About
Laird Farquharson is an information and product management professional with recent experience in senior management roles at Canada’s largest and most visible websites. Has rapidly grown into progressively more senior roles with demonstrated strategic thinking, leadership and a strong ability to implement change and foster corporate growth in fast-paced, high energy and innovative environments. Extensive knowledge of various development methodologies, data modeling, and database management.
Summary of Qualifications
- extensive eCommerce, consumer portal, and B2B/B2C product management experience
- specializing in complex sites that connect buyers & sellers
- expert knowledge of search, advertising, video, mobile
- developing and implementing new websites that transform business operations
- 15 years marketing experience
- 12 years building online e-commerce and community sites
- 7 years at director level positions managing teams or direct reports
Areas of expertise
- Product management
- New product development
- E-commerce
- Internet search / advertising
- Online video
- Mobile technologies
- Web usability
- Web Production
- CRMs
- Editorial Systems (CMS)
- Billing Systems
- Data Warehouses
- Processing Systems
- Vendor Management
- Web reporting metrics
Skills / Knowledge
- Solid understanding of web usability and information architecture.
- Intimate knowledge and understanding of business process and technical systems that interact with the various web processes and systems. Such as, print classified systems, billing systems, data warehouses, CRMs, processing systems, editorial systems, content management systems.
- Ability to contribute to both the business and technical specifications, often acting as the interpreter to both groups.
- Expert understanding of search, internet and online advertising and the technical systems that support each (both display advertising and search-based advertising).
- Expert understanding of content management systems
- Expert knowledge of search advertising platforms (google adwords, yahoo omniture, oodle, etc). Certification (Google Certified Adwords Professional)
- Expert knowledge of various web reporting metrics and strong knowledge of the pros and cons of each. (eg, ComScore MediaMetrix, Omniture, Google Analytics, various industry metrics, etc)
- Expert knowledge of web production technologies (html, css, javascript, flash).
- Expert knowledge of web rich-media technologies (flash, ajax, video)
- Experience in product marketing or product management.
- Strong organizational and analytical skills.
- Experience managing project teams.
- Experience managing vendors and supplier relationships.
Innovation
- Strong aptitude for determining the optimal way to implement change.
- Demonstrated capacity for developing and executing strategic plans.
- Ability to understand business needs and technical impacts to best determine various ways to implement strategy – ultimately coming up with the best approach to suit needs, time and budgets.
- Strong creative and analytical thinker
Communication
- Outstanding written and oral communication skills.
- Ability to communicate both orally and in written form with a clear and concise manner. Excel at making business presentations.
- Required to evangelize various products and concepts to senior management, and various sales, support and local market employees.
- Able to understand and converse confidently with a broad range of business units, speaking and being understood by each (sales, marketing, technical, executive, financial, etc).
