The core strategy, data analytics, and marketing leads are Sabaa Quao, Selin Sheppard, and Hilary Doyle. Dozens of writers, editors, and creative producers in the network are engaged on NWSRMS projects based on the requirements of each content or coverage assignment.
Sabaa Quao
• I’m a career entrepreneur with a passion for creativity in business. I have built, managed, and collaborated with creative, editorial, and technology-driven teams in over a dozen countries. I started my first little business venture at 16 years old, and my first real company at 23. I grew up in Montreal, built my career in Toronto and London UK. And my most enduring collaborators and partners are based in Bucharest, Bangkok, and New York — I’ve collaborated with some of them for over 25 years. “Step into the darkness,” we always say, as we start on a new project.
• I started experimenting with ‘short format” content in 2006, and then live content and coverage models in 2009. Many of these projects wrestled with the emergence of social media and the fragmentation of audiences online. What I learned culminated in a fully functioning marketing newsroom model in 2012.
• I hold a BComm in Marketing. I’m also formally trained in design (Communication and Design, OCAD) and have decades of experience as a creative director. I had a little extra time on my hands after the dot.com meltdown so… I completed my MBA at University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management.
Selin Sheppard
• I lead the analytics and insights team at NWSRMS, translating data into meaningful insights on a daily basis. Having spent more than 16 years in the digital marketing industry, I have experience with both agency and client side operations.
• My approach is unique in that I help bridge the gap between marketing and data, highlighting the importance of communication between both departments. The data we generate feeds real-time insights into every node of the organization — from editorial calendars to live coverage. Finally, all efforts map back to business impact and conversion.
• I hold a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Toronto, specializing in Marketing.
Hilary Doyle
• As a business journalist, correspondent, and broadcaster, I bring operational experience to the content marketing discipline at NWSRMS. I play a direct role in building functional “newsrooms” teams around each of our clients’ brands. I co-lead our specialty practice area in financial services: NWSRMS will launch Wealthie Works Daily in Q4 2019, a savings and financial services platform built around kids, families, and communities.
• I’m also a former Second City actress. I wrote, co-created, and starred in the financial comedy series, Stock & Awe, which aired across Canada on CTV and BNN. I’ve developed and written shows for W Network, CTV, CBC, Sportsnet, TVA, and ESPN. This hands-on experience is directly applicable to our content creation.
• I completed a Master of Laws in International Business from the University of Toronto, and a BSc in Communications and Theatre from Northwestern University.