I’m Nigel (Jonathan) Casey
If we haven’t already met or if you’re just catching up on what I’ve been up to here’s an intro/update:
I am Irish and I have been living in Ticino, in Southern Switzerland since 1995. I play sax for fun. I have been married to a lovely wife for over twenty years and we have loads of kids but that’s not for here, unless it’s somehow relevant to technology, like in this example.
Ok, this page is way too long so here is an alternative … why not just watch my CV in video format instead?
If you just need advice or guidance about how to get started you can request a 60 or 120 minute consultation by appointment. If you have a team or intend to start building your project you can Hire me for a day. I can either consult, support, train, coach or manage. My job will be to empower your team and help them become expert Digital Professionals. If you are ready to launch (I mean really ready, you will need to have finance) then I would love to have the opportunity to discuss how I could join your team. Review my CV here.
- BA in Art & Design
- BSc in Digital Technology, Design & Innovation
- Msc. in Educational Leadership & Management
Product & Production Design – I graduated from the College of Marketing and Design (Dublin Institute of Technology) in Ireland in 1992 with a Bachelor of Arts. I majored in Sculpture and stone carving was my passion, I spent the next two years learning how to use saws and marble polishing lades in a marble design studio where I also “carved out” the opportunity to design new products and production processes.
In 1994 I travelled to Massa Carrara, Italy, where I had the opportunity to work on the last series of marble sculptures by Max Bill and alongside sculptors like Richard Erdman and Paul Bloch. When I arrived in the SGF marble sculpture studios for the first time I quickly realised that I would have to demonstrate that I could do more than sweep the floors if I intended to do anything interesting during my time there so I decided to attempt to reproduce my old broken Bundy saxophone in a block of Carrara Marble.
I learned to speak fluent Italian and fell in love with a Swiss girl during my stay and that’s what brought me to Switzerland a few years later where I started my next career in the English language sector.
Language Trainer – External Examiner – Translator / Interpreter
I trained as a TEFL teacher before leaving Dublin in 1995 and worked as a freelance language teacher, language consultant and external examiner in Southern Switzerland until 2000. In 1999 I was awarded a CILS4 (C2 for translators/Interpreters) Italian Proficiency Certificate by the University of Siena, Italy.
Impresa svizzera d’aeronautica – ESP consultant, Reist Lingue RTZ – TEFL Trainer – ECAP, Corsi per assicurati URC, Corsi per adulti, Chiasso e Bellinzona, SPAI Biasca – Courses for apprentices, STA – Viganello – External Examiner, Scuola di Arti e Mestieri, Canobbio – Substitute, Liceo Galileo Galilei – High School Teacher for Federal Maturity, Scuolalingua – Lugano, Scuola Migros – Lugano, Scuola Benedict – Lugano, Valois-Dispray (Now Aptar Group) Corporate Language Trainer.
From Freelance to Business Management
Direct Marketing & Sales – I was initially hired for the position of Didactic Director but soon stepped into the role of Regional Director. There was an opening and my new job would have depended on the role being filled so I put on my only (wedding) suit and hopped on a train to the Swiss HQ to convince the owner to let me try … that’s when I began learning about team building, direct marketing and sales. During my two year employment as Regional Director I managed to generate over 1.5 million in profitable turnover. That experience opened my eyes and was a significant transition from student/artist/musician to the world of grown ups, business and never ending personal growth.
From Finance to Business Owner
Marketing in the Financial Sector – I worked from 2002 to 2004 in the financial sector as “Director of Marketing” … which was mostly a question of relationship management on behalf of the international group. Although that experience was financially rewarding, I realised that it was not my passion so I decided to incorporate my own language business in 2004.
I have gained extensive training and experience in Transformational Leadership over the course of the past twenty years in the fields of Education (including course design), Training Quality Management & EduQua Certification and Lean Business Development.
Learning Design & Lean Business Growth – I developed the high-end learning programmes which targeted professionals and businesses, I built the brand and the business, generated millions in turnover and created lots of jobs too. Sixteen years after walking into my first classroom I decided to move on and sold my first business in 2011. The business model was turned on its head by the new management and the business was subsequently closed. In 2018 I decided to launch the online members website for italian speakers offering English fluency training and resources; Il segreto per parlare inglese. With almost 700 students registered in just a few months this project is currently already generating profibable recurring income. In addition to generating additional income streams this project serves as a real-life zero-budget business launch case-study for the Digital Professionals Academy community.
From Direct Sales to Inbound Web Marketing
Web Development & Online (Inbound) Marketing – In 2008 I had started with online marketing for my language business and that became my new direction. In 2010, one year before I sold my language business, I launched a web marketing agency and in 2013 a video marketing campaign I was running brought me to the attention of the youLabor Foundation (English translation on request), which presented me with a really interesting project and the role of Head of Inbound Marketing, Training & Development.
Designing Digital Training Programmes for Businesses and Job Seekers
Digital Inbound Marketing – Training & Development – My role with the youLabor Foundation focused on two key areas of activity and entailed designing, implementing and managing scalable digital marketing strategies for corporate clients in Switzerland and Italy and developing e-Learning platforms, in-house training programs and seminars to educate both job seekers, businesses and professionals on how to use the web and social networks to achieve their marketing and professional objectives. Activities included training, supporting, mentoring, and developing new and existing members of our digital marketing team. I oversaw the ramp-up period of our new entries, and lead the training development projects for web and social media.
In 2017, this is what I am doing …
Digital Innovation … Organisational Learning Development, User Experience and Project Management
I’m still married to the same lovely wife 🙂 I still play that saxophone and I am still constantly learning about all sorts of everything that arouses my curiosity. I have recently started an MSc. in Educational Leadership and Management which I intend to finish in 2019 (UPDATE: Graduated successfully with merit in 2019). I really enjoy applying my learning on a practical level in my work and I have a choice of really interesting contexts in which to do it.
Learning Development – I manage the development of learning solutions for both corporations and small businesses. My key focus is on fully understanding learning requirements, exploring opportunities for further innovation through continuous iteration and collaborative teamwork, and on supporting my teammates within the Agile framework.
Digital Product & Digital Marketing Management – My projects follow the Product Development Cycle from concept, research, analysis through to design, development and launch. As a qualified Inbound Marketing and Social Media Consultant I also contribute to directing strategies to successfully distribute and deliver e-Learning products to their respective audiences.
Agile Project Management – I am a Certified Scrum Master and Scrum Product Owner and a Certified Hootsuite Social Media Consultant. I have obtained HubSpot certification in both Inbound Marketing and Growth Driven Design. I am proficient in WordPress. I have a complete understanding of the challenges and opportunities that marketers, designers and coders face and I am very capable when it comes to communicating in cross functional, co-located and distributed teams. Forming teams is my absolute favourite activity and everything I do always entails finding ways to transfer skills and knowledge, rather than just providing services and solutions.
If your organisation is in need of direction or support in your digital efforts I can Develop your Learning Project, distribute your product to your audience, Promote and Sell your Digital Projects and/or I can Manage your Cross-Functional Distributed Teams.
I have an Honours BSc Degree in Digital Technology, Design and Innovation (with distinction). I hold Professional Coaching qualifications, have a proven track record in Direct Sales and Marketing (Outbound), Business Development, HR Team Building, Learning Product Management, Agile Project Management, Social Media, Online Advertising (PPC) and Inbound Marketing. I am native English and a qualified TEFL teacher and Italian translator/interpreter (University of Siena Italy, CILS4).
Most recently, I have just returned from the ESMO congress (European Society for Medical Oncology) in Madrid. I took on a three month contract to coordinate the web editorial content and evaluate options for introducing content marketing and social media strategies. This was also an interesting and useful opportunity for a case study on HR Strategy for my MSc. in Educational Leadership and Management.
If you would like to know more about my professional activities please visit my LinkedIn profile, and feel free to connect.
