Simon Makker

Background

About Simon Makker

EXPERIENCE: 2020-present: Senior Communications Advisor at Christchurch City Council 2019-2020: Senior Media Advisor at Christchurch City Council 2017-2019: Senior Communications Advisor for Regenerate Christchurch 2014-2017: Earthquake Recovery Communications Manager for New Zealand Red Cross. 2011-2014 - Manager Client Liaison and Course Editor at Techniworks Action Learning, Loganholme, Qld. 2010-2011 - Communications and Athlete Manager for Unit Clothing, Helensvale, Qld. 2007-2010 - Editor of Freerider MX Magazine, Burleigh Heads, Qld. 2003-2007 - Staff writer, news editor and photographer for Australasian Dirt Bike Magazine, Sydney, NSW. 2001-2003 - Reporter at the Taupo Times, New Zealand. ACHIEVEMENTS & AWARDS • Spearheaded national communications for New Zealand Red Cross response in Kaikoura during the first five days after the 14 November 2016 earthquakes. This included live TV and radio crosses, and national and international interviews. • Comprehensive First Aid certificate. • Led a range of pilot collaboration projects between New Zealand Red Cross and SCIRT to explore ways a humanitarian organisation and engineering company can effectively work together to better the community in a post-disaster space. • Experienced with InDesign, Photoshop CS6, Bridge CS6, Excel, Microsoft Word, Wordpress, Joomla, Macs, PCs, a wide range of social media platforms, DSLR photography and video, and the use of DJI Phantom drones. • Helped organise and promote the 2013, 2014 and 2016 Farm Jams to both action-sports and mainstream media, organised international athletes, arranged sponsorships and looked after all social media. • Was instrumental in building Unit Clothing’s Facebook fanbase from “Likes” in June 2010 to “Likes” when I left in October 2011. • Organised and co-ordinated the event, then marketed, the BMX Triple Backflip viral Youtube video that received 7 million views in seven days in May 2011. • Editor of two books: The Ultimate Guide To Freestyle (September 2008) and 100 Years of Kiwitahi commemorative book (July 2013). • 80 words a minute in Teeline.