Employee Experience, Event Management & Project Coordination

Cork, Ireland · Open to Dublin & Northern Italy · Available now

I build programs
1,000+ people show up for.

You send the invite. 30% show up. I fix that.

Eight years turning ideas into programs people remember — from luxury retail to global tech. I manage end-to-end events, projects, and cross-functional campaigns for 1,400+ people across Ireland and Türkiye, partnering with senior stakeholders from brief to delivery.

1,400+Employees reached
90%+Virtual participation
80%Sales growth
85%Prep time saved
Book a Call See my work
↓ Download CV (PDF)
SG Sofia Grandoni

Selected Work

End-to-end event and project management I designed, coordinated, and delivered across EMEIA — from stakeholder brief to KPI reporting.

Product Launch / Employee Experience

Launch 2026: EMEIA Campaign

Apple EMEIA | 1,438 employees | 3-week campaign

Turned a 3-region design competition into a global win — 1,400+ branded units delivered in 3 weeks despite a critical timeline shift.

The Challenge

Three-week product launch celebration for 1,438 employees across Ireland and Türkiye. Three regions competing for global design selection.

My Approach

Created the full visual identity from scratch. Managed and negotiated with 10+ vendors, tracked remote shipping, and led procurement for 1,400+ branded units. Represented EMEIA in the global pitch to senior stakeholders. When a critical timeline shift hit, I applied risk mitigation and re-prioritised the project plan, delivering within 3 days.

What I Learned

My design was selected globally — not because it was the safest, but because I pitched it as the boldest.

Results

  • Design selected globally over AMR and JPAC
  • 1,400+ swag units coordinated and shipped
  • 9% budget optimisation through vendor negotiation, zero quality loss
  • Full project delivery within 3 days after critical re-prioritisation
Recognition / Event Management

Employee Excellence Awards

Apple EMEIA | 37 Leadership Team-nominated employees | Biannual ceremony

Delivered a VIP recognition ceremony for 37 employees in 8 weeks — the layout change I proposed is now standard for every future edition.

The Challenge

A VIP recognition ceremony for 37 employees nominated by the Leadership Team — full event lifecycle to deliver in 8 weeks, including venue, catering, vendors, and hybrid logistics.

My Approach

Managed the entire event production end-to-end: venue sourcing, vendor coordination and negotiation, catering, AV logistics for remote attendees, budget tracking, and on-the-day project management. Proposed a venue layout change that improved attendee flow — senior leadership adopted it for all future editions.

What I Learned

Small layout decisions shape how people experience an event. Moving the stage changed the energy in the room more than any other single change.

Results

  • 37 employees recognised in a single ceremony
  • 8-week delivery from brief to event day
  • Venue layout adopted for future editions
  • Hybrid format for 60 in-person attendees
Brand Experience / Campaign Strategy

Dramatically Different Campaign

Clinique, Brown Thomas Cork | Premium Retail | 1-month campaign

Took a heritage product from 10th to 4th in-store ranking with an 80% sales lift — built and run solo, no agency.

The Challenge

Reposition a heritage product through social-first storytelling. The brand ranked 10th in-store.

My Approach

Designed and executed the full multi-channel campaign project from zero: content calendar, channel mix (Instagram, TikTok, email), daily publication deadlines, and KPI/performance reporting to store leadership. No agency, no existing playbook.

What I Learned

Content without distribution is decoration. The 80% lift came from pairing daily digital content with in-store activation.

Results

  • 80% sales growth vs. previous year
  • 500+ new followers in one month
  • Ranking: 10th to 4th in-store
  • Recognised by Area and Store Manager
Community Coordination / Engagement

Employee Enrichment Advocates

Apple EMEIA | 20 advocates | Ireland and Türkiye | Ongoing

Quadrupled active engagement in a 20-person advocate network — from 5 active members to full participation.

The Challenge

A 20-person advocate network with only 5 active members and no structured feedback loop to leadership.

My Approach

Built and now lead the full community engagement program: internal communications via Slack, weekly newsletters, bi-weekly meetings, performance tracking, and stakeholder reporting to leadership. Introduced structured scheduling, a Slack Canvas for idea-sharing, and onboarding materials now adopted for all new cohorts.

What I Learned

Engagement multiplies when people feel ownership, not obligation. The shift came from giving advocates a voice in ideation — not just tasks.

Results

  • Active engagement quadrupled — from 5/20 to full participation across all 20
  • Structured feedback loop between advocates and leadership
  • Onboarding materials adopted for all new cohorts
  • Advocates now propose ideas proactively

More Work

Employee Engagement / Accessibility

Global Accessibility Awareness Day

One-week accessibility project for 1,368 employees. End-to-end delivery: cross-functional stakeholder coordination, promotional materials, multi-site logistics management. Built a troubleshooting guide adopted across all sites.

90%+ virtual participation | 30% increase in onsite participation | Virtual activity selected for wider adoption
Inclusion and Diversity / Digital

Virtual Cultural Gallery

Conceived, designed, and deployed a DEI project — a virtual gallery celebrating cultural diversity with AI-generated imagery. Built the HTML site myself.

1,300+ employees reached | Adopted as reference format
Coaching / Internal Mobility

Peer Rotation Coaching

Coached and mentored two peers through competitive internal rotations with personalised development plans, interview prep, and presentation design.

2/2 peers secured their target rotation

About Me

I've been in people-facing roles since I was 19. Over eight years, I've built employee experience programs, managed cross-functional projects, and led community engagement initiatives across premium retail, luxury cosmetics, and global tech.

The thread through all of it: managing end-to-end delivery — budget, vendors, stakeholders, and operations — so people feel included, energised, and part of something, whether that's 37 people at a recognition dinner or 1,400 across two countries.

I work with an AI-augmented project management style — cutting recurring prep from an hour to ten minutes so the team spends time on what needs a human.

Based in Ireland since 2022. Italian by origin. Energised by the outdoors, cold sea plunges, and trail running.

Career Arc

01Luxury RetailClinique, Foot Locker | Client experience, event and project coordination, brand campaigns
02Global Tech SupportApple | 30 cases/day, 90–100% CSAT, process improvement, operations support
03Program DeliveryApple | End-to-end project and program delivery, 1,400+ people, 20+ vendor relationships, stakeholder management

Education

MA Communication for Creative Industries — Università Cattolica, Milan

BA Foreign Languages for Business and Tourism — University of Genoa

Google Project Management Certificate — Foundations of Project Management (in progress)

Languages

Italian (native) | English (fluent) | Spanish (advanced) | French (conversational)

How I Build

Project Management and Collaboration

Wrike, Slack, Quip, Miro, GitHub, Google Workspace

Design and Content

Canva, Adobe Illustrator, Figma, Keynote, iMovie, CapCut

Data and Reporting

Excel (Advanced), Numbers, Google Sheets, Google Analytics

AI and Automation

ChatGPT, Claude, AI Agents, Copilot

Marketing

HubSpot, Instagram Business, TikTok Business

What People Say

P

"Sofia, you are a Leader. Everyone would love to have you as their team manager. No one handles stress like you do."

Peer, Apple
AM

"You are a team player. I can always rely on you to support team members, and you propose great ideas that actually make the difference."

Advisor Manager, Apple
TL

"Sofia learned all procedures and tools in three weeks; most people take three months. She proposed streamlining onboarding from two weeks to one."

Team Lead, Apple

Let's build something together.

Looking for my next role in Senior Event Management, Project Coordination, Employee Experience, Community Engagement, or Operations — based in Dublin or across Northern Italy.

Book a Call Connect on LinkedIn Download CV
Book a Call