Julia Makhalova-Chi

JULIA MAKHALOVA | creative brand strategist with global perspective and passion for design

julia@makhalova.com | Brooklyn, NY

EXPERIENCE

01.2017 - 05.2017

CHOBANI STARTUP INCUBATOR,  client JAR GOODS   in New York, NY

Brand Strategist

• Member of SVA Honors Team, supervised by Elizabeth Talerman & Bret Sanford
• Conducted brand positioning & activation: Brand Audit, Customer Empathy Research, Brand Territory Proposal, Brand Activation, Social Media Strategy development 

11.2015 - 09.2016                                  

IVANMAO, communication design startup in Beijing, China    

Creative Director and Speaker

• Managed creative team comprising both founders and five freelancers 
• Developed and implemented brand launch recommendation, digital media strategy, empathy research, resulted in successful market entry for two brands 
• Developed brand and communication strategy for “The 7th Nights of Thelema” by Polyhedron VR - virtual reality cinematic immersive experience, resulting in film shown at Cannes Film Festival in 2017

Key Clients: S7 airlines, Russian-China Trade Investment Exhibition, Polyhedron VR

03.2013 - 11.2015                                                                             

ZHENG BANG: Brand Consulting & Design in Beijing China

Brand Strategy Consultant & Art Director

• Managed multicultural team of three (since November 2014)
• Developed “Utopia” methodology combining design and strategy, applied to over 20 branding programs  
• Conducted Positioning and Branding Strategy Development: naming, trend forecasting, product innovation, corporate culture development, whitespace research 

Key Clients: Antonoil, Wanda Qingdao Studios, Hainan Airlines, Ford, 360 Antivirus, CASC (Chinese Space Agency), 361 Sportswear, Haier, China Rural Commercial Bank 

06.2010 – 05.2012

RENAULT in Moscow, Russia  

Strategy Planning Manager 

• Implemented $20MM brand activation plan
• Launched SUV Renault Duster 360 communication strategy, resulting in three months expectation list 
• Successfully managed brand repositioning campaign for Renault Fluence, resulting in rise to top 6 in C class brand ranking (Millward Brown) and Renault market share increase by one position, reaching top-3 in the market           

08.2008 – 06.2010    

Samsung Electronics in Moscow, Russia

Laptops Product Marketing Manager

• Launched retail brand activation, resulting in 48 brand zones in 17 cities, in partnership with Intel and Microsoft
• Launched the NC10 4G Netbook & high-end X360 in Russia, the firsts of their kind

09.2007 – 02.2008

MSC (Glass Control Machines Producer) in Lyon, France    

• Established marketing strategy plans for Russian and Ukrainian markets.  

EDUCATION

School of Visual Arts in New York, NY

09.2016 - 07.2017 (expected) 

MPS Branding

Client projects: HP 3D printers, Chobani food incubator, 

Academic projects: Urals Motorcycle: Market and Product usability;  “three and a half days project” -  Design Thinking project to decrease suicide on the Washington Bridge in NY, McDonalds: brand repositioning for the new generation 

Activities: 100 days project 

09.2004 - 10.2010

REA PLEKHANOV in Moscow, Russia

MS Economics, International Business  

Final paper: Samsung Notebook positioning in Russia and in the UK

Activities: Debate Club - Participant and Coach

Notable results: average score 4.8/5 | debate winner, finalist and semi-finalists of many championships, representative of the students’ self-government, marketing conference

09.2006 – 06.2008  

ICN Business School in Nancy, France

Bachelor of Business Administration

Activities: Musical association “Propul’son”

PERSONAL INFORMATION

Languages: Native fluency in English and Russian, advanced business proficiency in French, intermediate learner in Mandarin Chinese