Willis Chan

Career Portfolio

chan.willis@gmail.com
(510) 676-8213
 Introduction
The samples in this portfolio represent a career of learning and a love of business. I enjoy
being adaptable and a fast-learner. In the recent years, I have studied biotechnology, real
estate, media, marketing, and communications while supporting myself with jobs in the
academic, retail, and service sectors.
My love of learning and business lead me into the field of marketing and communications,
where I have served as a merchandiser, graphic designer, assistant print broker, and
consultant. This includes working in public corporations, private companies, start-ups, and
non-profit organizations. Related activities involve writing articles on world news, event
planning, brand promotion, and conducting research projects.
Over the years, I have survived by being passionate about my work and having a
competitive edge. Having worked with all kinds of people in various fields, I can relate to a
variety of employees, clients, and communities. Out of these diverse experiences, I have
learned to become very motivating and diplomatic.
There is still so much to learn and experience! Each year, I refine my techniques and
execution by teaming with different mentors, working in various programs, and continuing
my personal research. I am confident that I will be a solid asset to the growing
environment at your company.

Table of Contents

Flexibility 1
Leadership 2
Projections 3
Extreme Energy 4
Publicity 5
Interpersonal Skills 6
Technology 7
C.V. Professional Experience 8
C.V. Education 9
 FLEXIBILITY
September 10, 2007
“Willis came to the company at a difficult time of transition/consolidation; yet he
always maintained his focus regardless of the situation surrounding him. He is well
organized and very self-motivated, confident in his abilities, yet is also open to input.
Willis is a great asset on any team.”
Russ Sampson
VP Research & Development, Cytyc Surgical Products

October 7, 2007
“Willis is a conscientious and dedicated worker. His work ethic was appreciated and
opened up additional opportunities for Willis at Cytyc. I would recommend him
without reservation.”
Peggy Arvizu
Administrative Coordinator, Cytyc Surgical Products

I have quickly mastered any job I have ever done. These letters of
recommendation testify to a working style that goes beyond effective planning and
time management. I also enjoy training and helping staff solve problems.

History at Cytyc Surgical Products

• Hired as a research assistant for the transition of the R&D department
• Organized system to track transition of research data and inventory of thousands
of valuable items for three separate divisions of R&D
• Managed disposal of hazardous materials and sensitive information
• Created multiple vendor databases for Facilities Manager
• Directly supervised two facility assistants - coordinated tasks and schedules
• Analyzed data on Post Market Quality Assurance team as PMQA Assistant
(promoted to PMQA Coordinator in one month) and supported California and new
Massachusetts team with complaint filing goals and deadlines

1
 LEADERSHIP
“I have worked with Willis
for about 3 months and
during that time he has
really become a strong
leader on the floor…Willis
is very dedicated and
business minded.”
Michelle Stibbs, Visuals
Manager, H&M Store #80

H&M Store #153 August 2008:

My direct management of visual merchandising, two associates, and floor sales in my
department resulted in over $3000 increase (+25%) in total sales for consecutive weeks.

Hennes & Mauritz, H&M

Sales Associate, Department Responsible, and Mentor
As a retail sales associate, I successfully handled customers' needs on a daily basis. To
succeed, I learned to exude patience and act as a diplomatic problem-solver. Because
the same kinds of patience and creative problem-solving abilities are required of
marketers, I am confident I will be an effective employee at your business.

“Customer approached me and said that Willis provided the best

customer service he had ever received at the store and was very
pleased with him!”
Elisha Behnke, Department Manager, H&M Store #80

2
 PROJECTIONS
Six years ago, I began consulting for
local businesses. I planned and
directed this custom presentation used
to sign a successful $1M contract
between Oprah’s personal chef Art
Smith and Del Monte Foods. As part
of the project, I hired graphic
designers, lead the creative process and
managed payroll.

Partnered with VMWare Senior

Marketing and Technology executives
for project focused on the creation of
complex MS Excel formulas to extract
data from spreadsheets developed in
several divisions. My attention to detail
during the project would be vital to the
organization of the new internal
marketing program at the company.

These two very different examples from my personal projects illustrate a

passion for business and life-long learning. My love of learning makes it easy
to quickly adapt to new ideas and conditions from retail, to contract
negotiations, to virtualization. Knowing how to learn has been key to
surviving and thriving at my places of work.

3
 EXTREME ENERGY

Graduates from the Extreme! Learning

Longwood Elementary, April 2008

The success of my students is a testament to the work ethic of teamwork and striving to
reach shared goals. My team utilized positive energy and understanding to reach out to the
students. We employed integrity and candor when communicating to parents, teachers
and site administrators about operations, attendance, behavior and student achievements
through individual and aggregated reports.

History at Extreme Learning, Inc.

• Promoted to lead academic coach after the first week of instruction
• Supervised five coaches per program, fifteen total, from diverse
backgrounds
• Led two more successful programs at middle schools in Redwood City and
Oakland, CA
• Instructed over forty students with custom computer software, workbooks,
literature and test-preparation activities

4
PUBLICITY
Target Market: UCLA Community of 70,000+
Organization: Associated Students of UCLA
1. Designed aesthetically appealing visual
displays to drive sales for four-story
student commons area including student
stores, weekly outdoor bazaars, and event
grounds
2. Observed promotional and store signage
remained up-to-date
3. Organized materials and plans for special
vendor presentations e.g book signings

I am perceptive in identifying and assessing

potential of publicity efforts. I use this
intuition to generate new ideas to increase
marketing results. I would like to apply the
same sales savvy and attention to detail in
your company.

Target Market: UCLA business-minded students

Organization: Delta Sigma Pi
1. Recruiter and spokesman for professional
business fraternity at chapter events,
career fairs, community service events
and inter-chapter events
2. VP of Alumni Relations - Communicated
alumni events and chapter news to
fraternity alumni by phone and e-mail
3. Newsletter Editor - Wrote, edited, and
proofed web and print copies of annual
newsletter

5
INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
VERBAL
Experienced promoter
and salesperson who
loves working with
small or large
audiences
Educating a customer about
the many Merck Pepcid Speaks English,
products available at her Cantonese and French
local store.

WRITTEN
Blogger and Writer
Blog topics include education, food,
travel, fashion, and technology
Writing samples can be found on:
prowillis.blogspot.com
www.theworldly.org

ONLINE
Proficient with viral
marketing on Web 2.0 and
social media sites, web
content, analytics, and
community building

YOU CAN ALSO FIND ME ON

6
 TECHNOLOGY
Microsoft Office Suite
10 years working experience on
Windows/Mac OS X
Word, PowerPoint, Excel,
Outlook/Entourage, Access, Project,
OneNote, FrontPage and Publisher

Adobe Creative Suite

5 years working experience on
Windows/Mac OS X
Photoshop, Acrobat, PageMaker, InDesign,
Flash and Dreamweaver

Additional Software: printing, calendar, photo editing,

CRM, SalesForce, movie editing, telecommunication,
composition, and music editing software.
Hardware: PC/MAC maintenance, network configurations, radio
programming board, mobile devices, and biotechnology
laboratory equipment.

7
 WILLIS CHAN
5320 Ashbourne Court, Newark, CA 94560 (510) 676-8213 chan.willis@gmail.com

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Hennes & Mauritz H&M, San Francisco and Milpitas, CA November 2006 – Present
Sales Associate
• Maximized sales opportunities through commerciality and outstanding customer
service
• Communicated effectively and professionally with all team members within the store
• Mentored new associates by teaching H&M values, standards, and guidelines
• Stayed current with latest products, concepts, and merchandise information

Extreme Learning, Inc., Morgan Hill, California February 2008 – Present

Lead Academic Coach
• Managed elementary and middle school programs focused on tutoring and improving
math and language arts skills
• Tutored and mentored bilingual K-5 students in groups of 10 by working on skill
building and homework
• Utilized computer learning programs to improve student scores on California’s
standardized tests
• Monitored students’ progress, created reports for parents and teachers, and assisted in
recruiting and training new coaches

Cytyc Surgical Products, Mountain View, California February 2007 – August 2007
Post Market Quality Assurance Coordinator
• Played key role in 200% productivity increase in complaint file assessment completion
during critical transition period
• Supported offsite managers and coordinators with customer surveys and MS Access
database, including customized reports, forms, and queries

Rodeo Graphics, Beverly Hills, California April 2004 – December 2005

Assistant Print Production Broker
• Managed production and scheduled printing projects with budgets exceeding $50,000
• Produced publications for public, private, non-profit and government entities
• Designed print ads, logos, layouts and stationery

Associated Students of UCLA ASUCLA, Los Angeles, California August 2003 – April 2004
Visual Merchandise Trimmer
• Provided and maintained constant marketing efforts aimed at university community
• Designed materials for the retail floor, welcome events, weekly outdoor bazaars and
promotions
• Acted as liaison between marketing department, vendors, catering and operations
• Created product placement displays for Clinique, Quicksilver, Fossil and UCLA

8
 EDUCATION

University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California September 2001 – March 2005
B.A. Economics
• Economics degree awarded with minor in Classical Civilizations
• Delta Sigma Pi – VP Alumni Relations, Newsletter Editor
• Dormitory Floor President, BruinCorps tutor, Intramural athlete

Ohlone College, Fremont, California Intermittently 1999–2008

Radio Programming Certification
• Interned with 89.3 KOHL Radio Station during duration of certification program
• Additional classes in business management, biotechnology, and computer technology

ADDITIONAL TRAINING
Toastmasters, Newark, California
California Real Estate Academy, Riverside, California

Willis Chan
Career Portfolio
chan.willis@gmail.com
(510) 676-8213