1. Melissa M. Schwister
melissaschwister@gmail.com
773-960-9031
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
VSA Partners, Inc. Chicago, IL
Associate Partner, Client Engagement Sept 2007 – Present
• Responsible for growing and maintaining $2 – $4 million per year in revenue.
• Maintains and grows existing client relationships, leads team to deliver quality work, on-target
for client needs.
• Oversees creative production both online and offline.
• Ensures overall creative strength and quality of any and all program deliverables, in collaboration with
Creative Team.
• Manages account financial lifecycle, including estimates and revenue forecasts.
• Successfully grew Hyatt client revenue 70% over last 12 months.
• Successfully grew Harley-Davidson client revenue over year for 6 years.
• Work on large-scale brand positioning and identity project for leading hotel.
• Responds to new business opportunities with existing clients, writing proposals and closing deals.
• Proven client management skills.
Account Director March 2003 – Sept 2007
• Supervised client relationships and account development for all Harley-Davidson Motor Company projects,
including: Brand Development, Annual Reports, Parts and Accessories catalogs, Anniversary
Communications, Dealer Ad Planner and Dealer Communications. Led overall relationship management
and account growth.
• Participated in client task force with Harley-Davidson executives to improve Dealer direct mail program.
• Lead interaction with client teams for large brand-based programs, including: Chicago 2016 Olympic Bid,
Tishman Speyer, Toyota Truck Brands, Bell Canada Enterprises, McDonald’s Ventures, ConAgra Foods
Corporation, Snap-On, Citadel Investment Group, Allstate Financial, Discover Card, Aetna Financial,
Brunswick Billiards, The Newport Group and Goldman Sachs.
• Managed client relationships for all projects for firm’s highest billing client, IBM, for four years.
Projects included: Online and print annual reports, Progress and Well-being report, Corporate Citizenship
Report, Internal Corporate Communications and External Company Strategy documents.
• Co-managed creative teams with Creative Director and Senior Partners to ensure individual profitability and
overall client satisfaction.
• Led, trained and mentored a team of four account managers/coordinators.
• Maintained daily communications with Directors of Marketing and Corporate Communications
for Fortune 500 companies.
• Supervised 30+ consumer-marketing materials for Allstate Financial Group’s Lincoln Benefit Life
products. Managed content, production and design.
• Developed all project budgets and managed all monthly billing. Project budgets ranged from
$50,000 – $2 million.
• Scheduled and managed international and national photo shoots, including fee and expense management,
creative direction, usage rights and film supervision.
• Coordinated print production for all clients. Work included: printer selection, managing printers and
quotations, delivery of materials to printer and press check supervision.

2. Account Manager Jan 1999 – March 2003
• Developed an understanding of the client’s business, their needs, expectations, and requirements.
• Collaborated with the project team to drive the approach, deliverables, schedule and tools to deliver the
project within established constraints.
• Worked with client team to estimate costs and timing for tasks such as project strategy, functional design,
visual design, technology requirements, etc., utilizing established estimating process and tools.
• Prepared meeting agendas, proposals, schedules and vendor estimates.
• Lead point of contact for all client communications.
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Arts, Advertising, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI