Laura Sheridan29 Grange Lawn Mobile: 087-2748236Waterford Email: Lausheridan@gmail.com________________________________________________________________________________________

Online Managing Editor

Highly organised and productive managing editor with 15 years experience working for a leading US newsletter publisher and direct response marketing pioneer based in Ireland. In-depth marketing knowledge with a particular emphasis on direct marketing and search engine optimization, contributing to a 100% increase in website traffic in three years. Excellent communication and management skills with the ability to effectively manage multiple projects, staff writers and freelancers across different time zones and cultures. A meticulous copy editor with strong attention to detail and experience editing copy both for print and web. Thrives under pressure and works best in a fast-paced challenging environment, consistently achieving targets and meeting editorial deadlines. Strengths include:

* Search Engine Optimisation * Public Relations* Project Management * Content Strategy & Management* Direct Marketing * Relationship Management* Writing & Editing * Idea Generation

Microsoft Office, Outlook Express, Quark XPress (DTP), Photoshop, WordPress________________________________________________________________________________________

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS AND CAPABILITIES

Successfully managed a team of five people to migrate the International Living website to a new responsive site in 2014, which included thousands of pages of content.

Cleaned up content on the site during the transition, removing obsolete articles, fixing links, errors and editing articles as necessary.

Liaised with the Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) team to assign, edit and optimise articles based on keyword research, contributing to an increase in web traffic from 200,000 unique visits a month to 400,000 in three years.

Managed the change of International Living’s flagship publication from a newsletter format to a magazine: liaised with consultant, publisher and editorial staff on new design and layout, introduced new features and articles and sourced and commissioned new writers.

Devised, implemented and managed a ‘Test-Drive Retirement Overseas’ competition for International Living that attracted international media coverage and grew subscribers to the e-letter by approximately 1,700 each year.

Played a major role in helping International Living become the Number One Resource for retire overseas insight within the US media.

Maintains excellent relationships with a wide range of staff editors, freelance editors and journalists around the world.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

International Living Publishing Ltd. Waterford, Ireland 2000-PresentInternational Living (IL) offers a monthly subscription magazine (100,000 subscribers), a free daily email newsletter (500,000 subscribers), and a wide range of books, reports and seminars on living, retiring, buying property, investing and traveling overseas, targeted at the US market. International Living is based in Ireland, but is a subsidiary of Agora, Inc., a leading newsletter publisher and direct response marketing pioneer in the USA. www.internationalliving.com

Managing Editor of IL Website 2010-PresentIL’s website has thousands of pages with 80 articles added each month and approx. 400,000 unique visits. Coordinate and review all content uploaded to the site on a daily basis.

Developed and grew this new role to become an integral and vital part of the web team. Edit and approve four website articles on a daily basis to the website via WordPress. Commission monthly articles from editors and correspondents located around the world.

Train and manage an editorial assistant and approve and oversee all articles and content uploaded to the website including the monthly magazine.

Create, edit and add extra content including podcasts and infographics and videos. Write and edit copy for videos, optimize them on YouTube and post them on the IL site. Maintain strong public relations, increase traffic and generate international visibility by drafting press

releases and liaising with PR manager to get articles into the mainstream press. Edit articles and create slideshows for the Huffington Post on a weekly basis. Write fresh copy and layout pages for the website using HTML. Proof read each issue of IL’s monthly print magazine.

Managing Editor of IL’s Flagship Publication 2003-2009Print travel and retirement magazine that has grown from a 24-page two-colour newsletter with approximately 40,000 subscribers in 2003 to a 46-page full-colour magazine mailing to almost 100,000 subscribers monthly.

Managed hundreds of freelance journalists—assigned articles; accepted and rejected submissions; guided writers as to the magazine’s writing style and word count and approved travel assignments.

Liaised with publisher and editorial team to commission and select appropriate articles for the IL readership each month.

Crafted strong headlines and captions for each article selected. Scheduled, planned and coordinated each issue and articles four months (or more) in advance. Managed the magazine production process and liaised with fulfilment department to ensure the

magazine was consistently on time. Travelled regularly to many of the countries on the International Living beat, wrote many travel

articles and contributed to in-house reports and products. Managed writer’s payments and cultivated healthy and strong relationships with a wide variety of

freelancers.

Customer Service Manager 2000Originally hired as Customer Service Manager before being quickly promoted to Assistant Editor and then Managing Editor of the Print Magazine.

1996-2000Held various editorial and media roles including Deputy Editor for GV magazine, Sports Editor for a college newspaper and assistant to the producer of WLR’s Billy McCarthy show. More details on request.

IT SKILLS

Microsoft Office Applications (Word, Excel, Access, Power Point, Outlook) Wordpress website content management Quark XPress (DTP) Photoshop

EDUCATION

Senior College Ballyfermot

Bachelor of Arts (Hons) Degree in Media Management and Production (2:1) 1996 - 1997Subjects: HR Management, Marketing, Consumer Behaviour, Project Management and Media Law.

Higher National Diploma in Print Journalism and Media Management 1994 - 1996Subjects: Public Relations, Journalism, Politics, Shorthand, Desk Top Publishing and Management.

PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENTS AND AFFILIATIONS

Member of St. Anne’s Tennis Club Waterford for the past fourteen years. Fully qualified Irish Water Safety swimming instructor and lifeguard. Currently a volunteer with the Samaritans and member of the Management Committee.

REFERENCES: Available Upon Request