Laura van Gestel

Summary

As a Director of Brands, Communications, Media, and Brand Partnerships at VodafoneZiggo, I was an integral part of the Senior Management Team and the Consumer Leadership Team. I led a team of over 100 specialists in brand, communications, media, UX, and sponsorship, driving strategic initiatives that enhanced brand visibility and consumer engagement. My role also included responsibility for CSR strategy and implementation until June 2024. Additionally, I served as a board member of the VF Foundation and held an international role in the DE&I Council of Liberty Global.

Role Scope & Key Accountabilities

• As the Director of the department, I led a multidisciplinary team of over 100 professionals across five core functions:
• Brand & Strategy Department: Responsible for developing, managing, and executing brand positioning, brand architectures, and (converged )brand strategies for premium, no-frills, and integrated brands. This includes overseeing brand identity, (re)branding initiatives, and ensuring consistent brand perception across all touchpoints and channels.
• Media Department: Responsible for leading and building an in-house media team of 25 specialists responsible for media strategy, planning, orchestration, optimization, and buying across all brands and channels. This team manages media investments, ensures campaign performance, and maximizes ROI through data-driven media planning and buying.
• Communications Department: Responsible for end-to-end ATL communication, including campaign development, content strategy, and execution. I oversee the creative process and the management of an internal creative studio to produce integrated content that supports brand objectives and drives engagement.
• UX & Visual Design Department: Responsible for designing and implementing customer journeys and digital touchpoints, focusing on delivering seamless, engaging user experiences aligned with brand and business goals.
• Brand Partnerships & Sponsorship Department: Manages all high-profile sponsorships and activations, including contracts with Ziggo Dome, Ajax, Mojo Music, and other key partners. Additionally, the team oversees the Loyalty Program ("Priority Program") for our customers, ensuring activation execution maximizes brand and commercial value.
• Additional Responsibilities & Activities
• External Agency Management: Managing relationships with external creative, media, and production agencies, ensuring high-quality execution, innovative solutions, and adherence to timelines and budgets.
• Resource & Talent Management: Oversee talent development, change management, and resource allocation for over 100 employees. Foster a high-performance culture with continuous skill development.
• Strategic & Operational Leadership: Set the strategic direction of the department, oversee daily operations, manage over 90 mio P&L and optimize resource allocation to ensure maximum impact.
• Stakeholder & Governance Engagement: Advisor to senior leadership team, the Supervisory Board, external partners, and global teams to align strategy and ensure stakeholder expectations are met.
• Campaign & Program Execution: Lead the planning, development, and evaluation of integrated campaigns and programs across consumer and B2B segments, translating objectives into effective multi-channel touchpoints with KPIs and ROI in focus.
• Senior Management Team and Consumer Leadership Team: Actively participated in strategic decision-making and organizational growth.
• Board Membership: Served as a board member of the Vodafone Foundation, providing strategic guidance and oversight.
• CSR Director: Strategized and executed the company's CSR strategy from September 2021 to June 2024.
• DE&I Council Member: Held a role in the DE&I Council of Liberty Global, promoting diversity and inclusion initiatives.

Summary

Leading a team with different fields of expertise; Brand Management, Campaign Management, Content Management, Brand Activation and Sponsoring. Responsible for the positioning of the Vodafone Brand and Ziggo Brand and the consistency and quality in brand exposure in all touchpoints. In this role I am managing a team of 10 direct reports, working on both Vodafone and Ziggo Brand KPI’s and VodafoneZiggo converged KPI’s.

Key Accountabilities:

• Heading the team responsible for fully integrated Campaigns and Journeys
• Heading the team responsible for all Sponsor assets and activations: Ajax (Ziggo Main sponsor), Ziggo Dome (Ziggo Main Partner), Max Verstappen (Ziggo brand) , The Park (Vodafone main partner) and Mojo Music (Vodafone main partner)
• Stakeholder Management in complex organization, e.g. Vodafone Group, Liberty Global, CLT and beyond the Business Unit (Foundation, PR, B2B, internal and corporate comms)
• Management of external creative and production agencies: orchestration of offline and online agencies, financial and daily operations management
• Brand and Communication strategy for the different business lines, including (digital) content strategies
• Resource management; Coaching and developing employees and talent management
• Work (highlights): Re-Positioning Ziggo Brand, Vodafone 5G activation Blind Runner, Start Sport Season with Max Verstappen, Buikschuifbaan Ajax, Introduction GigaNet , Vodafone Stay Connected , Introduction Larger Than Live Platform
• Special Projects:
• Delivery of new Agency Model and new Wow within a digital organization. (Including production de-coupling and inhousing of studio.
• Key stakeholder for agency consolidation project and One Brand Project

Summary

In the role of Manager Campaigns I was end-responsible for leading the teams to develop the strategy, development, execution and monitoring of Brand & Marketing Communications campaigns for Vodafone in the Dutch Market, mainly targeted on Consumer Households, Small/Medium Businesses and corporate. In this role I am managing a team of 4 campaign specialists with cross functional alignment with Marketing PR, Corporate Communications, Internal Communications and (Social) Media.

Key Accountabilities:

• Managing the team responsible for fully integrated Communication Campaigns and Programs across Consumer and Enterprise units. (responsible for setting the TTL comms KPI’s per activity/campaign, creating the briefing, organizing creations & production, managing the translation of campaign objectives into all relevant touchpoints (internally and externally)
• Develop Year Programs including the yearly strategy for the different business lines, including the monitoring, evaluation together with insights and VF Group
• Management of brand/sponsor activations (as part of communication campaigns, e.g (The Voice of Holland, Around the world 80+ 2017, Sail 2015)
• Management of external creative agencies: orchestration of offline and online (media) agencies, financial and daily operations management
• Foster Cross Functional Expertise focus & development in the team
• Resource management; Coaching and developing employees and talent management according the defined Way of Working
• Responsible for campaign program KPI effectiveness and ROI
• Adequate budget planning, approval and control (delegated responsibility of +/- 6 mio concept and development)
• Active consultancy role internally
• Stakeholder Management in complex organization, e.g. Vodafone Group, CLT members and beyond B2C (Foundation, PR, B2B, internal comms)

• In the role of Campaign Specialist, I was responsible for the development and execution of advertising Campaigns, Brand Activation and Sponsorship Programs across CBU and EBU, both on Brand and on Transactional communications. Implement expertise on Advertising, Activation, Online, marketing PR, Social Media to ensure optimal and effective campaign programs.
• Key Accountabilities:
• Management of fully integrated Communication Campaigns and Programs across CBU and EBU
• Develop Year Programs for the different target segments
• Responsible for campaign program KPI effectiveness
• Build and maintain day-to- day contact with external third parties: advertising/activation agencies, content development/editorial marketing agencies
• Co-operation with Base (CVM) and internal comms for creative development and integration
• Close co-operation with Social media specialist, MKT PR Specialist for campaign integration
• Balancing Quality, Time and Cost management: Plans and executes campaigns within given budgets, timelines and quality standards
• Responsible for pre and post evaluation of Communication Campaigns following brand measurement tools to analyze, measure and report on campaign activities