Strategic Business Case Study - Founder of Digital Skills Authority
Further to a progression of developing and co-delivering e-business, marketing and e-commerce management and leader certifications as CEO through her group of management consulting, marketing service and publishing group of companies, 2008 - 2016, leading a team of trainers and consultants, Deborah created an educational publishing company dedicated to The Certificate in Online Business certifications. In 2021 the UK government allowed the official incorporated name change to Digital Skills Authority.
She has been responsible for:
- Evolving DSA's Digital Business and Marketing Skills education framework since 2009
Development of an industry Digital Governance Framework, used by leaders at government organisations, fortune 500, blue-chip companies and SMEs around the globe
Development of strategic planning methodologies in digital business, marketing and advertising, used by organisations internationally - Entire business and commercial strategy, structure and leadership of the company
- 5-year business planning and financial forecasting (scrutinized by publishing, recruitment and commercial industry-leaders)
- Overseeing digital productization (e-learning subscription), digital transformation, distribution, licensing, partnerships, marketing, content and advertising strategy, senior leader/ board recruitment, technology, e-commerce planning and implementation, quality and product
- Overseeing digital tranformation of organisation during the pandemic to include over 45-hours of audio, video, interactive e-learning content via our e-learning platform and the strategy of secure live onlne exams
Certification Brand Development and Strategic Business Case Study
The Digital Skills Authority which is the publisher and industry certification organisation for The Certificate in Online Business certifications was founded by it's President Deborah Collier.
COB Certified are a series of industry-recognised certifications in e-business, e-commerce and marketing, developed by Deborah in 2008. During 2012-2014 Deborah invited expert contributor trainers to provide up-to-date training in social media marketing and pay-per-click advertising to the newest of the series: COB Certified Digital Marketing Manager Program. In early 2016, all three programs, which were a acquired by a third-party publishing company, finally made their home at a newly formed dedicated certification company, further to interest from a large US group to buy the certification brands (as a certification company). Deborah expanded that portfolio in 2019-2020, with additional practitioners, trainers and presenters to develop and deliver further programs, as well as looking for strategic partnerships with training organizations, institutes and academia.
Deborah, President and Chief Information/ Marketing Officer at Digital Skills Authority, who had previously led the classroom programs with a team of expert trainers, is now positioning and expanding the qualifications, licensing and partnerships. This includes preparing a board, ready for transformation, growth and investment. Deborah's responsibilities include:
- Entire business strategy, structure and leadership of the company
- Leading digital productization (e-learning subscription), distribution, licensing, partnerships, marketing and advertising strategy, e-commerce planning & implementation management
- Partnerships and Licensees
- Information systems and IT strategy
Key Achievements include:
- Conceived, founded and heads-up the industry's Digital Skills Authority
- Brand strategy, transformation and portfolio growth - Digital Skills Autority with it's 2 sub-series of certification programs
- Developed a skills education framework for digital business and marketing
- Certifications employing strategic planning methodologies for digital business, marketing and advertising she authored in 2009 onwards
- Brand creation and development of series of industry-recognized management certifications in E-Business, e-commerce and digital marketing
- Rebrand and introduction of new certification courses in October 2018
- Attracted and negotiated a c.£1-million annual license revenue, within 2-weeks of partner acquisition campaign marketing
- Gained interest from a US group of 50 companies, to buy a major stake in the company, once a targeted sales history is achieved
- Established a network of Universities and professional institutes around the globe to invigilate the COB (Certificate in Online Business) exams
- Attracted and successfully recruited a high-profile well-respected leader as VP Europe and Latin America
- Digital transformation - Implemented pure e-learning versions of the classroom certification courses, implementing intellectual property security and fraud protection mechanisms, secure online examinations and attracting blue-chip clients such as L'Oréal.
