William Skinnell
Chicago,IL
Summary
Dynamic global media expert with a proven ability to drive impactful campaigns and deliver measurable results. Expertise in media strategy and planning, optimizing advertising spend, and enhancing brand perceptions through data-driven insights. Established key media partnerships that foster innovation and secure premium inventory, while mentoring teams and collaborating effectively with stakeholders. Highly adaptable and reliable, consistently excelling in fast-paced environments to deliver strategic media plans that surpass expectations.
Overview
9
9
years of professional experience
Work History
Director, Planning
Spark Foundry
03.2025 - Current
- Lead the development of integrated media strategies across digital, TV, social, search, out-of-home, and retail channels for Abbott national brands, ensuring cohesive omni-channel execution.
- Oversee a team of planners, providing mentorship, strategic guidance, and development through ongoing PDPs, performance assessments, and career support.
- Maintain full stewardship of multi-million-dollar media budgets, including forecasting, pacing, and optimizing to exceed KPIs for engagement, affinity, and conversions.
- Cultivates strong, collaborative relationships with clients and cross-functional partners to translate marketing objectives into actionable media plans; acting as primary upkeep contact and escalation point.
- Spearhead strategic initiatives, leveraging proprietary and third-party tools to uncover consumer and marketplace insights that drive plan innovation and improved performance.
Direct plan presentations and communications strategy rationale to C‑suite stakeholders, delivering defensible recommendations backed by data and industry best practices. - Champion marketing strategies by incorporating audience-centric frameworks and performance mindset into all media recommendations.
- Partner across all agency functions: creative, data, activation, buying, to ensure seamless implementation and fidelity to strategic intent.
Associate Director of Strategy - CPG
PHD
11.2023 - 03.2025
- Stewarded a group of media strategists, in charge of their personal and professional growth by discovering areas of opportunities and individual strengths and interests. Cultivating an environment that seeks to continuously improve themselves and others.
- Owned the development and implementation of cross-channel marketing initiatives across CPG book of business, specifically in food and retail. Includes all channels like TV, Audio, OOH Programmatic, Social, Search and Earned Media.
- Built and own media and audience strategy for brands through data and analytics, utilizing marketing mix modeling (MMM), proprietary, and syndicated tools to maximize household penetration and return on investment (ROI).
- Managed relationships with brand managers and senior leaders to ensure alignment of goals, educate on marketing strategy and communicate campaign results and their impacts.
- Collaborated with cross functional partners and agencies to establish holistic marketing approach with creative, public relations and marketing sciences to launch results driven advertising and measurement.
- Uphold fiduciary duties by creating and teaching budget management excellence and forming budgetary processes.
- Prove media expertise by engaging with clients on media fundamentals, conducting industry research, and meeting with partners to stay abreast of innovative ideas in the marketing landscape.
- Led teams of up to 6 personnel, supervising daily performance as well as training and improvement plans.
Marketing Manager
Amazon
02.2021 - 12.2023
- Owned cross-channel mass media and audience strategy for Amazon brand for North America, driving efficient performance for retail events and perception-based campaigns. Inclusive of TV, OTT, OLV, Display, Social, OOH, Radio, Print, and Programmatic media.
- Dove deep into data and insights to build holistic global marketing strategy documents and presentations to influence senior leaders for mass marketing campaigns.
- Established measurement plans with internal and external partners to ensure media attribution to KPIs and created and presented post campaign analysis to campaign stakeholders.
- Executed media activation with all internal and external buying partners, agencies, and media specialists through direct IO, programmatic platforms, and social media management tools.
- Maintained exceptional budget management and campaign timelines to ensure campaign efficiency and success.
- Engaged directly with new and existing media partners to develop innovative and first to market media programs and secured the most premium media. Cultivated new relationships to stay abreast of upcoming publishers, media channels, and inventory.
Senior Media Strategist - T-Mobile
Publicis Media
07.2019 - 01.2021
- Lead the development of media and communication recommendations through deep understanding of client's core business objectives and goals; implemented based on strong knowledge of media fundamentals, consumer trends, audience insights, and competitive data.
- Built and maintain relationships with all agency partners and investment teams to create timely media plans that leveraged relevant media channels based on goals.
- Managed ongoing client budgets across multiple media campaigns and made recommendations for budget allocations based on client objectives and past campaign learnings.
- Managed and mentored Strategy Associates, advocating to senior leadership for opportunities for growth/development while educating/training and providing guidance.
Media Planner - Nissan
Zimmerman Advertising
07.2018 - 07.2019
- Oversaw the development, implementation, and day-to-day process of regional and local media campaigns including local broadcast/cable television, radio, newspaper, and digital advertising.
- Coordinated with local terrestrial and digital buying teams to activate media to achieve objectives and strategies of overall client media plans.
- Presented recommendations, POVs and specific analyses to clients while utilizing media planning tools (Kantar, Scarborough, Media Tools, Nielsen, DDS, ComScore, and Simmons) as well as all other available industry research.
- Dove deep into campaign performance from media campaigns and clients' historical reports to guide media planning while leading current campaign performance meetings with clients.
- Led projects and media requests with account service and client contacts to determine specific advertising needs in a timely manner.
Marketing and Promotions Coordinator
Eastern Washington University
09.2017 - 09.2018
- Expanded brand awareness by minimum 10% of annual KPIs from organization and leadership of promotional/executive team through effective communication, detailed direction, and precise scheduling of marketing activities.
- Increased event attendance year over year through successful implementation of fully integrated marketing campaigns through digital, traditional, and guerrilla marketing.
- Discovered trends by analyzing statistical data from previously successful campaigns to discover new marketing avenues and develop on those successes.
- Assured optimal numbers successfully implemented during promotional campaigns by management of inventory of marketing assets.
Media Buyer/Account Manager
Genesis Marketing
09.2016 - 09.2017
- Assisted growth in client sales utilizing traditional and digital media campaigns through negotiating media contracts, written and digital proposals, and discovering new target markets.
- Reduced purchasing costs for clients through implementing new cost algorithms increasing the overall reach to target audience.
- Improved web development for clients with continuous upgrading, maintenance, and auditing of their online presence, that align with partner's goals and brand vision.
- Built lasting relationships with clients by delivering results of vision through open communication and thorough understanding of client's ideal market position.
Education
Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) - Marketing
Eastern Washington University
Skills
- Relationship building
- Goal-oriented planning
- Verbal and written communication
- Strategic decision-making
- Team leadership
- Simultaneous project oversight
- Financial budget oversight
- E-commerce strategy
- Media and creative strategy
- Clarifying complex situations
Timeline
Director, Planning
Spark Foundry
03.2025 - Current
Associate Director of Strategy - CPG
PHD
11.2023 - 03.2025
Marketing Manager
Amazon
02.2021 - 12.2023
Senior Media Strategist - T-Mobile
Publicis Media
07.2019 - 01.2021
Media Planner - Nissan
Zimmerman Advertising
07.2018 - 07.2019
Marketing and Promotions Coordinator
Eastern Washington University
09.2017 - 09.2018
Media Buyer/Account Manager
Genesis Marketing
09.2016 - 09.2017
Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) - Marketing
Eastern Washington University
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