Résumé

Andy Gural is an experienced, versatile content creator with experience in enterprise technical marketing, technical writing and journalism.

View Andy Gural's profile on LinkedIn

2011 | Ryma Technology Solutions
Senior Technical Writer

  • Ryma Technology Solutions provides product management consulting to publicly traded technology companies.
  • Wrote audio-visual technical sales presentation materials that shortened our sales cycle.
  • Designed educational templates that improved content creation time.
  • Developed single sourcing documentation processes that eliminated errors and improved dissemination.
  • Copy-edited user manuals and case studies so that user comprehension was improved.
  • Made recommendations for improved business processes and technologies.
  • Developed and deployed an internal educational wiki.

Creative Services (Freelance)
2001 – Present | Various

Created a wide range of exciting and interesting material for clients in diverse industries including:

  • Documentation consultant for a status report on the current and future state of the North West Territories Department of Health and Social Services e-health infrastructure. (Winter 2011)
  • Marketing design for a CD to raise awareness about hearing loss. (Autumn 2010)
  • Developing several marketing Wordpress web sites for an accountancy. (Autumn 2010)
  • The creation of marketing materials for micro-genetics software for an American client. (Summer 2010)
  • E-learning modules for delivery via smartphones in South East Asia and the US. (Summer 2010)
  • Graphic design for an e-learning reseller in Canada. (Summer 2010)
  • Marketing materials for an accounting firm in Montreal. (Summer 2010)
  • Press releases for a medication compliance company (Summer 2010)
  • Myxt: Business plan authoring for a clinical equipment manufacturing start-up.
  • CREM: Created brand strategy and marketing materials for an industrial electronics recycling service.
  • Group VST: Wrote web-based case studies for a firm specializing in internet-based video surveillance.
  • Corfit: Copy editor for a series of fitness text books.
  • WedEase: Press releases for a wedding industry portal.
  • Montréal Media: Wrote engaging promotional copy for high technology clients.

2008-2010 | MEI
Senior Technical Writer
MEI creates financial software for manufacturers and brokers in the consumer package goods industry for the UK, the United States and Canada. My duties included:

  • Wrote educational materials for developing, current and legacy products. Updated technical documents shortened our sales cycle, improved user comprehension and fault tolerance of MEI’s software and reduced technical support costs.
  • Developed a documentation roadmap that resulted in the creation of a Community Space that eliminated multiple content silos for technical, sales and product information.
  • Created technical and general marketing sales materials, including sales documentation, sales slide shows and production of HD videos.
  • Graphic design and illustration.
  • Vendor supervision.

2006-2008 | Mecanica Solutions
Senior Technical Writer
Mecanica Solutions provides engineering services and product life cycle management software to automotive and aviation manufacturers, and Formula 1 racing in Europe and North America.

  • Developed brand strategy and creative direction for marketing materials such as sales collateral and corporate web sites (information architecture, iconography, design and content).Design duties included photography, illustration and lay-out.
  • Co-authored research and development reports for securing tax credits.
  • Edited corporate blogs, CEO briefing documents, proposals and multimedia presentations.
  • Search Engine optimization and web server log analysis.
  • Made purchase recommendations for research materials and state-of-the-art software, improving business processes.
  • Working closely with developers, wrote installation guides and training manuals for product life cycle management products including document management, project/program management, aviation harness circuit intelligence, as well as volume, mass and centre of gravity CATIA analysis software. These documents proved vital in smooth, cost effective deployment and reduced training costs.

2003-06 | NetCleanse / Beginfinite
Technical Writer and Creative Director
Beginfinite is a developer of anti-spam and anti-virus software for Novell, and other messaging products, notably for RIM/Blackberry.

  • Developed and implemented marketing strategy and collateral for the NetCleanse division.
  • Design duties included photography and illustration.
  • Interviewed content experts for case studies, white papers and technical training materials that improved sales and raised our firm’s profile in the Novell electronic security community.
  • Documented six network security products, creating dynamic, effective manuals, installation guides and Wikis that cut technical support costs, boosted customer satisfaction and increased profitability.

1998-2001 | IC Axon
 Developer of multimedia courseware for international medical sales forces, physicians, pharmaceutical firms, and insurance companies throughout Europe and the Americas.

  • Scripted, edited and storyboarded innovative and engaging distance learning courses that improved training and cut expenses.
  • Created new, better organized on-line medical ethics instructional templates for physicians for an accredited on line continuing medical education distance learning system.
  • Wrote and published daily web reports detailing and explaining changes in medical science, public policy, technology, industry and politics. These reports improved productivity, decision-making, and sped-up adoption of IC Axon products by physicians, educators and decision-makers. Performed extensive competitive intelligence and contributed analyses and policy recommendations to company business plans.
  • Wrote copy for on-line instructional medical games and helped develop the CME system mypatient.com.
  • Managed a productive and diverse writing team.
  • Researched, wrote and presented seminars.
  • Managed and kept up-to-date corporate web sites.
  • Wrote promotional copy and developed marketing collateral.
  • Analyzed server logs for pharmaceutical product web site traffic.
  • Made purchase recommendations for research materials and state-of-the-art software.

1994-1998 Reporter-Photographer
Journalist at regional newspapers in Ottawa Valley, northern Ontario and Montréal

  • News and feature writing
  • Photography and darkroom
  • Camera-ready page lay-out
  • Deadline driven

Skills
Software

  • Adobe Creative Suite: InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, GoLive/DreamWeaver
  • Lightroom/Nikon Capture NX 2
  • MS Office
  • Robohelp
  • BBEdit, Wordpress, Sharepoint, Hyperoffice

Other: CMSs such as Wordpress/Sharepoint, QuarkXPress, Typestyler, web log analysis software (ie FunnelWeb), NLM anti-spam and anti-virus software, FrameMaker

Education
 Andy attended Concordia University

  • BA: Philosophy/Journalism (Double Major with emphasis on medical ethics and the history of science.)
  • DEC: Vanier College (Creative Arts)

Awards

  • FICPA 2008 – Originality Award for NetCleanse’s trade show booth design at their annual convention
  • BBC Radio Scotland 2006 Advent Calendar – One of Andy’s photographs was selected for their calendar
  • Prix D’Excellence – 2000 -IC Axon corporate award for the design of its medical education system, MyPatient.Com

Other

  • Past president of the Montreal Chapter of the Society for Technical Communication after serving on the board since 2003. I am also a member of STC UK.
  • Photography
  • History of science and technology, nineteenth century history, military history, politics and current affairs
  • Volunteering: McGill University Health Centre D-Day Assault Against Breast Cancer
  • The Cold War and British Television: The Life and Mysterious Death of Ian Mackintosh (due to be published in in 2012)
  • Interplanetary travel

See the Contact page for my e-mail address and telephone numbers.