Why Advisory Boards and User Communities?

There are a few reasons I decided to focus on offering services to build and run Customer/Partner Advisory Boards and Communities:

  • I’ve seen first-hand the benefits of having well-governed Advisory Boards and Communities. In markets like the U.S., the practices are mature and programs are well resourced. However, this isn’t always the case in Asia Pacific.

  • Some multi-national companies include regional customers and partners in global programs, but that may not prove as beneficial if the regional teams don’t hear the feedback, and if participants can’t discuss locally-relevant topics.

  • Another big barrier is ownership. The responsibility for these programs can fall between the cracks because the focus areas cross many lines of business. The skillset required to manage these programs is also broad, covering strategy, governance, facilitation, marketing, communications, customer experience and operations.

By leveraging my skills in these areas, and applying my experience from working with large companies around the world, the services I offer help customers, partners and companies in Asia Pacific benefit from their own local Boards and Communities.

Benefits of an Independent Board and Community Coordinator

  • Alignment

    Teams across your business are aligned on outcomes so you gain insight and benefits across functions.

  • Balance

    There is balance across agenda topics and customers and partners know they can cover any areas relevant to them.

  • Focus

    Your teams can participate freely and focus on the context of the discussions, not the logistics or note-taking.

  • Impartiality

    Customers feel more comfortable providing detailed feedback about the topics and structure.

  • Time

    The time required to run a detailed, ongoing program doesn't fall on one of your existing teams.

A Bit More About Me

Jennifer Arnold MAICD

I’m a senior executive and consultant with nearly three decades of global and Asia Pacific-wide leadership experience across marketing, sales, communications, demand management operations, and customer experience.

I’ve worked for leading global IT software and services companies including SAP, IBM, Unisys and Squiz, as well as QBE Insurance. I’ve also held senior leadership roles in large marketing/PR agencies.

Through these roles I’ve worked with a diverse range of clients across FMCG and retail, telco, financial services, utilities and all levels of government to build CX, demand gen, and brand building programs.

I’ve driven large-scale demand gen programs, GTM development, product launches, transition communications, and multi-million dollar tender campaigns. I’ve also helped companies build and run advisory boards and user communities of all sizes.

My  greatest enjoyment comes from helping organisations improve how they engage with and deliver services to customers and employees; in particular, developing strategies to help them improve digital services and communication through data and insights, mature processes, the right technology tools, and clear value props and messaging.

Much of my experience has been in helping organisations transform: building digital CX/EX  transformation programs, shifting corporate direction between product and services, moving from on-premise to cloud, and maturing systems and processes to support scale and growth.

I hold a Bachelor of Science honours degree in Mass Communication from Boston University and am a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
My LinkedIn profile.