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MY STRENGTH PROFILE

I lead with the Connectedness Theme.

 

I quickly spot relevant patterns and issues to create alternative ways to forge ahead.

  1. Connectedness

  2. Adaptability

  3. Individualization 

  4. Strategic

  5. Maximizer

Dana Salman

MARKETING STRATEGIST

she/her   |   Toronto, Ontario

My skill lays in transforming something strong into something superb. I do that by spotting patterns and issues, and working to simplifying complex concepts by drawing connections between things we help sell and the people that use them.

MY SIDE HUSTLES

For Impact:

  • Mental Health & Healing

  • Teaching

  • Advising SMBs

For Fun:

  • Strength Training

  • Meditation

  • Travel

How I think:

MY MARK:
I question and challenge the status quo.

My diverse experience in various industries and markets gives me a unique, global, and broad perspective, which allows me to adapt quickly and approach challenges from a different angle than most. So when I see a different way, I speak up. I am the opposite of a “yes man.” I am a “no woman.” I will challenge you to answer the question WHY? Why these customers? Why this product? Why now? Why here? Why you?

MY WHY:

Just because something is a certain way, doesn’t mean it has to be.

In both my work and personal life, I always wonder if there is a better way. How can I have a positive impact on people and the planet? Not in a grandiose ego-driven way, but by making small differences every day.

WHAT LED ME HERE:

Cut my teeth in SaaS at a multinational FinTech company based in Kuwait.

My career began in marketing operations for a software company serving the financial services industry. My role encompassed everything from website and press releases, to product brochures and newsletters, all with the goal of increasing brand awareness and engagement to grow our customer base. Creating digital and print marketing collateral for such a niche offering taught me how to extract highly technical information from SMEs and simplify complex B2B product information for a non-technical audience.

Went consumer-side, running social responsibility initiatives for Starbucks in the Middle East.

Social responsibility is a passion of mine as I believe companies should play a more active role in bettering the environment and community. At Starbucks, I worked with NGOs across nine culturally different countries to create and manage impactful environmental and youth initiatives, many of which are still going 10 years later. I also trained and worked with operations teams to create 200 community initiatives that Howard Schultz (Starbucks CEO) used as an example for other regions. Working for such a large company – but on a very focused set of efforts – providing me with a lot of freedom to build from the ground up, but in an environment that had a lot of structure in place– structure that I would take with me to the various scale-up companies that my journey would lead me to.

Moved to Canada, and back to the world of B2B SaaS (VOIP and Supply Chain Software)

After Starbucks, I decided to return to the world of B2B technology, taking on the challenge of building marketing teams from the ground up for both a Voice Over IP company and an enterprise supply chain software company. I was the first marketing hire brought in at both companies, and I learned how to stretch my resources are far as possible, a challenge that I know our clients relate to. At both companies, I had to work with our teams to shift their communication from complex technical features to simple and useful benefits that would resonate with decision makers who may not be fluent in technology. Both of these roles were also heavily intertwined with Sales, which led to me implementing account-based marketing programs to support Sales with more tailored outreach to help accelerate their complex and long sales cycles.

Led marketing for a payment processing company pioneering the way in legal cannabis.

On October 17, 2018, Canada legalized recreational cannabis. This new legalization had businesses scrambling to make sure they met the stringent compliance measures set by the government. The challenge was to reach our market of cannabis operators despite having little information about them since they were all new businesses with no online presence. I was a marketing team of one and I grew the marketing function from the ground up, setting up the needed foundations and building the team to support the explosive growth of the industry.

Took my portfolio of experience with me to the world of consulting.

After 15 years of experience in a variety of industries and regions, I couldn't help but feel that my experience would be best utilized working for multiple clients at once in more of an advisory role. I joined the Aggregate team because it aligned with my mission. In my role, I get to use my knowledge, experience, and outlook to support businesses in moving closer to their customers, and having a positive impact on the world. 

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