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Kristina Balendor

Multilingual marketing and event management expert with proven track record in luxury brands.
About

February 2022, my life has changed from one day to another, as did the life of all Ukrainians. After my hometown Irpin was destroyed, I was forced to flee the country with my kids. However, this is not the place to share my life story. I would rather have you know that I am looking for an opportunity to work in Switzerland, so I take care of my children, let them be children again, and contribute to the country that welcomed me. I am sure that my experience and dedication, my ability to dream big and turn these dreams into reality will be an asset to every company. I am an experienced Marketing, Project and Event Manager, with a proven track record in luxury goods, NGOs, and upscale hospitality. Yet, I'm very open to exploring new industries and careers- with a passion for learning, I thrive on challenges and change. I firmly believe that "nothing is impossible" - whether it's last-minute changes in brand guidelines or logistical challenges, it won't stop me from providing the best experience for my customers. I have a hands-on mentality and I'm also a quick learner even without previous experience in the field, and I am not afraid to take responsibility for my ideas and action. I want to share two work examples with you I'm very proud of: -"School.be.cool": While on maternity leave, I recognized the importance of proper sex education for both children and parents. Still, there was a lack of easily digestible training for families in Ukraine. With no prior knowledge and within a short period of time, I organized a successful series of events on this highly sensitive topic together with a friend. A social project endorsed by KOLs and a large Ukrainian NGO, all events were fully booked and became a great success. -"Artists Prize" for Montblanc; or where luxury meets social responsibility. Inspired by the brand's strong affiliation with art, I saw an opportunity to promote modern Ukrainian artists while reinforcing the brand. Together with a strong team of agencies, partners, and colleagues, I brought the project to life - from idea to execution. This award has gained great recognition in the Ukrainian art scene and led to a triple-digit increase in sales. Unfortunately, the exhibition of our winner Yevgen Golubentsev never took place due to the war. Together with the whole team, we still dream and plan to realize this exhibition one day. I am currently looking for a job in or around Zurich (80 to 100%) as my kids go to school here. I would thus appreciate the opportunity to meet you in person and discuss how I can add value to your company.

Previous Brands
5* hotels, InterContinental and Opera Kyiv
Montblanc, Van Cleef and Arpels, Tiffany & Co, Bulgari
School.be.cool NGO
Work Experience
Marketing activation / Project and event Manager
Feb ‘20 -
Montblanc, Van Cleef and Arpels, Tiffany & Co, Bulgari

Project and event management. Boutique management. Cross-functional stakeholder and agency management. Key responsibilities: - Project and event management. From idea, concept creation to execution, incl. ambience and banquet management, to KPIs monitoring. Full budget responsibility. Escalation and issue management. VIP guest relation management. - Boutique management. Leading CRM transformation, strategy and tactics development to enhance shopper experience incl. but not limited to sales personnel training and mystery shopper programs. - Cross-functional stakeholder management. Matrix collaboration with direct managers and dotted line stakeholders from regional offices. Agency and supplier management – from pitch to execution and debrief, relationship management. Key achievements: - Montblanc - Artists Award. Innovative award program – from design to execution, endorsed by regional offices. Best-in-class execution, linking brand equity to company objectives, resulted in >150% sales increase. Strong brand recognition and reinforcement through non-paid influencer uptake. Targeted strategy to kick off brand social media presence, with double digit follower growth post-event. - Van Cleef and Arpels – Art of Clip exhibition. Execution of international marketing activation plan, including but not limited to OOH advertising, print, TV and guest / VIP guest management. >300% sales increase post-event thanks to new customers and increase of shopping basket. - Bulgari boutique reopening. Concept to execution, including pop-up brand museum. Boutique opening event management, incl. comprehensive promotion and media relations. Implementation and amplification of HQ brand messaging.

Co-Founder
Nov ‘16 - Jan ‘20
School.be.cool NGO

Organization of an innovative and successful series of events dedicated to a highly sensitive and yet important topic: sex education for parents and teenagers. Key responsibilities: idea creation, concept and content co-development, speakers / KOLs management, sponsoring activation, event, and budget management. Key achievements: first series of events fully sold-out, received endorsement from a major Ukrainian NGO foundation.

Front desk / Guest relation agent
Sep ‘08 - Nov ‘10
5* hotels, InterContinental and Opera Kyiv

Key responsibilities: - Front desk management. Check-in and check-out procedures, loyalty program upselling, priority club service management. - Guest relation management. Guest care and support, VIP guest relation management, issues and complaint handling. - Travel arrangements. Travel booking and coordination, organization of sightseeing tours and other travel. Key achievements: Overperformed targets on guest room upselling and loyalty program recruiting. A key member of a successful hotel pre-opening team

Languages
English
German
Italian
Russian
Ukrainian
Education & Training
Institute of Tourism, Kyiv, Ukraine
‘05 - ‘10
Specialist Degree (equivalent to Master of Arts)
Zürich, Switzerland