About - Andrea Zoellner

Andrea is an entrepreneur, seasoned marketer, and travel blogger with over a decade of experience helping brands leverage storytelling and marketing technology to reach their goals.

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I have always loved business, media, and technology and the many ways they intersect.

Education

Andrea holds a Bachelor’s in Journalism and a Minor in Diversity and Sustainability from Concordia University in Montreal, Canada. She graduated with distinction in 2013. She also completed Seth Godin’s AltMBA program in the summer of 2021.

Short Bio

Andrea is an entrepreneur, marketer, four-time organizer of WordCamp Montreal, and a co-organizer of Do_action Montreal. She trained as a broadcast journalist and worked in corporate communications before trading it for a career in tech. She worked as a Marketer for Automattic, SiteGround, and was most recently VP of Marketing at Kinsta.

Now, she is using her decade of experience in online marketing to grow her own projects: Keiko Furoshiki and Function House, as well as her YouTube channel, The Capsule Suitcase, full of travel and packing tips.

Trained as a journalist, Andrea also worked in non-profit and corporate communications in multiple fields including education, pharma, and finance. She managed websites and online communities while developing communication and change management strategies during this time. But despite the interesting work, her heart was set on working in tech.

After an internship at Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com, Tumblr, and WooCommerce, Andrea went on to work as an IT coordinator, brand strategist, translator, and WordPress teacher. Then, went back to WordPress.com to join their Marketing team. She later worked at SiteGround web hosting before becoming Kinsta’s video content coordinator and within two years, joined the executive team as the VP of Marketing.

With 3.5 years at Kinsta, and three role changes under her belt, including sitting on the executive team and helping secure private equity investment, it was time to do what she’d always wanted: quit her job to start her own retail business. That’s when Keiko Furoshiki was launched and Andrea also joined her husband at the helm of Function House. Now she co-runs both these companies while offering her marketing services to other high-growth companies.

The Capsule Suitcase

Andrea is an avid traveller and speaks English, French, and Spanish. Her years of business travel and nomadic lifestyle led her to launch The Capsule Suitcase, a packing and travel blog in 2016. In 2020, she started a complementary YouTube channel documenting her packing and travel tips and tricks.

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The WordPress Community

Andrea was a long-time organizer of the WordPress community in Montreal and ran the local WordCamp from 2016 to 2019. She’s spoken at dozen of industry events worldwide and online and is available for podcasts interviews and talks. You can also access her free WordPress courses to learn to build your first website.

Free WordPress 101 courses

Resume

About Me

Marketing executive with a decade of experience developing innovative customer acquisition strategies and leading teams across marketing sectors and channels.

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from Concordia University in Montreal, 2013

Seth Godin’s altMBA, 2021

Experience

VP of Marketing | Kinsta Web Hosting

September 2021 to June 2023, Remote

I managed the Marketing strategy and oversaw the Marketing division, a department of five teams including content marketing, growth, design, affiliate marketing, and website development.

Previous roles at Kinsta

Head of Growth | Kinsta Web Hosting

June 2020 to August 2021, Remote

I oversaw growth marketing efforts at Kinsta. I managed a team of seven that focused on lead generation, advertisement, affiliate marketing, social media, and other demand-generation tactics.

Video Content Manager | Kinsta Web Hosting

January to May 2020, Remote

In this role, I managed the strategic use of video and developed assets for marketing and educational purposes.

Chief Content Creator | SiteGround Web Hosting

May 2018 to December 2019, Remote

In this role, I created content and influenced creative direction and strategy for all of SiteGround’s channels in the English-speaking market.

Content Creator | Automattic / WordPress.com

September 2015 – May 2018, Remote

Wrote copy for WordPress.com landing pages, email campaigns, newsletters, blogs, and created video tutorials.

Localization Partner (French Language) | Viki, Inc.

September 2014 – May 2016, Remote

Translated promotional materials from English to French and adapted them for the French-speaking markets worldwide.

Information Technology Technician | Dawson College

February – July 2015, Montréal, Canada

Supported a major website migration while training more than 80 college staff members to use WordPress.

Business and Communications Intern | Automattic / WordPress VIP

July – September 2014, Remote

Produced sales tools for improved client communication, community outreach, and organized a business meetup in New York City.

Sr. Analyst, Internal Communications | Standard Life

April 2013 – June 2014, Montréal, Canada

Created strategic communication plans and unique content for internal communication purposes across business sectors.

Communications and kickaction.ca Coordinator | Girls Action Foundation

May 2010 – April 2013, Montréal, Canada

Developed communication tools, organized events, and implemented outreach strategies for the Girls Action and kickaction.ca websites.

Communications Intern | Schering-Plough Canada

June – August 2009, Montréal, Canada

Supported internal and external communications campaign communications and coordinated volunteer initiatives.

Digital Media Intern | NEWAD

August – December 2008, Montréal, Canada

Supported website content creation and coordination for Montreal’s premier arts and entertainment website and print magazine Nightlife Montreal.

City Desk Intern | Kelowna Daily Courier

July – August 2008, Kelowna, Canada

Published 30+ articles in both the weekday and weekend editions.

Testimonials

Adrián Sebastián Izquierdo, Head of Affiliate Marketing & Partnerships

At Kinsta, I had the honor of reporting directly to Andrea and was impressed by her skills. She is an exceptional marketer, a charismatic leader, and a vibrant personality. As a marketer, she possesses a unique blend of analytical, data-driven, and creative skills. She consistently comes up with innovative campaigns and creates compelling content that resonates with any target audience.

Andrea is also a determined leader who has the ability to read industry trends and patterns, making her gifted in decision-making. She makes it easy for her team to develop their potential and is not afraid to reassign responsibilities to leverage the team members’ skills and optimize work. Andrea is naturally eloquent and persuasive, which results in her team following her strategy and committing to the team’s goals.

I firmly believe that Andrea would be an excellent choice to lead any business project. I would be thrilled to work with her again.

Jesse Luimes, Growth Marketing Manager at HeyOrca!

I had the privilege of working with Andrea for almost 2.5 years – first reporting to her when she was Head of Growth at Kinsta, then reporting to her when she was VP Marketing. Andrea is the total package. On the marketing side, she’s creative, data-driven, has great project management skills, and is great at looking at things from a short and long-term perspective. As a manager, she’s fair, great at providing feedback, and great at providing all types of assistance. I would jump at the chance to work with Andrea again! Andrea is AWESOME.

Melissa Choy, Head of Marketing Technology, Kinsta

I had the privilege to report to Andrea for almost two years at Kinsta, where she was the VP of Marketing. Her practical approach to leadership was always evident, finding ways to enhance our operations while taking into account the team’s unique strengths. Andrea nurtured a strong remote work culture, fostering support and collaboration amongst the team. She encouraged the team to work to our strengths and bring our own ideas to the table, fostering a sense of ownership that benefitted the entire team. Andrea is a steady and thoughtful leader, and I’m comfortable recommending her for any leadership role, confident she would be a valuable addition to any organisation.

Serena Wu, Project Manager specializing in Marketing, Design, and Creative operations

I had the privilege of working under Andrea for close to 2 years. She always had the team’s best interest in mind. She located the gaps were within our many sub-teams and we worked together to bridge them through creative solutions and communication. She fostered a positive team environment by encouraging connections amongst coworkers, ever-important in a fully remote company. She also considered my professional growth, allowing me to take ownership of various projects and initiatives and make my own mark at the company.

Her guidance and vision have significantly contributed to my professional development and the growth of our Marketing team. She is a remarkable leader deserving of a strong recommendation.