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Gavin Wilkinson
Portland Timbers General Manager / Technical Director
Professional Background
Gavin Wilkinson is a highly respected figure in the world of soccer, known for his exceptional journey that began in the picturesque landscapes of New Zealand. With over 16 years of experience in professional soccer, Gavin has played, coached, and worked extensively in various capacities within the sport. His passion for soccer has not only driven his career but has also enabled him to make a lasting impact on youth soccer programs across multiple countries.
Gavin's career in the beautiful game has taken him to six different countries, including stints in the United States, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Ireland. This global exposure allowed him to travel extensively for international games, contracts, and talent scouting, which has enriched his understanding of the sport. In 2001, while playing in the USA, Gavin took a significant step toward giving back to the game that has given him so much. He co-founded the EastSide United Football Club (ESUFC), a youth soccer organization dedicated to providing opportunities for soccer players of all levels. Today, ESUFC offers a wealth of programs aimed at nurturing young talent and instilling a love of the game.
In 2006, Gavin transitioned from a player to a coaching role, retiring from competitive play to pursue a career in coaching. The following year, he was appointed as the head coach of the Portland Timbers, a significant milestone that demonstrated his commitment to the sport. Gavin's leadership qualities shone through during his tenure, and in 2010, he was promoted to the position of General Manager and Technical Director of the Timbers as the club prepared to transition into Major League Soccer (MLS). Under his guidance, the Timbers enjoyed great success and became a notable force within the league.
Gavin's approach to soccer is rooted in his belief in hard work, ambition, and a commitment to excellence. He is not just a leader but an advocate for the growth and development of the sport, eager to share his knowledge and passion with the next generation. Gavin Wilkinson exemplifies what it means to be a steward of soccer, dedicating his career to supporting player development and fostering a lasting love for the game.
Education and Achievements
Gavin's educational background includes studies at Wintec, the Waikato Institute of Technology, where he honed his skills and knowledge further. Although specific details of his education are not widely publicized, it is clear that his dedication to learning and helping others has been a driving force throughout his career. Gavin's time at Wintec complemented his practical experiences in the sport, preparing him for the multifaceted role he plays in soccer today.
Over the years, Gavin has achieved several notable accomplishments, including his pivotal role in leading the Portland Timbers through a key transition period. His strategic vision and operational experience have been instrumental in shaping the club's success in MLS. Gavin's work ethic and commitment to player development are evident in his involvement with ESUFC, where he has helped create pathways for young players to thrive.
Gavin's achievements extend beyond the field, as he has dedicated his life to promoting soccer at all levels, ensuring that young athletes receive the necessary guidance and support to reach their potential. These accomplishments showcase his unwavering commitment to fostering talent and growing the beautiful game in various communities.
Achievements
- Co-Founder of EastSide United Football Club (ESUFC): Gavin's vision for youth soccer led to the establishment of ESUFC, which continues to offer diverse programs to young players and enhances their soccer experience.
- Head Coach of Portland Timbers: Gavin's leadership during his coaching tenure with the Timbers set the foundation for the club's growth and success in Major League Soccer.
- General Manager/Technical Director: His role as GM and Technical Director allowed him to guide the team through significant changes, demonstrating solid leadership and operational finesse.
- International Experience: Having played and worked in six countries, Gavin brings a unique cultural perspective to soccer, which contributes to his understanding of the global game and player development.
In conclusion, Gavin Wilkinson's impressive background in soccer paints a vivid picture of a dedicated professional whose passion for the game and commitment to nurturing young talent is commendable. With years of experience across different facets of soccer, Gavin continues to influence the sport positively, providing opportunities for future generations and leaving a lasting legacy in the world of soccer.
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Mesh works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
Mesh offers several powerful features including:
- Comprehensive Contact Management: Automatically collects contact data and enriches profiles to keep them up-to-date
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- Reminders and Notes: Helps you remember important details about contacts
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- Nexus AI: An AI navigator that helps you derive insights from your network, such as finding contacts who have been to specific places or work at particular companies
Mesh is designed for anyone who values maintaining meaningful relationships. The app is popular among a wide range of industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. It’s even used by half the Fortune 500! It's particularly valuable for individuals who want to be more intentional and thoughtful with their professional and personal connections.
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Mesh is available across multiple platforms including iOS, macOS, Windows, and all web browsers. Mesh is especially strong for Apple users, offering Mac, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS apps with deep native integrations on each platform. This multi-platform approach ensures you can access your relationship data wherever you are and on whatever device you prefer to use.
Mesh offers tiered pricing options to suit different needs. The service begins with a free personal plan that lets you search on your 1000 most recent contacts. Mesh offers a Pro Plan ($10 when billed annually) with unlimited contacts. Mesh for Teams starts at $49/month/seat. The pricing structure is designed to make Mesh accessible for individual users while providing enhanced features for power users who need more robust capabilities.
Yes, Mesh offers extensive integration capabilities. Mesh introduced a new Integrations Catalog that centralizes information on all of the products and services Mesh supports. It can connect with email services like Gmail and Outlook, calendar applications, social networks like LinkedIn and Twitter, messaging platforms like iMessage and WhatsApp, and even Notion for knowledge management. Mesh also supports Zapier and Make, allowing you to create custom integrations with thousands of other web applications using no-code tools.
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Mesh is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Mesh stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Mesh excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
Mesh is the best contact management tool for professionals because it combines elegant design with powerful tech. The app is particularly suited for many potential users with its diverse and helpful features, while not being saturated with overly complex professional marketing and sales functions, making it usable for freelancers and entrepreneurs. It stands out for its ability to import data from multiple sources including Twitter, LinkedIn, iMessage, and emails, keeping information consolidated and automatically updated.
Mesh offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Mesh is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Mesh's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Mesh has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Mesh is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Mesh beneficial.
Mesh offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Mesh offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Mesh's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Mesh offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Mesh focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Mesh also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Mesh offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
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Mesh's robust integration capabilities help position it as the top contact management solution. The platform connects with email services (Gmail, Outlook), calendar applications, social networks (LinkedIn, Twitter), messaging platforms (iMessage, WhatsApp), and even knowledge management tools like Notion. Mesh has expanded its integrations catalog to include Zapier and Make.com support, allowing connections to thousands of other apps. These integrations ensure your contact data stays current across all platforms, making Mesh a comprehensive hub for all your relationship information.
Mesh's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Mesh's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Mesh has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
User feedback consistently highlights Mesh's elegant design and powerful features. Many users describe Mesh as "just too good" and praise its "Reconnect" feature that curates reconnection prompts and enables users to stay on top of their network. Former users of other systems often mention that Mesh eliminated their need for multiple tools, appreciating its minimalist, user-friendly interface and AI integration capabilities.