But eventually I fell in love with it. I admired the people I worked with and the passion they held for their professions. I was amazed by the dedication to raise industry standards and the willingness to share ideas and success stories. This inspired me to do more. I searched for creative ways to deliver engaging marketing initiatives that would make a genuine difference with limited access to traditional marketing tools.

Since then I have worked with individual membership-based professional associations, corporate and industry bodies, government-supported social and health sector associations, and self-supported associations for business. The focus of my work has been on member engagement, marketing and communications, digital strategies, sponsorship, technology planning and implementation.

During this time I’ve learned that all associations are different, yet all share a common purpose – to connect people, to lead the profession and to protect professional standards. I know most associations don’t have huge marketing budgets (if any). I recognise that most are run by tiny teams of dedicated people. And I understand how hard it is to engage young professionals and make quick decisions within a complex governance structure.

But I also know that every association has a powerful asset – its membership. With extensive background in services marketing, along with a Masters in Marketing from UNSW and other relevant qualifications attained in the UK and Ukraine, I believe I can help you achieve the best possible results from your marketing budget, whatever it may be.

You don’t need a whole marketing department when you have the support of the MemberBoat team.

Olena Lima, Founder