Summary
Work History
Education
Skills
CORE COMPETENCIES
Awards
Timeline
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Melissa Nicholson

Melissa Nicholson

Marketing & Communications
Prescott Valley,AZ

Summary

Strategic and creative marketing and communications leader with over 20 years of experience spanning internal communications, executive messaging, and creative leadership. Adept at partnering with senior executives to craft compelling narratives, align internal messaging with business goals, and lead organization-wide engagement strategies. Background in marketing, design, and creative direction enhances ability to tell impactful stories with both clarity and visual appeal. Proven track record in developing internal comms functions, change communications, and cross-functional collaboration.

Work History

Director, Marketing & Corporate Communications

Trawick International
Remote
10.2021 - Current
  • Lead internal and external communications for a fully remote global insurance company spanning five countries.
  • Partner with CEO, COO, CIO/CISO, CTO, and senior leadership to shape executive messaging, drive clarity, and strengthen company-wide engagement.
  • Developed and implemented internal communications function from the ground up, including: Quarterly virtual town halls with executive speakers; Company intranet development, launch, and ongoing editorial management; Messaging strategy for leadership transitions and organizational changes
  • Developed and maintained consistent executive voice for COO and CEO across internal messaging
  • Co-led and co-authored Innovation Labs program and communications; winning team recognized by external panel
  • Produced department-wide updates, strategic messaging, and executive prep for internal speaking engagements
  • Managed internal and external marketing & communications calendars and aligned messaging across email, intranet, and virtual events
  • Integrated AI tools and custom GPTs to scale messaging development, create efficiencies, and increase production

Director, Marketing & Communications

Global Benefits Group
Foothill Ranch, CA
09.2018 - 10.2021
  • Built internal and external communications infrastructure for global insurance organization with teams across the U.S. and Europe. Reported to the CMO and partnered with executive and department leadership.
  • Directed content strategy for quarterly Global Town Halls and internal presentations
  • Served as communications liaison for leadership announcements and change initiatives
  • Developed editorial process and approval flow for all regulated content across internal and partner-facing channels

Creative Director & Communications Strategist

Brand New Day Creative
09.2017 - 10.2018
  • Led content and messaging strategy for B2B clients in insurance and healthcare sectors. Partnered with executive stakeholders to ensure tone, clarity, and messaging alignment.

Senior Art Director, Creative Studios

Cox Automotive (Kelley Blue Book)
01.2015 - 09.2017
  • Directed creative and messaging for internal executive presentations, all-hands meetings, and internal campaigns.
  • Produced communications and visuals for high-profile leadership events and employee initiatives
  • Managed creative strategy and message alignment across multiple brands and business units

Manager / Senior Manager, Graphic Design

Kelley Blue Book
09.2007 - 12.2014
  • Led internal creative team producing award-winning branded content and executive communications for internal events and org-wide rollouts.
  • Partnered with leadership and internal communications department to develop narrative and creative strategy for major internal announcements
  • Produced multimedia content for company-wide meetings with budgets from $50K to $500K

Various Roles /Customer Service /Marketing Graphic Designer

Kelley Blue Book
Irvine, CA
08.1995 - 01.2007
  • Developed creative design for print materials, brochures, banners, and signs.
  • Created digital image files for use in digital and traditional printing methods.
  • Completed final touches for projects such as images sizes and font selection.

Education

Associate of Arts - Liberal Arts / Graphic Design

Orange Coast College
Costa Mesa, CA
09.2000 - 06.2003

Skills

  • Proficient in Microsoft Teams
  • Proficient in Microsoft 365 applications
  • SharePoint development
  • Proficient in Adobe Creative Cloud
  • Canva design proficiency
  • Skilled in utilizing Zoho One tools
  • Project management with Asana
  • Experienced with various video editing software
  • AI Prompting & Custom GPT creation

CORE COMPETENCIES

  • Executive Communications
  • Internal Messaging Strategy & Execution
  • B2B & B2C Email Marketing
  • Leadership Forums & Town Halls
  • Narrative Development
  • Change Communication
  • Intranet & Internal Channels
  • Global Remote Teams
  • Company-Wide Messaging
  • Cross-Functional Influence
  • Editorial Planning
  • AI-Powered Content

Awards

Innovation Labs Winner – Trawick International (2024), Core Value Award: Teamwork – Kelley Blue Book (2014), Authentic Leadership Development Program Graduate – Cox Automotive (2014)

Timeline

Director, Marketing & Corporate Communications

Trawick International
10.2021 - Current

Director, Marketing & Communications

Global Benefits Group
09.2018 - 10.2021

Creative Director & Communications Strategist

Brand New Day Creative
09.2017 - 10.2018

Senior Art Director, Creative Studios

Cox Automotive (Kelley Blue Book)
01.2015 - 09.2017

Manager / Senior Manager, Graphic Design

Kelley Blue Book
09.2007 - 12.2014

Associate of Arts - Liberal Arts / Graphic Design

Orange Coast College
09.2000 - 06.2003

Various Roles /Customer Service /Marketing Graphic Designer

Kelley Blue Book
08.1995 - 01.2007

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