Tony Price, CV

CURRICULUM VITAE - Tony Price

I'm an Auckland-based freelance contractor specialising in online communications with years of experience in sales, marketing, copy writing and communication strategies. I understand website creation, email newsletters, writing blogs, social media and much more. I have history in the travel industry, with database management and experience selling online software. I am effective, resourceful and can confidently promote any industry or product, so whatever your business does, I can help.

Please learn a bit more about me below - and then call me on 021-638330 and let's meet for a chat.

employment history

Crystal Payroll Ltd
Marketing Coordinator
Oct 12 to current…(ongoing)
A part-time role (2 days per week) managing all marketing activity for an online payroll system provider.

"During my time with Crystal Payroll I have refocused their promotional strategies, web presence and advertising to ensure they stand out in a highly competitive market. These changes have resulted in an effective doubling of their customer base and made them considerably more profitable."
Visit their website here...

NZ Kiddy Rides Ltd
Owner / Operator
May 06 to May 15
A side-line business managing coin-operated children’s amusement rides.

"A hobby-business recently sold off to free up time for more professional activity."
Visit NZKR website here...

Grants Monitoring Ltd
General Manager
Feb 07 to Oct 14
A part-time role (2-3 days per week) managing a grants application database for a group of charitable gaming trusts (Lion Foundation, NZCT & Southern).

"This was a sole-charge role where I was able to facilitate and enhance the variable requirements of a group of competing charitable trusts who had come together to share information for mutual benefit."

Air New Zealand
(a ten year career overall)

Strategy & Communication Manager
Jun 04 to Apr 06
Responsible for implementing strategic change initiatives and driving open communication (internal & external) for Air NZ’s Corporate and Agency sales team.

Key successes include:
• Providing strategic value propositions for all business model changes that impacted on corporate customers and the agency distribution network.
• Driving best practice usage of the Customer Management database.
• Development of an intranet website to provide national consistency of all resources for combined Sales Teams.
• Development of a web portal for travel agent to access updates and airfares

"My time at Air New Zealand coincided with considerable changes in the travel industry. Besides overcoming the difficulties of the Ansett Australia merger and dissolution - and then 9/11 - the biggest strategic change we managed during my time was the rise and rise of the internet. The combination of these industry-changing influences allowed me the privilege of working as part of a ground-breaking team who significantly re-shaped the way Air NZ would interact with its customers and distribution channels forever. I remain especially proud of the contributions I made during that time to help make these changes and bring together a national team of sales staff who were initially skeptical and naturally resistant to the scale of change required."

Air New Zealand (cont.)
Business Development Manager
Mar 00 to Jun 04
Responsible for development of strategies and tools for the Sales team to use in driving contractual relationships with large corporate companies.

Key successes include:
• Development of email and direct mail communication devices for relationship management with corporate contacts.
• Development of a strategic pricing template for national consistency in cost of sale negotiation.
• Redevelopment and simplification of commercial agreement documentation for volume revenue contracting.

National Account Manager (Agency)
and Sales Executive (Agency)
Oct 95 to Mar 00
Development of relationships with preferred travel agency groups.

"During my earlier years with Air NZ I learned much about working with people at every level of the organisational tree, from the support staff through to senior management, and continue to feel comfortable relating to folk at either end of the scale. I enjoyed developing skills in planning, communicating, negotiating and in business processes and consistency - all of which have served me well in my business dealings over the years."

employment prior to Air New Zealand

I entered the workforce in 1982 as an Advertising Representative for the North Shore Times Advertiser selling, writing and designing display advertisements. This was followed with nearly five years in banking and finance with Westpac Bank and AGC Finance.

Following my BIG OE (in 1989/90) I joined the travel industry as a Sales Consultant for Budget Travel. After 2 years I secured a Branch Manager position and a year later moved to United Travel, then on to Air NZ when the branch was closed in a merger with Thomas Cook.

vital statistics

Male. 6th generation New Zealander, born
11 Oct 1965 (now aged 49) at Takapuna on Auckland’s North Shore. Married (22yrs) with three children, one dog and two cats.

education/training

Takapuna Grammar School from 1979 to 1982. School Cert and UE obtained in English, Maths, Physics, Art and Tech Drawing. Plus ATITB Levels 1&2.
Other formal training includes:
Professional Selling Skills, Presentation, Negotiation and Facilitation courses.

personality type

The Myer-Briggs personality type indicator prescribes me as ISTJ - dependable, stable, practical, observant, analytical, decisive, logical, rational, structured, persistent, organised, focused, autonomous, factual
Learn more about Myer-Briggs types...

transferable skills

- Able to communicate expressively in written and verbal formats
- Always follows through and gets things done independently
- Objective and open-minded in negotiating or resolving conflicts
- Calmly evaluates situations to provide measured responses
- Listens and reflects well for open communication on many levels
- Resourceful and effective in problem solving situations
- Reliably provides decisive and competent leadership
- Plans responsibly and methodically to achieve all goals

leisure pursuits

I enjoy spending time with family, especially being around home to actually see my children (currently aged 10, 12 & 16 yrs) grow up.
My other available time is spent managing our rental investment properties, coaching my sons soccer team, helping my wife with her charity work (Achilles NZ) and trying to keep up with her marathon running. I also use any left-over spare time to build the occasional website (as a hobby and for a bit more variety) and write fiction (thrillers), having now self-published 3 short novels.