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Rhys Kelly
Head of Communications at The Smith Family
Professional Background
Rhys Kelly is a highly accomplished professional in the non-profit sector, currently serving as the Head of Communications at The Smith Family. With over 12 years of experience in the non-profit industry, Rhys has developed a robust skill set that combines strategic communication, brand positioning, and crisis management, making her a pivotal figure in her organization. Rhys leads a dynamic communications and media team of ten dedicated individuals, responsible for the stewardship and governance of The Smith Family brand. Her leadership ensures that the organization’s narrative is effectively communicated through paid, owned, and earned media channels.
In her role, Rhys provides expert guidance and support to the CEO and senior leaders on communication strategies and execution, with a particular emphasis on profiling strategies and storytelling that resonate with various audiences. She plays a critical role in overseeing communications for significant change management initiatives, crisis and issues management efforts, as well as internal communications that foster engagement among staff. Collaborating closely with fundraising teams, Rhys also shapes external brand positioning and messaging to support the organization's mission of transforming the lives of disadvantaged children in Australia.
Education and Achievements
Rhys Kelly's academic credentials provide a solid foundation for her impressive career. She studied for her Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Linguistics at Victoria University of Wellington, a field that has undoubtedly enhanced her communication skills and understanding of language's nuances. Furthering her education, she participated in the AGSM Executive Program’s General Manager Program at the Australian School of Business at the University of New South Wales, equipping her with critical leadership and management insights.
Additionally, Rhys pursued a Professional Development Certificate in Executive Coaching from the Institute of Coaching and Consulting Psychology, underscoring her commitment to developing others and fostering talent within her teams. Rhys began her education at Wellington Girls' College, where she laid the groundwork for her future academic and professional pursuits.
Among Rhys's notable achievements, she has successfully led brand research projects that contributed significantly to the rejuvenation of The Smith Family’s brand. Following these initiatives, the organization has experienced considerable year-on-year growth in public awareness surrounding its contemporary mission. Furthermore, she has spearheaded the creation of organization-wide roadshows, re-development of the organization's website, and established a collaboration-focused intranet designed for over 700 staff members, all of which reflect her innovative approach to organizational communication.
Rhys has been instrumental in creating an array of data-led content for stakeholders, including award-winning animated short films, podcasts, infographics, videos, and audio clips, showcasing her creative prowess and her ability to leverage storytelling across different mediums.
Professional Contributions
In 2015, Rhys was appointed as an Adjudicator for the Australasian Reporting Awards, recognizing her expertise in communication and reporting standards. She also became a member of the ADMA Content Expert Group, where she contributed to discussions on content marketing issues, reflecting her commitment to staying at the forefront of industry trends and best practices.
Skills and Strengths
Rhys’s strengths extend beyond her communications strategy and execution capabilities. She pioneers team development and talent cultivation within her work environment, believing in the importance of empowering individuals to achieve their best. Her expertise in change management through strategic communication support has proven beneficial in guiding organizations through transitions. In fundraising communications, Rhys brings her strong creative eye and high-level writing expertise to the table, ensuring that messages resonate with audiences across multiple channels and mediums.
Previous Experience
Before dedicating herself to The Smith Family, Rhys Kelly made significant contributions in sales and marketing for the film and television industries. She notably held the position of Head of Marketing at the ABC's commercial division, where she developed strategies that enhanced the organization's reach and viewer engagement. Rhys also served as the Head of Film Sales at Southern Star (now Endemol Australia), where she honed her skills in content distribution and marketing. Her earlier role as Distribution Manager at the Australian Film Institute further solidified her reputation as a knowledgeable leader in the industry.
Conclusion
Rhys Kelly is a passionate advocate for child welfare and an exemplary leader in the non-profit sector. Her commitment to excellence, innovative approach to communications, and ability to inspire and empower her team make her a remarkable asset to The Smith Family. Her impressive education, extensive experience in both the non-profit and film/television sectors, and notable contributions position Rhys as a prominent figure in the realm of communications and brand management.
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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:
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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 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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