketing & experiential events, line managing two account managers. Liaised with clients & briefed in creative teams, managing projects from briefing through to delivery. Responsibilities included creating estimates & managing budgets, working with finance on invoice reconciliation & client management, including client visits & weekly WIPs.
Landed a job within my first week of touching down in Melbourne, working for an independent strategic branding & design agency with global clients such as Mondelez, on brands including Cadbury & Toblerone, working with talented illustrators & designers to deliver brand strategy & design. Gained experience using project management tooling Streamtime, building estimates & invoices, as well as resource management.
Led high-volume, multi-channel delivery for Aldi, balancing speed, scale & quality through every seasonal launch. Managed & mentored two team members, & completed a year-long Account Director training program to sharpen my leadership & commercial chops.
Design Project Manager working with a team of 45 in-house designers, coordinating priorities & timelines between design & production. Kept the pipeline flowing & the output quality consistent, even with a stack of projects running at once. Gained experience working with designers, photographers, art buyers & artworkers.
Ran the day-to-day of a high-volume e-commerce content studio, coordinating schedules, crew & delivery across up to nine sets running at once. Booked freelancers, sorted production logistics, & owned asset workflow from shoot through to post.
"I've had the pleasure of working with Alisha at Mars United Commerce for nearly two years, and I honestly can't imagine our team without her. She came into a team where project management was a little light on the ground, and completely transformed the way we work by bringing structure, efficiency, the right technology and calm to even the busiest of days, all while somehow managing to do it with a smile on her face."
Ora Randle, Senior Strategy Director at Mars United Commerce, Publicis Groupe
"Alisha's skills as an Operations lead set new benchmarks in the industry. Her experience brings forth the ability to triage projects without triggering teams, all while managing competing timelines, internal demands, and last minute changes. She supersedes expectations as a project manager, and it's evident in the abundant love and respect she's earned from every team member. Any team is lucky to have her, and to lose her is akin to losing a few limbs."
Gowri Adi, Senior Account Manager at Mars United Commerce, Publicis Groupe
"When you're in the creative trenches, juggling projects, pitches and multiple deadlines, Alisha is the person you want on hand. Not only does she bring a positive energy that keeps the whole team energised and a 'let's make it happen' attitude, but she's also cool, calm and strategically collected. Always one step ahead, Alisha is brilliant at forecasting resourcing needs before they arise, allowing for high quality output. She's truly a joy to work with and a key player in a high functioning creative studio."
Katie Inglis, Creative Director at Mars United Commerce, Publicis Groupe
"Alisha was my highest performing Creative Account Manager, working with a demanding & high volume retail client. She has a rare skillset in the packaging design industry of strong creative skills coupled with the ability to plan, execute and deliver high volume & complex projects. She is super creative and highly organised, and is able to work under intense pressure, to ensure the clients' needs are met. It was no surprise to me that she became studio manager given her understanding of project delivery & client focus. Alisha was a dream to work with and I would not hesitate to recommend her for her next role."
Lisa Skinner, Account Director at Sunbranding
"Alisha is a masterclass in execution. She cuts through complexity, aligns teams, and delivers against deadlines even in really challenging, high-volume environments. With a deep understanding of the industry, best practice, and operational needs, she is a natural problem-solver who consistently stays one step ahead. She is also great at building strong relationships and brings positivity to demanding situations, a brilliant asset to any creative operation!"
Katy Bray, Client Partner at ICP
Life outside the 9 to 5!