Matt Simpson, MBA

• Ascended to lead of copy team in April 2008 with responsibilities ranging from quality assurance to managing team workload to coaching
• Led creation of multipage web presence for $240M services organization; wrote copy, guided design and presented for executive approval
• Articulated Fortune 500 organization’s redefined value proposition in global and North American corporate overview brochures
• Guided creative development and execution of e-newsletter program, which exceeds industry response averages – subscribers: 25-30% open, 10-12% click through; prospects: 15-20% open, 2-3% click through
• Wrote for a variety of media including direct mail, billboards, case studies, print and online advertising, press releases, executive letters and more
• Chosen to participate in two-day offsite copywriting seminar and two-day workshop aimed at training Insight sales force on new sales methodology

Founder / Publisher
EchoFromTheButtes.com (Tempe, Arizona)
August 2008 – March 2009

• Built audience for startup sports website using online marketing tools including social networking sites, blogs, SEO, Google Analytics and more
• Drew more than 1,000 visitors per week just four months after launch
• Multiplied organic search traffic tenfold with on- and off-page SEO tactics

Sports Writer / Prep Coordinator
East Valley Tribune (Mesa, Arizona)
April 2001 – July 2007

• Guided four full-time writers and over 30 contractors in coverage of 20 varsity sports at 40 local high schools
• Implemented several changes to coverage and improved contractor pool through recruitment and training
• Won two Arizona Press Club Awards for excellence in sports writing

Contract Writer / Marketer
Various Employers (Tempe, Arizona)
July 2007 – Present

• Completed variety of projects for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Arizona State University, Desert Islands Restaurant Group, Fairytale Brownies, Phoenix Magazine and more
• Commended for meeting deadlines and exceeding expectations for assignment scope and quality

• 3.9 GPA, 96% in marketing course

Bachelor of Arts, Journalism
Arizona State University (Tempe, Arizona)
1999 – 2001

• Minored in history, also studied engineering

Steve Downey, Managing Editor
Coman Publishing (Raleigh, North Carolina)
“Matt was instrumental in the successful launch of Maroon & Gold Illustrated, a publication dedicated to Arizona State athletics. He is a good writer and has been a dependable member of our freelance staff since the inception of the publication.”

Brian Camen, P.R. Coordinator
Thunderbird School of Management (Phoenix, Arizona)
“While reporting directly to Matt at the Tribune, his managerial skills allowed me to develop into the person I am today. He is very detail oriented and has an excellent work ethic. Matt was always willing to go above and beyond and take extra time to explain techniques and skills to colleagues, a characteristic that is shown less and less in a professional environment today. I highly recommend Matt’s managerial skills and only wish our career paths cross down the road someday.”

Kari Gayes, Marketing Coordinator
Fairytale Brownies (Phoenix, Arizona)
“We’ve used Matt as a copyeditor for our catalogs, and he is top-notch. He hasn’t missed a single error, always has great suggestions for improvement and quickly caught on to our company’s stylistic preferences. I would recommend him to anyone and plan to work with him again.”