CHARLIE MATHEWS
I’m a growth marketer and serial
entrepreneur who loves building brands.
I grow
brands
NAME/
I was born Mandy Lee Mathews. After I
married I became Mandy de Waal. I’m in the
process of changing my name to Charles Lee
Mathews to honour my father and celebrate
my queer identity. Please call me Charlie.
PERSONAL/
nationality/ South African
residence/ Toronto & Cape Town
language/ English
CONTACTS/
email/-phone/ -
skype/ mandy.de.waal
SOCIAL/
twitter/ @charlesleeza
facebook/ charles.lee.mathews
linkedin/ mandydewaal
google+/ mandydewaal
PROFILE/
Curious. Independent. Creative, yet
analytical. I am a problem-solving ‘doer’ who
is motivated by achievement. I’ve worked
remotely for the past decade.
VALUES/
Curiousity. Trust. Growth. Intelligence.
Co-operation. Diversity. Independence.
PUBLISHED IN/
South Africa’s Greatest Entrepreneurs
My first business was Mathews Communications, a retail consultancy I
founded in my early twenties that helped manage the buyout of
Checkers by Shoprite. I founded my first ad agency, Clarus
Communications, in my mid-twenties and sold it a few years later. A
decade later I'd co-founded Idea Engineers and grew it into a
multi-million rand agency, before selling it.
I helped establish one of the fastest growing offices for global tech PR
company, Text 100. I won a few awards for that, including the
Chairman's award for growth.
I've helped a number of tech start-ups go to market, raise VC funding,
and grow. These include Naspers' MWeb and 24.Com as well as MWeb
Business and MWeb Auctions. Tech startups I've worked with include
Acceleration, Tutuka.com, Mosaic Software, and ABSA's digital banking
offering. I love the satisfaction that comes with growing brands by
making them better for customers.
I worked as a writer, media growth hacker and investigative journalist
under the name Mandy de Waal. This was exciting, meaningful and
contributed hugely to my understanding of life, politics, and business.
I'm published in Rolling Stone Magazine, Guardian, Mail & Guardian,
Finweek, Daily Maverick, Noseweek, GroundUp, IJNet, City Press,
Rapport and more. I was a researcher for Washington’s Center for
Public Integrity. I’ve done investigations for Amabhugane. I raised
R1-million for Daily Maverick and helped grow it into one of SA's top
titles.
*Growth Marketing * Writing * Storytelling * Research * Brand &
Marketing Strategy * Digital PR * Content Marketing * Social
Marketing * Training & Mentoring * Digital Marketing * Lead
Generation *
Banking, B2B, Digital, Marketing, Media, Research, Retail, Social,
Software [SAAS Specialist], Start-Ups, Travel & Leisure, Telecoms
Absa, Acceleration, Checkers, Continuon, Heinz, Ideas Incorporated,
Microsoft, Mosaic Software [sold to S1 Corp], Motorola, MWeb, Nashua
Mobile, Naspers, Ornico, Salesforce, Shoprite, Tutuka.com, World
Wide Worx
CHARLIE MATHEWS
August 2017→Present. Growth Hacker at Continuon
* Operating Systems:
Windows (XP, 7, 8 & 10)
Linux (Ubuntu)
* Software: MS Project; Gimp
2; Inkscape; Microsoft
Office; Prezi; Paper53;
Trello; Asana; Google Suite;
Airtable
* CMS, Blogs and Forums:
WordPress; MovableType;
Blogger; Squarespace;
Google Sites
* Email marketing/CRM
Integration: SalesForce.com;
Hubspot
* Web Analytics: Google
Analytics; Hootsuite;
Facebook Analytics
* Internet advertising: Google
AdWords; Facebook;
LinkedIn
My goal is to help position the SaaS platform as a first choice for influencer
marketing in South Africa and beyond. To achieve this I'm helping to bed down the
Go-To-Market plan. Building out a growth marketing plan focused on lead
generation, retention and referrals. Mapping the customer journey to determine the
best customer processes. My focus is on lead generation, customer retention and
referrals. Given my deep expertise with branding, I also focus on the brand, PR,
messaging, writing and storytelling. My mandate includes revising all the sales and
customer facing content, and helping to manage research reports. Continuon's first
research study on social influence in SA will be done with World Wide Worx.
June 2012→Present. Consulting Editor to MarkLives.com
I'm a regular columnist and a consulting editor to MarkLives.com. I advise the editor
on top level editorial and marketing issues. I've also worked on endorsement
campaigns and advertising for MarkLives.com
2013→September 2017. Growth Marketer for Ornico
Helped transform Ornico from a commodity monitoring company into a brand
intelligence and social analytics firm. Conceived the new business plan, led the brand
and marketing strategy. Consulted to the CEO. Mentored the marketing team.
Oversaw public research reports, worked on product development, and customer
excellence programme. Managed custom publishing, high level content, and ghost
writing for the CEO. During this time the business grew from an operation of 30 to a
team of 180. During my time the business grew from an operation of 30 people to a
team of 180, with offices in SA, Kenya & Nigeria.
Aug 2016 to July 2017→Growth for Treeshake
Projects for Treeshake. Team member on global campaigns including: #OpenAfrica
with Elsie Kanza, head of WEF Africa; #InternetForAll with WEF; #50/50Day in
South Africa; and Mina Guli’s #Run4Water. The #Run4Water team achieved over
105-million social impressions. Editorial publicity was achieved on BBC, Daily Mail,
New York Post, Fortune, ABC and in China Daily.
From 2008 to 2015 I worked as an investigative journalist for Daily Maverick, Eyewitness
News, Finweek, GroundUp, Guardian, IJNet, Mail & Guardian, and Rolling Stone. Helped
launch and raise R1-million for Daily Maverick.
HOBBIES/
Learning & growing /
Cartooning - I’m the resident
cartoonist at MarkLives.com /
Drawing - Check out my work
on Instagram / Writing a novel
[for the past four years] /
Playing video games / Reading
comics or books / Travel /
Cooking / Walking / Swimming
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Founded Idea Engineers and grew it into a multi-million rand hot shop before selling
it. The second time I’ve successfully grown, and sold, an agency
Launched and managed the Cape Town office of global tech PR company, Text 100.
Won the chairman’s award for growth and two Planet Text 100 Awards, as well as the
Financial Mail PRISM award
Helped to launch MWeb and 24.com for technology giant Naspers
Helped pivot and rebrand Coupons.co.za into Tututuka.com. Helped raise R5-million
in VC funding, for Tutuka.com
