The Team
Christine Da Silva – Founder & Online Marketing Strategist |
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AlterSage is led by Christine da Silva (nee Stander), a well respected Search Engine Optimisation and Online Marketing Strategist. She has an enviable depth of experience and knowledge of the Online Marketing industry gained over nine years together with her reputation has secured AlterSage clients from around the globe. Having in her career headed the Online Marketing division of South Africa’s most successful online travel company, Search Divisions for the two leading Search Engine Marketing companies in South Africa, as well as consulted to a well respected international search leader, Christine set out to fine tune and provide more robust, result oriented Online Marketing services. In her opinion it was not enough to purely enable websites to rank better online, but rather a two-fold process that increases the website exposure online and |
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simultaneously improves the usability and conversion performance of the website as well. This means that after the site is found online, visitors move through it with ease to perform the required goal – whether that is to buy a product, call a consultant, sign up for a newsletter or submit an enquiry. In 2006, determined to offer clients a solution which would be custom created for their specific goals, industry and audience, she launched AlterSage Online Marketing. Since opening the AlterSage doors she has tutored and grown her in-house team in the fields of web copywriting, SEO, PPC and strategy. Her team is as passionate about gaining sustainable results as she is. The team is well experienced in the USA, UK and SA markets for a very wide range of industries as can be seen by AlterSage’s Online Marketing Portfolio. AlterSage now consults to UK Search Marketing and Digital Agencies clients’ as well as maintaining key relationships with a number of international and South African clients directly. Other skill sets acquired over the years are: Business, project and account management; all facets of online and offline marketing, graphic design, web design, web development and copy writing, web analytics and online behavioural trends which go hand in hand with her SEO style. Which ever project or industry she has previously consulted for she has rapidly acquired a reputation for strategizing, execution and delivery on competitive niches gaining her clients measurable and sustainable results. Christine is passionate about everything she does and inspires both her team and clients through striving uncompromisingly for the best results proven by AlterSage’s Online Marketing Case Studies. |
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Lauren Locke – Personal Assistant to Christine da Silva |
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Proud mother of three, Lauren began her professional life with qualifications in beauty technology. However, it wasn’t the beauty industry that got her in the end as she cut her teeth in the Financial Services industry working for a number of big corporates in a supporting and co-ordinating capacity. Since May 2008, her focus shifted somewhat and her role became that of full-time mom to her three children. |
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| Lauren is devoted to family life, and spends most of her free time enjoying family-friendly outdoor activities with her children, partner and their Labrador puppy, Carter. As Lauren re-enters formal employment as Christine’s Personal Assistant, she brings her valuable strong organisational skills with her, a necessity when running a busy household and office! Lauren adopts a no-limitations approach and likes to get involved and help out where she can. |
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Carla Fourie – Marketing Manager |
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As AlterSage’s Marketing Manager, Carla is a savvy businessperson and networker extraordinaire. When she’s not representing AlterSage at high-profile industry events, she’s taking to the Internet to keep the world informed about the latest company news and developments. Combining her degree in Marketing Management with a thorough understanding |
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| of the online world, Carla is helping to create a formidable presence for AlterSage, both online and offline. She thrives on the challenges posed by the evolving online marketing industry, and often scours emarketingblog.co.za and BizCommunity.com to catch up on the latest industry happenings. And, to stay on top of it all, she compiles lists: Carla finds it very gratifying to tick items off as she goes. Carla believes that a goal is a dream with a deadline – but she makes time to unwind too. When she’s not visiting her favourite websites – brandrepublic.com, iol.co.za, adage.com and fmylife.com – she loves to travel. This is just as well, considering that she commutes from Sunningdale each day (it’s on the map, really!). The R27 aside, Carla’s travelled extensively throughout South Africa and Namibia, and hopes to visit Mozambique and Thailand next. They’re on her list, just waiting to be ticked off! |
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Nicola Neutt – Project Manager |
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AlterSage’s Project Manager is an all-rounder with a flair for design – but it’s in traffic management that Nicola’s found her niche. With a diploma in Multimedia Technology, Nicola has spent time working both in design and in technical support. However, since joining AlterSage and earning her National Qualification in Project Management, she’s not tempted to return to her design roots (which we think is due to the awesome team at AlterSage!). Nicola runs a tight ship, and ensures that all hands are on deck when deadlines roll around. As the link between clients and staff, Nicola’s job is to keep everything running smoothly at the AlterSage offices – a task she fulfils with skill, efficiency and a much-needed sense of humour! Nicola has further boosted her |
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| skill-set by earning her Google Analytics Individual Qualification, and when she’s not learning, she takes a time out by visiting her favourite websites, including fmylife.com and PostSecret. Although she glams it up for the office, Nicola isn’t afraid of roughing it! In her spare time, she rounds up her friends for camping trips, river-rafting and good ‘ol South African braais. And when it comes to the basics, Nicola knows how it rolls: A cool pair of sneakers and a little black dress – not necessarily worn at the same time – are cinches for any occasion! |
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Jonathan Andrews – eMarketing Strategist |
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After finishing a Bachelors Degree and a subsequent post-graduate qualification in Journalism and Media Studies, Jono set out to conquer the world. Regrettably, it wound up conquering him: What he thought would turn into a budding career in journalism in Canada turned into a job as a short-order cook and call-centre racketeer. Nine months later, he found himself in the UK and two eventful years followed. In addition to the extra weight he gained in London, he also picked up a fair amount of what he likes to call “life experience”. Fortunately, this lead him back to South Africa in 2005, and into the online world, where he got a good grounding in copywriting and an introduction to SEO at one of the country’s top inbound travel operators. He has been involved in online |
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| marketing in one way or another ever since. Jono’s strong point? He thinks it’s his dashing good looks, but we reckon it must be his sense of humour. At AlterSage, he aims to both contribute and learn in his role as eMarketing Strategist. His passion for the Internet and keeping abreast of the latest trends keep him motivated in this ever-evolving industry. Jono is a results-driven person. He finds it satisfying to be learning and trying new things all the time, and to be able to measure and assess the success of these efforts. |
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Simon Shear – Content Team Leader |
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Joburg will always be home for Simon, wherever he happens to be living. But he was unable to resist Cape Town’s charms and now resides in the shadow of the mountain, which is lank kiff. After studying at Wits, Simon relocated to London and found himself working, briefly, at a (literally) underground bar. |
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| He then moved horizontally to a media company located in a basement. More recently, he was employed at a Johannesburg office only comfortably accessible by an escalator. With focus and determination, he is confident of one day acquiring a view. Simon admires good writing and abhors pedantry, at least according to certain definitions of the term. He is constantly surprised by the power of the internet to convey valuable information, and never less than astounded by human capacity to ignore that information and watch videos of cats playing ping pong. Which is why he is committed to creating copy that works. |
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Erica Krasity – Marketing Intern |
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Our marketing intern, who hails all the way from Michigan, is spending a break from school here in Cape Town. Until she returns home in September, Erica will be assisting our marketing coordinator Carla with tasks including research, blogging, article syndication, and client work. |
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| in 2012 with degrees in English and Business Administration and plans on ultimately seeking a career in marketing. Specifically, Erica is drawn to the dynamic nature of the online marketing field and loves exploring the innovative ways marketers can combine new technologies with traditional mediums and strategies. Before beginning to explore marketing with an internship at a radio station, Erica developed a lasting caffeine addiction during her time as a barista and refined her knowledge of basic maths and reading while tutoring elementary school students. When she’s not busy with work and school, she likes to spend most of her time outside – camping, hiking, cycling, rollerblading, and riding horses. Erica is deeply involved with the Arabian horse industry and has racked up several national titles with her show horse Double Down. She has travelled extensively around the U.S, Canada, and Mexico (often for riding competitions) and is hoping to plan a trip to South America after she returns from Africa. |
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Tara McGovern – Campaign Manager |
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Tara is AlterSage’s PPC pro, spending her days expertly managing campaigns and getting great results for clients. She’s racked up many years’ worth of experience in the SEM industry and, despite starting out as an aspirant fashion designer, she soon decided that SEM, rather than sewing machines, was where the action was. For Tara, it’s all about ROI, and by keeping up with the latest online trends, she ensures that AlterSage’s clients enjoy the best possible returns on their campaigns. Even when she’s playing, Tara’s working! Last year, she left the sunny shores of the Cape for the infinitely warmer climes of northern Spain, where she continued to work for AlterSage from a quaint cottage in Barcelona. Thanks to a working knowledge of Spanish and a constant supply of sangria, Tara courageously explored the country on her own, |
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| before returning to the Mother City a little tired but infinitely inspired! In her free time, Tara catches up on the latest Hollywood gossip at perezhilton.com and expands her SEM knowledge at SEOChat.com. And, when she’s not at the office (or elsewhere in the world), Tara can be found horse-riding, pampering her pet pooch Teddy, and whipping up irresistible lemon meringue tarts. |
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