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Bill Hicks
Content Managerment Professional | Freelance Writer | Solves Tomorrow's Content Problems Today
williamdhicks@comcast.net
Summary
224-231-8895 WilliamDHicks@gmail.com www.williamdhicks.wordpress.com Oversee a staff of analysts
in the creation of rich content and updates for catalogs/websites, training manuals and marketing materials.
Ensure all projects align with established copy standards. Utilize operating knowledge of content and media
production practices and tools, including CMS and desktop publishing to achieve company goals. Multitask
oriented with the flexibility to switch between multiple projects in a fast-paced environment. Deadline
driven manager achieves quality content completion results in a timely manner while keeping budget in
focus. Effectively adapts content to the business requirement of cross media publishing: create once, reuse
many times. Collaborate with key stakeholders in content initiatives to ensure effective time management
for project completion, while concurrently working to drive sales. Excel at training and managing internal
copy staff, including offsite writers: Fosters growth, teamwork, idea exchange. Specialties: Hiring and
mentoring freelance writers. Meeting deadlines. Utilizing out-of-the-box thinking to problem solve and reduce
departmental expenditures. Implementing unique solutions to solve difficult database problems. Product
Information Management, PIM, Item Content Management. Please feel free to contact me if my experience
matches the needs of your company. Skills Include: ------------------- Project Management, User Engagement,
Marketing Communications, Social Media Enthusiast, Digital Marketing, Concept Development, Copywriting,
Content Management, Content Strategy, Content Taxonomy, Content Hierarchy, Content Portal Development,
Content Syndication, Writing
Skills & Expertise
Content Management
Content Strategy
Marketing Communications
Copywriting
Marketing
Management
E-commerce
Leadership
Publishing
Copy Editing
Web Content
Social Media
Editing
B2B
Proofreading
Creative Direction
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Facebook
Editorial
Blogging
Team Building
Writing
Content Development
Email Marketing
Microsoft Office
Microsoft Excel
Newsletters
Creative Writing
Social Media Marketing
B2B Marketing
Direct Marketing
Training
Brand Development
CMS
SEO
Advertising
Social Networking
Online Marketing
Product Information Management
Taxonomy
Books
Press Releases
Integrated Marketing
Online Advertising
Mentoring
PIM
SAP MDM
AP Style
Publications
Web Content Management
Strategy
Experience
Content Acquisition Manager at Essendant
October 2013 - Present (2 years 4 months)
People Management: Manage a three-person team that analyses all SKUs in need of content. Accurate
content completion metrics allowed for delivery of all projects on time. Hired, coached and mentored 1/3rd
of department’s employees. Content Management: Utilize different databases to analyze, gather and create
content: Mainframe, Enable CMS, Content Portal and CRIS system. Develop content for a diverse set of
customers, from small organizations to Fortune 500 companies. Oversaw content acquisition, creation,
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analysis and corrections. Process Management: Identify opportunities for automation, improvement,
and resource optimization. Reduced error-handling by 50%. Oversaw creation of a content grading tool.
Marketing: Charged with the creation of marketing materials explaining content and portal. Oversaw
the creation of a PowerPoint presentation that explained grading system for catalogs and websites. Wrote
marketing content and directed graphics build. Created portal FAQ documentation. Training/Customer
Service: Oversaw training and error resolution of content portal errors. Envisioned a sticky filter, developed
by IT, that allowed users to move through pages without losing filters. Reduced a portal presentation from
180 to 70 slides to increase viewer engagement. Gathered portal call metrics for better issue handling.
Manager, Rich Content [LION] at Essendant
April 2012 - September 2013 (1 year 6 months)
Content Services Manager at Essendant
July 2008 - March 2012 (3 years 9 months)
Work with resellers to determine their content needs. Oversee three employees tasked with the assessment,
analysis, acquisition, creation and standardization of reseller product content that resides in a CMS.
Copy Manager at Essendant
February 2005 - June 2008 (3 years 5 months)
Oversee content updates and rich content creation builds for catalogs/websites/MDM database, training
manuals and marketing materials. Oversee a writing staff of five full-time employees who import this content
into a CMS.
Editorial Services Administrator at Essendant
October 2003 - February 2005 (1 year 5 months)
Real Estate/Classified Advertising Manager at Sentury Publications
1987 - 1992 (5 years)
Volunteer Experience
Writer for Awareness Improvement Project at Chicagoland Habitat for Humanity
July 2012 - July 2013 (1 year 1 month)
Rewrote content and performed UAT on new website. Oversaw video and photography creation.
Publications
AHA!
Createspace December 20, 2011
Authors: Bill Hicks, Larry King, Andrew Brand, Jim Elgas, Curt Clapper, Alisa Kober
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What happens when regular folks meet at their local library and try their hand at writing? This Book! Enjoy
a variety of unique short stories and poems written by six published authors and budding new talents. From
lighthearted humor to tales of horror, AHA! has something delightful in store for everyone.
Save the Last Stall for Me
Publish America October 1, 2009
Authors: Bill Hicks, Gail Cohen, Jennifer Djordjevic, Barbara Moriarty, Jim Szczepaniak, Barbara K. Yohnka
Half a dozen writers. Six masters degrees. Two hundred plus years of work experience. Very few offspring,
but lots of pets. Put them together and you get a pack of authors collaborating on the best bathroom book to
hit the market since Jokes for the John. Actually, this book is better. Save the Last Stall for Me doesn’t miss
a beat when it comes to people pleasing. Like a good read? You’ll find it here: mysteries, humor, poetry and
drama. Whether you need something for the commute or for the commode, or a fanciful tale to get your head
out of reality, find it all in this literary tribute to the humble bathroom. You’ll want to share the experience.
Grab your copy and add a few more to your shopping list for friends and family.
Twist
Untreed Reads September 15, 2011
Authors: Bill Hicks
As a boy growing up in 1953, Kevin Hull enjoyed playing games with his group of boyhood friends, like the
game of “ledge.” After one such game with his friend Billy Hawkins, the two find themselves involved in a
terrible accident that will forever change their lives.
Heavy Petting
Musa Publishing December 10, 2011
Authors: Bill Hicks, Gail Cohen, Jim Szczepaniak, Jennifer Djordjevic, Sue OBrien, Marjie Killeen, Barbara K.
Yohnka
An anthology of short stories and poems to be read in those spare moments between walking, grooming
and playing with your cats, dogs and other critters. This fun read will leave you with plenty of quality time
to spend with your pets between stories. Experience mystery, humor, pathos, romance and heart-grabbing
sentimental journeys as you follow the adventures of eight professional authors and a variety of critters.
When you’ve had your fill, share with a friend at the dog park. Heavy Petting is a great way to make new
friends of the two and four legged variety!
Killer Flies
Untreed Reads January 2, 2012
Authors: Bill Hicks
The Army plans to use a new breed of flies to protect combat soldiers. But Dr. John Pankow, their creator, is
worried that his killer flies are uncontrollable. Will Mother Nature's most genetically-altered weapon be the
ultimate armor, or the potential ravager of the entire world?
Education
National-Louis University
MS, Written Communication
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Activities and Societies: Committee Member and Contributing Editor: Mosaic literary magazine.
Northeastern Illinois University
BA, English
Activities and Societies: Sigma Tau Delta
Honors and Awards
2007 HPT (High-Performance Team) Special Recognition Award for the Content Team 2005 Hewlett-Packard
Catalog Support Program "Team Excellence Award"
Interests
Advice for Reaching Bill: Feel free to call 224-231-8895 or email williamdhicks@gmail.com. Ring
me up or send me an email to discuss my LinkedIn profile and portfolio samples, or visit my website at
www.williamdhicks.wordpress.com.
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SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter: 30000 Pinterest: 4300 Facebook: 3800 Linkedin: 4300
_____________________________________________________________________________ SKILLS
INCLUDE: Project Management, User Engagement, Marketing Communications, Social Media Enthusiast,
Digital Marketing, Concept Development, Copywriting, Content Management, Content Strategy, Content
Taxonomy, Content Hierarchy, Content Portal Development, Content Syndication, Writing
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Bill Hicks
Content Managerment Professional | Freelance Writer | Solves Tomorrow's Content Problems Today
williamdhicks@comcast.net
21 people have recommended Bill
"Bill is a tireless and dedicated manager who has been a valuable asset to Essendant. He is a detail-oriented
guy who just does what’s required to get the job done, no matter how high you set the bar. Bill has been
a particularly good partner for me in his ability to operationalize a team strategy and run an effective,
high-output team. During his time at Essendant, Bill was thrown some new and difficult programs, and
he mastered each of them with a high level of professionalism and hard work. Bill also demonstrated a
remarkable sixth sense in his ability to recruit skilled talent. I would absolutely recommend Bill to any
company who’s looking for an experienced, no-nonsense team leader."
— Michael Hauck, Sr. Director, Content & Syndication, Essendant, managed Bill at Essendant
"Bill is a very detailed oriented professional who thinks outside the box. He is creative and truly cares about
the work he produces. Bill doesn't hesitate to help others and shares his knowledge to improve other people's
lives. Bill goes out of his way to be helpful and is a true team player. "
— Lena Georgiev, CPA, MBA, Life Coach, Life coach, lenalifecoaching.com, taught Bill at Essendant
"I have worked with Bill for several years and have a high degree of respect for his knowledge and
professionalism. He has been a thought leader and a "go to" person in his area of expertise. I would highly
recommend Bill."
— Larry Piemonte, Category Manager, United Stationers, worked with Bill at Essendant
"I had the privilege of working with Bill at Essendant as a contractor and then continued to do so after
transitioning to a full-time employee through his support and mentorship. As a leader, he is able to
successfully direct a team working multiple projects through effective strategy plans, efficient organization
of resources, and meticulous tracking of project progress. As a manager, Bill was well-liked by his direct
reports, peers, and management personnel. With his approachable and down-to-earth demeanor, he fostered
healthy relationships with his team by actively listening to and encouraging open communication from them.
Lastly, Bill is respected for his accomplishments he left Essendant with. He will be missed by many in the
Essendant community. "
— Ramona Joseph, reported to Bill at Essendant
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"Bill is a diligent manager. My experience with him both professionally and personally was very good. He
always took the time to answer any questions and to help me understand how my work contributed to both the
team and the company as a whole. He is very process-oriented and keen on ensuring accountability from his
subordinates. I absolutely recommend him for anyone needing a manager of content services."
— Marc Pressley, Content Analyst, Essendant, reported to Bill at Essendant
"Bill is a dedicated associate. I have worked with him on many IT projects to improve system capabilities.
Bill is detailed in his requirements and easy to work with as the project progresses through the SDLC. Bill
is thorough in his testing and pays careful attention to detail. I enjoy collaborating on business projects with
Bill. "
— Debbie Buchholz, Project leader, United Stationers, worked with Bill at Essendant
"William is an asset to our organization. I have worked with him on a few projects and he always produces
quality work. He consistently insures the request is completed to meet the needs of the internal/external
customer."
— Claire Freeman, worked with Bill at Essendant
"Bill, is a great team member, detail oriented, willing to pitch in and help wherever needed. Bill completes
assignments on-time, is a participative and valuable contributor going above and beyond."
— Glenn Quaiver, managed Bill indirectly at Essendant
"Bill has been a sterling business partner who brings a "Can Do" attitude to all that is brought to him. He is a
take-charge person who is able to present creative ideas to complex problems. He gets along extremely well
with staff under his supervision as well as colleagues at his own level. He is highly regarded, as both a person
and a professional, by colleagues, employees, suppliers, and customers alike."
— Christopher Lok, managed Bill indirectly at Essendant
"I have worked with Bill for over a year and a half and have come to know him well. His zeal for learning
beyond his trade is testament to his dedication towards professional growth and commitment to further the
goals of our department and company. He is an inventive, quick-witted, interpersonal communication expert
who is always able to identify a problem and find multiple ways to solve it. Bill is an invaluable asset to the
team and fantastic to work with!"
— Jamie Mennicke, worked with Bill at Essendant
"Bill has all the attributes you want to see in a successful content manager. He's got the customer skills,
domain expertise, the passion, and the experience to work within a collaborative environment and deliver
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great results every time. Bill is a great leader with strong management instincts, he excels at recruiting and
developing talent and is very adept at training new employees on complex subjects without overwhelming
them. Bill is a great communicator and has strong interpersonal skills that drive great working relationships
with both clients and associates. After over 5 years of working with Bill everyday I have learned to count on
him tremendously."
— Mark Evans, managed Bill at Essendant
"Bill is very professional and pays close attention to detail, which is required in his position. Bill gets along
well with customers and is a quick study. Bill has become an expert at understanding the nuances of content
management, content cleansing, and the writing skills associated with it. On top of all that, he is a really nice
guy to work with, too!"
— Laura Gale, managed Bill indirectly at Essendant
"Bill has a gift for getting things done in a fast-paced environment where change is a constant and flexibility
is a must. He is able to explain complex data management processes so that they are less daunting and is very
good at organizing his department. His communication skills are excellent; he has a passion for the written
word that I really like. In short, he does so many things well that it's easy to root for the guy."
— John Mabin, reported to Bill at Essendant
"I have had the pleasure of working with Bill on the Content Enrichment project. He was the business
subject matter expert, manager and my ‘go to person’ to get the project completed on time under very tight
timeframes. His tremendous communication, leadership and motivational qualities are what kept his team
efficient and effective on a multitude of tasks. He is a very thorough, detail oriented person, always keeping
the bigger picture in mind. Bill is an excellent teacher and trained a new employee in a very short period of
time on a critical content portal system. He is a dependable, dedicated person who will go the extra mile to
accomplish tasks, working many hours to make sure this project was done correctly. Given the choice, I’d
love to have him on my team on future projects."
— Lilly Aliosius, worked directly with Bill at Essendant
"I have had the privilege to work side-by-side with Bill as a Copy Manager and as a freelancer. Bill is an
extremely talented writer and takes his work seriously. He has strong leadership skills. Because of Bill’s
flexibility, he works well in a team environment and independently. When working on projects for him,
his instructions are extremely detailed, but should any questions come up, he responds to them in a timely
manner…no matter how busy he may be. Any company that Bill works for will be very fortunate to have
him."
— Jean Mehaljevic, worked directly with Bill at Essendant
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"Bill has a deep understanding of content management processes and related technology utilized within his
department. He is able to clearly articulate how technology can help improve process efficacy and efficiency.
We collaborate to develop applications to automate repetitive manual tasks thereby improving resource
utilization. As a result of Bill's leadership these applications are clearly defined and designed for users within
a wide range of computer technology comfort and skill. I enjoy working with Bill to implement his vision of
a more effective and efficient content management organization."
— Mark Stephens, worked indirectly for Bill at Essendant
"As a marketing communications service provider, I have had the opportunity to work with Bill Hicks on
a variety of projects, including catalog page production, data collection, database content creation, and
proofreading. Bill is a creative professional with exceptional communication skills. He clearly identifies
the strategy and objectives of each project, so high quality, comprehensive solutions are generated, and
expectations are met. It is a pleasure to work with him! --Cheryl Baier InteMar Communications"
— Cheryl Baier, was a consultant or contractor to Bill at Essendant
"Bill is a highly detail-oriented manager who never loses grasp of strategy. His ability to provide me with a
broad scope understanding of my projects while offering insight into tactical issues was a key factor in my
success working at United Stationers. I would not hesitate to work with (or for) Bill again in the future. His
flexibility and creativity are an asset to any team."
— Keith Strohm, worked indirectly for Bill at Essendant
"Bill was my favorite "go-to guy" for many special projects. He takes direction well; is thorough in his
fact finding; understands style and presentation; completes assignments on time; and, when appropriate,
offers suggestions for improvement. Bill Hicks is one of those rare people who goes the extra mile on every
assignment he's given. If in a position to do so, I would hire him again in a heart beat."
— Robert Smetana, managed Bill indirectly at Essendant
"Bill continually demonstrates his unique ability to provide effective leadership resulting in a highly
productive and professional work environment. Bill recognizes the importance of the team but at the same
time seamlessly expresses his individual style of management. The end result is a win-win for the employer
and employee."
— Steven John, reported to Bill at Essendant
"Bill is, above all of his great qualities, trustworthy and reliable. I worked with Bill at Sentury Publications
and later hired him to operate my printing company when I was on vacation. That's trust. In addition, Bill is
personable, kind spirited, and has a great sense of humor. Highly recommended!"
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— Steve Alter, Mathematics Teacher, Chicago Public Schools, worked directly with Bill at Sentury
Publications
Contact Bill on LinkedIn
