Laura Walkerden
Caringbah,Australia
Summary
Senior marketing and communications leader with over 20 years of experience driving customer growth, brand engagement, and digital transformation. Demonstrated success in leading multidisciplinary teams and translating complex propositions into compelling customer experiences that enhance retention and loyalty.
Overview
1
1
Certification
22
22
years of professional experience
Work History
Independent NDIS Support Worker
Mable
Sutherland Shire, Australia
06.2026 - Current
- Delivered person-centred in-home support for daily living, household management, routines, practical organisation, and administrative tasks to enhance participant well-being.
- Focused on dignity, privacy, safety, independence, and participant choice to empower clients in their care.
- Maintained NDIS Worker Screening Check clearance, ensuring adherence to safety standards and fostering trust with participants.
Creator
The Remarkables United
, Australia
10.2025 - Current
- Founded survivor-led, trauma-informed social impact organisation advocating for safer, more compassionate systems, workplaces and communities through education and storytelling.
- Crafted organisation’s purpose, brand and strategic direction, establishing program architecture for training, media advocacy, consulting, peer connection and inclusion initiatives.
- Developed engaging content for various digital platforms and social media channels.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to execute creative marketing campaigns.
- Conducted market research to identify emerging trends in audience engagement.
ANZ Marketing Leader / Marketing Communications Manager
Accenture
Sydney, Australia
01.2018 - 10.2025
- Led ANZ marketing strategy across complex B2B technology and transformation portfolios, translating technical propositions into customer-focused campaigns, thought leadership and executive engagement.
- Led integrated marketing, communications, content and customer engagement initiatives across Australia and New Zealand, with portfolio responsibility spanning AI, Cyber Security, Customer Experience, Data, Sustainability, the Metaverse and technology transformation.
- Created and industrialised an ANZ sprint approach that increased client-story pipeline by 200% in nine months and contributed to a 50% uplift in stakeholder engagement.
- Led ANZ Customer Experience campaign, enhancing market differentiation and brand awareness by 15%.
- Created and delivered Tuvalu 'digital nation' campaign in eight weeks, reaching over 9 million people across 118+ countries and recognized globally as Accenture Metaverse showcase.
- Led multidisciplinary teams of marketers, writers, creatives, agencies, and subject-matter experts across geographically dispersed environments, driving cohesive project execution.
- Used customer insight, digital channels, data, emerging technology and AI to improve engagement, relevance and marketing effectiveness.
- Served as Mental Health Lead for a community of 500+ people across ANZ, supporting wellbeing, inclusion, connection and mental-health awareness alongside core leadership responsibilities.
Brand Placement Lead – Partnerships, Experiences, Sponsorships, Events & Advertising
Accenture
Sydney, Australia
01.2015 - 01.2018
- Owned customer engagement partnerships and brand experiences across sport and the arts, packaging Accenture’s digital, consulting and technology capabilities into compelling client and fan experiences.
- Managed strategic partnerships with Rugby Australia, Cricket Australia, and Australian Youth Orchestra to enhance brand visibility and engagement.
- Led strategic event decision-making and execution across approximately 100+ events annually in ANZ.
- Reframed market approach to prioritize fewer, larger brand experiences, enhancing focus and delivering measurable return on investment.
- Created customer experiences leveraging analytics, live streaming, mobile apps, wearables, digital strategy, cloud CRM, and virtual/augmented reality to drive engagement and satisfaction.
- Developed a new operational model incorporating digitisation and offshore support to improve efficiency and experience.
Sponsorship Specialist Consultant – RBS 6 Nations
Accenture UK & Ireland
London, UK
01.2014 - 01.2015
- Facilitated Accenture’s role as Official Technology Partner of RBS 6 Nations across England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Italy, and France.
- Helped grow @AccentureRugby social followers by 236% and generated more than 2 million social advertising impressions.
- Worked with mobility and analytics teams to evolve the official Championship app and rugby wearable technology, contributing to nearly 500,000 additional downloads and more than 3 million total app downloads over three years.
- Created rugby content and digital experiences that enhanced brand relevance with fans and clients.
- Established partnerships with sporting codes, coaches, and players for appearances, PR, and media activities.
Sponsorship Account Director / Director Marketing Sponsorship
Generate Sponsorship
London, UK
02.2013 - 03.2014
- Directed QBE’s England Rugby / RFU partnership and QBE Internationals sponsorship, integrating brand, advertising, digital, broadcast, PR, hospitality, and fan experience to elevate brand presence.
- Led sport sponsorship and activation programs for global brands in rugby and motorsport, enhancing brand visibility and engagement.
- Strategic lead for eBay’s West Surrey Racing / BMW British Touring Car Championship title sponsorship; 2013 ROI contributed to renewal for 2014.
- Managed multimillion-pound budgets and executive-board reporting, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives.
- QBE won Best Corporate Sponsorship and was shortlisted for Best Sponsorship over £2m at the UK Sponsorship Awards 2014, as well as being a finalist at the Sport Industry Awards.
- Managed a team of six alongside new-business pitching, company marketing/PR and P&L reporting.
Marketing & Sponsorship Manager – Energizer Night Run
Limelight Sports
London, UK
01.2013 - 02.2013
- Developed end-to-end acquisition strategy, integrating audience profiling, CRM, SEO, paid media, and participant journey to enhance event experience.
- Led audience acquisition and marketing launch for new mass-participation running event, driving participant engagement.
- Managed title-sponsor brand requirements for Energizer, contributing to event's shortlisting for Sport Industry Award.
Sponsorship Programme Manager – London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay
Lloyds Banking Group
, United Kingdom
05.2012 - 09.2012
- Delivered London 2012 sponsorship activation for presenting partner Lloyds TSB across the national Olympic Torch Relay.
- Coordinated 30-person marketing team for 70-day national programme, reaching 95% of UK.
- Worked across 1,500 torchbearers, major convoy operations, PR, logistics and evening celebrations with audiences of up to 90,000.
- Secured volunteer support for 60+ evening celebration events, advising 140 bank ambassadors on 350 branch activations, engaging an average of 20,000 attendees.
- The programme later received the UK Sponsorship Awards' special award for Best Sponsorship of the Last 20 Years.
Sponsorship, Marketing & PR Account Director
Fast Track / CSM
London, UK
07.2007 - 05.2012
- Led customer growth, event marketing, communications and PR strategies across athletics, Paralympic sport, mass participation and major sporting properties, enhancing brand visibility and engagement.
- For UK Athletics, increased paying spectator audiences by 55% over four years and grew the customer database by 400% in two years.
- Combined paid, owned and earned channels to deliver profitable major events across UK stadiums and sporting venues, maximizing audience reach and revenue.
- Developed CRM, ticketing, pricing and customer-journey strategies in partnership with ticketing agencies including Ticketmaster, using data to grow and monetise fan audiences.
- Created experiential concepts to attract new audiences and provide existing fans with fresh engagement opportunities, driving increased participation and loyalty.
- Client portfolio included UK Athletics, Lawn Tennis Association, British Basketball, Paralympic World Cup, FEI, School Games 2012, European Figure Skating Championships and Tough Mudder.
- Award recognition included Silver at the SportBusiness Sports Event Management Awards for Aviva London Grand Prix event marketing and a Sport Industry Award shortlist for 'The Bolt Dance'.
Athlete Programmes Manager / Event Manager
Creating Excellence
Essex & London, UK
06.2004 - 07.2007
- Early-career role spanning athlete management, government mentoring programmes, community engagement and London 2012 bid events.
- Managed diaries and publicity for Olympians, Paralympians and inspirational speakers, including Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson.
- Coordinated athlete placements from over 100 sports into schools and communities, impacting 400 engagements annually.
- Project-managed two government athlete mentoring schemes for Sport England and DCMS.
- Executed a two-day East of England tour for London 2012 Olympic bid with Lord Sebastian Coe, visiting seven locations and engaging key decision-makers to advance bid objectives.
Education
NDIS Support Worker Qualification -
06-2026
BSc (Hons) - Sports Conditioning, Coaching & Rehabilitation
University of the West of England
First Line Management - Level 3
Institute of Leadership & Management
Skills
- Client Advocacy
- Participant Engagement
- Personalized Support
- Participant Assessment
- Supportive Care
- Service Coordination
- Resource Coordination
- Community Building
- Community Outreach
- Community Events
- Digital Communication
- Participant Feedback
- Peer Support
- Collaborative Support
- Advocacy Skills
- Customer Journey & Experience
- Funding Awareness
- Empowerment Practices
- Assistive Technology
- Participant Relationship
Leadership And Values
Inclusive, people-first leader experienced in large, multidisciplinary and geographically dispersed teams. Known for building trust, creating clarity, developing people and bringing different perspectives together around a shared outcome. Comfortable navigating conflict and difficult conversations, with a strong bias toward fairness, resolution and accountability. Deeply committed to inclusion, mental health, social impact and creating environments where people can contribute as themselves.
Education Credentials And Professional Development
- NDIS Support Worker Qualification 2026
- BSc (Hons), Sports Conditioning, Coaching & Rehabilitation
- First Line Management – Level 3
- Additional compliance, Police Check, Working With Children Check, First Aid / CPR
- Citizenship & licence, Australian citizen; full Australian driver licence
Community And Interests
Mum of two boys; lifelong involvement in sport, fitness and community. Strong interest in intergenerational connection, disability inclusion, mental health, trauma-informed practice, social justice and the responsible use of technology for good.
Core Expertise
- Strategic Marketing & Growth
- Customer Acquisition & Retention
- Customer Journey & Experience
- Brand Strategy & Positioning
- Digital Marketing & Campaign Optimisation
- AI & Emerging Technology
- Content, Storytelling & Thought Leadership
- CRM, Data & Customer Insight
- Partnerships & Sponsorship
- Revenue Growth & Commercial Strategy
- People Leadership & Team Development
- Executive Stakeholder Influence
- Agency & Budget Management
- Events & Experiential Marketing
- Purpose-led & Inclusive Leadership
Selected Career Impact
- 55% growth UK Athletics paying spectator audience over four years
- 400% growth UK Athletics customer database in two years
- 200% growth ANZ client-story pipeline in nine months at Accenture
- 50% uplift Stakeholder engagement through Accenture's ANZ Way
- 9M+ people Global Tuvalu / Metaverse campaign reach across 118+ countries
- 3M+ downloads Rugby Championship app total, including ~500K additional downloads
- 236% growth Accenture Rugby social following, plus 2M+ social ad impressions
- 95% of the UK London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay footprint; audiences up to 90,000
Certification
- NDIS Support Worker
- Working with Children
- CPR & First Aid
- National Police Check
Affiliations
- Christian
Timeline
Independent NDIS Support Worker
Mable
06.2026 - Current
Creator
The Remarkables United
10.2025 - Current
ANZ Marketing Leader / Marketing Communications Manager
Accenture
01.2018 - 10.2025
Brand Placement Lead – Partnerships, Experiences, Sponsorships, Events & Advertising
Accenture
01.2015 - 01.2018
Sponsorship Specialist Consultant – RBS 6 Nations
Accenture UK & Ireland
01.2014 - 01.2015
Sponsorship Account Director / Director Marketing Sponsorship
Generate Sponsorship
02.2013 - 03.2014
Marketing & Sponsorship Manager – Energizer Night Run
Limelight Sports
01.2013 - 02.2013
Sponsorship Programme Manager – London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay
Lloyds Banking Group
05.2012 - 09.2012
Sponsorship, Marketing & PR Account Director
Fast Track / CSM
07.2007 - 05.2012
Athlete Programmes Manager / Event Manager
Creating Excellence
06.2004 - 07.2007
NDIS Support Worker Qualification -
BSc (Hons) - Sports Conditioning, Coaching & Rehabilitation
University of the West of England
First Line Management - Level 3
Institute of Leadership & Management