Andy Gural is an experienced, versatile writer with backgrounds in technical writing, marketing and journalism. He is a member in good standing of the Montreal Chapter of the Society for Technical Communication, and serves on his chapter's executive board.
Mecanica Solutions is a leading provider of product life cycle management services and software for automotive and aviation design and manufacturing. Andy was engaged there on February 2006.
Developer of anti-spam and anti-virus software
- 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 network security products, wrote, designed and illustrated books and installation guides that cut technical support costs, boosted customer satisfaction and increased profitability.
- Wrote, designed and maintained an award-winning web site, and created effective, dynamic training materials and marketing collateral.
2003-01 | Freelance Writer and Editor
Produced a wide range of exciting and interesting material for diverse clients
- Group VST: Wrote case studies and a web site for a firm specializing in internet-based video surveillance
- Business plan researcher, Myxt: Clinical equipment manufacturing start-up
- WedEase: Wedding industry portal
- Montréal Media: Wrote engaging promotional copy for technology clients
2001-1998 | IC Axon
Developer of multimedia courseware for international medical sales forces, physicians, pharmaceutical firms, and insurance companies
- 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
Software
- Adobe Creative Suite: InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, GoLive
- MS Office
- Robohelp
- Web: DreamWeaver, BBEdit
- Other: QuarkXPress, Typestyler, web log analysis software (ie FunnelWeb), NLM anti-spam and anti-virus software, FrameMaker
Andy attended Concordia University in Montreal
- BA: Philosophy/Journalism (Double Major with emphasis on medical ethics and the history of science.)
- DEC: Vanier College (Creative Arts)
Interests and Projects
- Photography
- History of science and technology, nineteenth century history, military history, long-distance running, 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 (in progress)