Global Marcom Sr. Project and Media Manager, Coherent Inc., USA
Country of birth: USA
Educational background: BS Business Marketing, University of Phoenix, USA
Who or what inspired you to work in science/engineering?
As a struggling young single mother, I needed a job while going to community college, so I accepted a starting position with Melles Griot. The Marketing Communications Manager asked if I would help with some projects in her department. I found not only advertising and promotions very interesting, but as I began learning about the scientific and OEM communities and how our products factored into these communities, I was hooked. I decided to study advertising and marketing instead of accounting and when my manager later departed the company, I was promoted to a department head. I have been in the optics and photonics industries since.
What are the primary responsibilities of your current job?
I focus on the scientific, medical, and industrial applications as they relate to ultrafast, C02 and direct diode laser systems. I manage the planning and execution of the integrated marketing communications activities via multiple channels. These channels include advertising, collateral, web, direct marketing, and trade shows, depending on the strategy for each product.
I manage each campaign from strategy to execution, including reviewing metrics for all channels to determine if the campaign is successful.
I also plan and place Coherent's media for all product lines. In order to reach the best target audience, it's necessary to research and understand the readership of each publication. Sometimes trying to find the exact niche audience for a specific message is like finding a needle in a haystack, but I find this challenging and quite exciting, especially when we are looking at new markets for new products.
What do you wish you had known when first starting out?
Take technical writing courses-take a lot of writing courses, period. This will always benefit you, no matter what tech field you choose.