I have successfully run my own company for 14 years, fulfilling multiple roles including new business generation, financial management, client and account management, sub-contractor management, media and print buying, design and copywriting as well as event and campaign management.
Long term contract while managing my own company. Responsible for creating/updating and maintaining all graphic design work and branding collateral for the company.
Long term contract, while simultaneously running my own company, I was responsible for heading up the internal marketing department managing five people. Previously perceived as reactive, I successfully turned the team into a results-oriented unit delivering internal and external brand campaigns, sales incentives, client and staff events, direct client campaigns, online initiatives and press presence.
Long term contract, while simultaneously running my own company, I was responsible for client and account management, new business, target setting and achievement, print, media and production as well as studio liaison. Brought in a large client, significantly contributing to turnover. Improved creative turnaround times and brief adherence through improving relationships and communication between account management staff and creative studio. Spearheaded new initiatives for clients improving brand recognition and presence.
Management position with 11 direct reports, client and account management, financial management, new business, creative direction, design and writing along with traffic and production management.
Left to start my own company.
Client, account and staff management. Design, writing, traffic, print and production.
Made a shareholder in June 1995.
Company changed name to Design Talk and I was promoted to General Manager, June 1997.
Design, repro, traffic, print and production along with client liaison.
Promoted to Associate in Charge of the Johannesburg Office, April 1995.
Responsibilities included graphic design, repro & print coordination, database compilation and maintenance, direct mail campaigns, writing of copy for releases and articles, marketing admin, function /seminar coordination and client liaison.
Company was taken over and I was retrenched.
Duties included dark room work, equipment set-up, retouching, admin and client liaison.
Left to pursue a better job opportunity.
eMail Marketing, Online Advertising, Affiliate Marketing, Search Engine Marketing, SEO, PPC, Social Media, Viral Marketing, CRM, Web PR, Web Development & Design, Online Copywriting, Web Analytics Conversion Optimisation, Mobile Marketing, ORM, Market Research, eMarketng Strategy, Legal
Pass with conditional exemption
Graphic Designer, Writer and Advertising All-Rounder, I have experience in corporate communications, internal communications, media, online marketing, branding, event management, client service and management.
Juliet Dickson
Owner, Cabanga Communications
I use Kirsty on all my technical or very corporate design jobs for the simple reason that she displays the rare combination of being extremely creative whilst at the same time having amazing strategic business sense. It is a pleasure to work with her because she never misses a deadline, her creative output is always fresh and exciting and her work stands out way above any other designer I have ever used. She is an extremely intelligent and cerebral person with an interesting take on all the work I bring to her. She inevitably brings me a new and interesting way of looking at a job. Kirsty is the only designer I feel that I can brief and walk away knowing that whatever she brings to me is going to be absolutely spot on. I view her as a partner on my projects more than a supplier.
Rebecca WilsonSpecialist Consultant Executive and Management Search,
DAV Professional Placement Group
Kirsty is the epitome of a professional. As “Head of Creative” her passion for marketing shines through in every single aspect of the business. It is a true pleasure when she is on board, everything has a fresh outlook and an exciting flair. Kirsty never misses a beat, is always on top of things and is clued up on exactly how everything works. She is extremely intelligent and a pleasure to work with. Her creative projects speak for themselves.
Ilze JohnstonSenior Consultant, DAV Professional Placement Group
Kirsty is a dynamic, ingenious colleague who is an asset to any organisation. Since she joined DAV, the creative department improved dramatically and increased employee motivation considerably. I recommend her highly.
Katty vandenbergheDigital Educator and Consultant, Studio Collective
Over the years I've consulted with Kirsty around matters of digital training, website development, and writing. Kirsty is constantly innovating and developing new ideas regarding new technologies, and the opportunities they bring. She is fearless and enthusiastic in her approach, and a dedicated worker. I recommend her services to anyone who should wish to engage her creative and strategic skillset.
Verena SchneiderMarketing Manager, DAV Professional Placement Group
Kirsty is simply great. She has this combination of creativity and business sense that you find in very few people. She can give you a perfect business plan whilst at the same time providing great creative solutions. We value her highly and wouldn't want to ever abdicate her services. On top of it she's a wonderful person and we simply love her - and love working with her!
Judy HoferTeam Leader - Commercial and Executive Recruitment,
DAV Professional Placement Group
I have had the pleasure of working with Kirsty for several years. I find her extremely professional and creative. She has the ability to think out of the box and see the bigger picture. She has an incredible flair for the written word and editorials and adverts created by her are of the highest standards. In our industry of recruitment, incentives play a major role and the ability to “whet the consultants appetite” and keep them motivated is challenging to say the least. Kirsty manages to come up with unique and exciting ideas and the print material circulated to our consultants is original and always inviting. She is highly respected in our company and beyond. A true professional!
Diane GotthardtTeam Leader Engineering Recruitment, DAV Professional Placement Group
Kirsty is a creative genius who thinks out of the box. I was recently blown away by her amazing idea for Secretary's Day for some of our clients. Wow, wow, wow. Thanks for always making DAV look so professional I would recommend Kirsty any day.
Chyrisse TorrenteExecutive Search Team Leader, DAV Professional Placement Group
Kirsty, everything you touch is personalised and special and unique. You are one of the rare ones, gifted with creative genius! This is special because you do it year after year.
Daleen SpenceMarketing Consultant, DAV Professional Placement Group
Kirsty is a remarkable person who effortlessly combines lateral thinking with sheer creative genius. She is a true professional with incredibly high standards ensuring the work she delivers is nothing short of brilliant. I’ve had the pleasure of working directly with Kirsty who was incredibly supportive and played a key role in my growth and development. Kirsty’s incredible passion for life and her work is inspirational and she is a pleasure to work with, I would highly recommend her.
Jo HazelhurstCoach
In the time I worked with Kirsty I found her to have a refreshing honesty and willingness to self reflect, grow and share. She is forthright, generous and an encouragement to her team. She brings a delightful sense of humour to what she is doing and brings laughter to the group. She is strong in communication and is highly deadline driven. I have no doubt that whatever Kirsty is involved with, she brings to it an excellence and creativity that will add enormous value to any project.
Michael Tshauke
It is an honour and gives me great pleasure to recommend Kirsty Macfie.
I have known and worked with Kirsty for five years; four of which, she was a consultant to our company and one where she was employed as my manager and mentor. I have personally benefited and gained tremendous knowledge from her professional and results-oriented approach.
In her position as Head of Marketing at DAV Professional Placement Group, I got the opportunity to learn from her many skills and abilities. I personally appreciated her ability to make time to consider the insights of others and if necessary, incorporate them into her own strategy.
As my leader, I truly enjoyed her focus and professionalism and moreover, her great sense of humour, which managed to effortlessly sail us through the roughest and most demanding periods. I have also learnt an immense amount through her project management and time management approach, which helped our team to deliver critical projects within some of the tightest timelines.
One of the most significant milestones that stand out from my working with Kirsty is how she managed to turn around a division that was considered a brunt to management and employees, into one of the backbones of the business, in the short space of a few months.
Kirsty is passionate about people and business. And thus far, I have never worked under a leader who has been able to balance the two as powerfully as Kirsty has.
Through her vast technical knowledge and constant encouragement, she has personally helped me to step out of my comfort zone and advance my career. Now I am slowly becoming an expert in my industry.
It’s a great pity that I don’t work with her anymore, but I would take up the opportunity in a heartbeat if given that chance again.
Michelle RiederMarketing & Administration, Venmyn
It is with great pleasure that I recommend Kirsty Macfie. I have known her for three years, as a former colleague, mentor and confidante.
Kirsty has always displayed a high degree of integrity, responsibility, and ambition. She is definitely a leader rather than a follower and in my opinion, is one of the best people in her field.
In addition to her excellent scholastic accomplishments, she has a vast portfolio and a commendable track record.
She is also a most dependable team player. Her good judgment and mature outlook ensure a logical and practical approach to her endeavors, however her ability to ‘think on her feet’ and deliver a fresh and exciting result, is one of her characteristics I admire most. As a mentor, Kirsty has given me an invaluable amount of knowledge and has aided me in becoming a stronger designer and a more confident member of a marketing team.
Kirsty would be an asset to any organization whether employed internally or contracted, and I am happy to give her my wholehearted endorsement.
Kendall Whalley
Owner, Kendall Whalley Consulting
I have had the pleasure of knowing Kirsty professionally since 1997.Kirsty is a fascinating person. She comes across as organized, serious, intelligent, fun with a curious mix of gentle assertiveness. Behind this external persona, is a passionate, loyal, thorough creative, that is wise and able to discern the brilliance from the bull. Kirsty has an intuitive knack in her ability to prioritize and her ability to make the call about what works and what does not. She operates with “old world” honour and has integrity. She needs to believe in the people she works with, and has an ability to change her register and communicate with most people. She has great judgment, but is not judgmental. Kirsty is a brilliant networker and has human resources in every shape and form. She is a driven, powerful person that is lightning quick on the uptake, and learns quickly. She is able to run, organize, grow or create anything from a function, to an image, to a launch, or even a department. Kirsty has a rare intellect, a brilliant creative spirit, and has been an asset to have as a resource.Kirsty has Napoleon called: “the flash of the eye” (in battle the ability to instantly know what will work and what will not).
She can see, understand, conceptualize and create in a heartbeat. She has taste, balance, and an artistic understanding that she expresses in any arena, with any target market that hits the mark. Kirsty can be let loose in nearly any medium to create something that works, is effective and the more challenging the better. Kirsty is an accomplished word smith and copy writer, and is sensible, artistic, clever and can get words to flow, with passion, and logic. She is a perfectionist and is appropriate and effective. She is one of the few people that can run anything from cradle to grave, without even breaking into a sweat. Not only is she externally ordered, but Kirsty is logical, and analytical. She is also extremely intuitive, which I would argue is just brilliant awareness, mixed with excellent logical frameworks. Kirsty has an innate strategic ability with a brilliant grasp of the fundamentals, she is able to apply her strategic mind to anything. She is an asset to any team, organization or individual.
Megan Nutt
Owner, Nutt Creative
Reference in her capacity as Studio Head, Bakerstreet Advertising
Kirsty was contracted as an Account Manager at Bakerstreet Advertising from September 2004 to December 2005. Her main accounts were Tiscali Online and GIMT (Graduate Institute of Business Management) where her management responsibilities included client liaison, business processes, reviews, targets and print. These were always managed efficiently and on time.
I headed up the creative studio and worked closely with her on various projects and campaigns. Kirsty has a design and copywriting background which gives her insight into both worlds of design and business. She was a very valuable resource to the Bakerstreet team and was welcomed as she was able to bridge the gap and understand both sides of the creatve spectrum. Every project was managed with detail and professionalism.
Kirsty would be a great asset to any business that takes her into their employ. She has vast experience and comes highly recommended as a talented, professional individual with a strong loyalty to everything she puts her heart and mind to.
Anni Snyman
Artist and Writer
Kirsty Macfie and I have been sharing our poetry and other writing for the past few years. In this time she has impressed me with her sharp mind, vast vocabulary and sensitive understanding of the written word. She has a fine editor's eye, and I trust her instincts to find the right phrase every time.
I am an information junkie, a voracious consumer of other people's knowledge in many areas including philosophy, physics, psychology, art and history. I love to read, draw, paint and write poetry. Other interests include photography, dance, yoga, cooking and gardening.
