Alesson.

Loading someone useful…

Auckland, New Zealand

Senior Digital
Project Manager

I deliver complex digital programmes end-to-end — from CMS migrations and AEM platforms to mobile apps — bringing clarity, cadence, and cross-functional alignment to every delivery.

15+
Years Experience
7
Languages
6+
Industries
Alesson Souza, Senior Digital Project Manager based in Auckland, New Zealand
Scroll

I build digital products that connect
business goals, customer needs,
and delivery reality.

About

Who I Am

I'm a Senior Digital Project Manager with 15+ years delivering complex digital programmes across insurance, consumer tech, government, FMCG, and financial services — in New Zealand, Australia, France, and globally.

I operate at the pointy end of delivery: owning live backlogs, managing staged rollouts, coordinating matrixed stakeholders, and holding the line on scope, budget, and schedule. From enterprise CMS migrations and AEM platforms to mobile apps and global web experiences, I'm the person teams rely on to turn ambiguous programmes into predictable delivery.

My work spans end-to-end platform migrations (Drupal → AEM), global product launches (Samsung Trygalaxy across 30+ markets), CRM and e-commerce integrations (Salesforce, CS Cart), and public-sector digital delivery under WCAG 2.0 compliance. I bring strong stakeholder management, sharp communication, and the multilingual, international perspective that helps me operate across cultures and disciplines.

Outside of work, I'm genuinely curious about technology — from vibe coding side projects and experimenting with AI tools, to following crypto markets and financial trading. It keeps me sharp, commercially aware, and always learning.

Education

MBA, Business & Communications

Université Lyon 2 · 2010

MBA, Webmarketing

Université Lyon 2 · 2009

MA, Comparative Literature

Université Lyon 3 · 2008

At a Glance

  • International career across NZ, Australia, France & global
  • 7 languages
  • MBA in Business & Communications, Université Lyon 2
  • Comfortable across business, design & technology

What I Do

Core Expertise

Digital Project Management

Running live backlogs, staged deployments, and cross-functional delivery teams — holding the line on scope, schedule, and budget across matrixed environments.

CMS Migrations

Delivering end-to-end platform migrations including Drupal → Adobe Experience Manager (AEM), maintaining governance and uptime across public-facing consumer touchpoints.

Mobile Apps Management

Managing mobile product delivery across design, engineering, and QA — coordinating release cycles, app-store submissions, and cross-platform rollouts.

Stakeholder & Vendor Management

Bridging marketing, legal, compliance, engineering, and external agencies — driving alignment without direct line authority across complex programmes.

Experience

Where I’ve Made an Impact

Senior Digital Product Content Manager (AEM)

IAG New Zealand·Auckland·Jan 2024 – Jan 2025
  • Led end-to-end delivery of a full CMS platform migration — Drupal to Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) — across all IAG brands in New Zealand and Australia.
  • Proactively identified and mitigated risks across content migration, WCAG 2.0 compliance, and accessibility, maintaining delivery quality throughout.
  • Managed multiple competing stakeholder groups (marketing, compliance, legal, development) in a matrixed environment with limited direct authority — relied on influence and clear communication to drive alignment.
  • Owned and prioritised a live digital backlog in Jira, maintaining consistent delivery cadence under tight timelines and staged deployment schedules.
  • Operated at the pointy end of delivery, balancing platform governance, escalation management, and day-to-day production across public-facing sites.

Digital Project Manager

Samsung (via DDB, in-house)·Auckland·May 2023 – Oct 2023
  • Oversaw global delivery of Trygalaxy.com, Samsung's flagship web experience — managing 30+ country-specific versions with tight timelines and complex stakeholder dependencies.
  • Delivered staged rollout with 90+ localised versions, achieving 490,000+ daily visitors and over 23 million total visits since launch.
  • Coordinated API integrations (analytics, CRM, localisation platforms) and managed external vendor performance and deliverables.
  • Managed workflows and handoffs across designers, developers, and content teams using Jira and Confluence to maintain clarity and cadence across squads.
  • Ran internal stand-ups and cross-team WIP meetings; monitored dependencies and actively managed delivery risks across concurrent workstreams.
  • Developed detailed project plans, timelines, and risk registers — monitoring dependencies across country markets and external vendor deliverables.
  • Defined KPI dashboards; drove continuous CRO through funnel analysis and user insight.

Senior Product & Customer Manager

Philip Morris International·Auckland·Mar 2019 – Jan 2020
  • Led digital transformation of IQOS.co.nz including Salesforce CRM integration, CS Cart e-commerce, and webchat platform — managing multiple matrixed stakeholders across marketing, tech, and customer service.
  • Designed segmented customer journeys improving lead quality and post-lead conversion across support and sales flows.
  • Developed wireframes, site maps, and user journeys aligned with UX/UI best practices — translating business requirements into scoped digital solutions.
  • Ran project plans, timelines, and scope definitions; coordinated dev teams and external agencies through stand-ups and WIP meetings.

Senior Digital Project Manager

Dept. of Internal Affairs (NZ Government)·Auckland·Jul 2020 – Jan 2021
  • Delivered government digital projects including website development (Drupal, WordPress), EDM campaigns, and platform enhancements for public-facing communications.
  • Facilitated stakeholder workshops across diverse groups, capturing technical and business requirements for complex platform work.
  • Managed project budgets and schedules; delivered WCAG 2.0-compliant websites within scope.
  • Developed wireframes, site maps, and user journeys aligned with UX/UI best practices for citizen-facing digital services.
  • Acted as day-to-day contact for cross-agency stakeholders, providing updates, managing expectations, and resolving blockers quickly.

Social Business Lead

Suncorp·Auckland·Dec 2017 – Jan 2019
  • Led digital adoption and social strategy across consumer business units; partnered with leadership to deliver measurable engagement and change programmes across a multi-brand environment.
  • Managed internal stakeholder relationships and external vendors to deliver transformation initiatives on time and within budget.

Senior Digital Project Manager

Nestlé·Auckland·Jul 2017 – Nov 2017
  • Delivered SEO, paid social, and EDM campaigns across Nestlé's FMCG brand portfolio; managed web content, agency performance, and end-to-end digital marketing execution.
  • Oversaw end-to-end website project delivery across WordPress, WooCommerce, and corporate sites — translating client requirements into scoped website solutions aligned with business goals.
  • Supported proposal development by assisting the sales team with scope definition, delivery assumptions, budgets, and schedules.
  • Acted as day-to-day client contact providing updates and managing expectations; managed dev team, ran stand-ups and client WIP meetings using Monday.com and Teams.

Product Owner — Digital

BNP Paribas Fortis·Paris·Nov 2015 – May 2016
  • Launched AEM-based digital platform with Adobe; delivered AI-powered customer engagement tools and aligned business units on digital strategy tied to commercial KPIs.

Projects

Selected Work

Real-world delivery and concept projects that demonstrate product thinking, UX sensibility, and modern digital problem-solving.

Try Galaxy

Samsung's interactive web experience that lets users explore Galaxy device interfaces directly from any browser. A global-scale digital product serving millions of visitors across 30+ markets — showcasing Galaxy UI, features, and ecosystem before purchase.

A real-world product reaching 490,000+ daily visitors — demonstrating how content strategy and digital delivery work at genuine global scale.

Global ProductInteractive WebSamsungUX at Scale
IAG Platform Migration — project screenshot

IAG Platform Migration

Contributed to the migration of enterprise digital platforms from Drupal to Adobe Experience Manager across Australia and New Zealand, helping modernise content workflows and improve long-term platform scalability.

A complex enterprise migration that maintained uptime and governance continuity across all consumer-facing touchpoints throughout transition.

Platform MigrationDrupal → AEMEnterpriseANZ

Skills

Tools & Capabilities

Project & Delivery

JiraConfluenceAsanaMondayNotionClickUpMicrosoft Project

Collaboration

SlackMicrosoft TeamsMiro

CMS

Adobe Experience ManagerDrupalSitecoreSanityWordPressSilverStripe

Analytics

Google AnalyticsAdobe Analytics

CRM

SalesforceHubSpotDynamics 365

Documentation

ConfluenceSharePoint

Productivity AI

ChatGPTMicrosoft CopilotClaudeGeminiGitHub Copilot

Languages

A Global Perspective

Working across cultures and languages is a core part of how I operate — it shapes how I communicate, collaborate, and understand diverse stakeholders.

English

Fluent

French

Fluent

Portuguese

Fluent

Italian

Fluent

Spanish

Fluent

German

Basic

Russian

Basic

Want the full picture?

Download my resume for a complete overview of my experience, skills, and background.

Contact

Let's Connect

I'm open to Senior Digital Project Manager roles in Auckland or remote — CMS migrations, AEM platforms, or mobile app delivery. If you think we'd be a good fit, I'd love to hear from you.

souzalesson[at]gmail.com
Auckland, New Zealand