On Monday, September 15, Laura Selfridge was elected as the newest member of the Xinet Users Group Board of Directors. Laura is a Global Operations Director for JWT and works out of the company's New York and Paris offices.

JWT is one of the oldest and largest brand communications companies in the world. Some of the world's largest and most prestigious brands appear on JWT's client roster, including Rolex, Diageo, HSBC, jetBlue, Microsoft, Royal Caribbean and Kimberly-Clark.

Laura has been working in "the biz" for the last 13 years. Her experience has taken her from a solid account management start through many years in print production at Y&R to running the studio at JWT to, currently, working in a global operations role dedicated to JWT's Rolex business.

"I was introduced to the Xinet suite of products in 2002 when working with a supplier on the Philip Morris business. As a relatively nontechnical person, I liked the ease of use and overall functionality of the software.

"When I came to JWT and later took on the studio director position in 2006, I realized the technology infrastructure needed a big upgrade in order for us to expand our business offering and continue to be a reliable resource for our clients. After looking around at various options, I decided to move forward with Xinet. It wasn't until after we started the installation that I realized how extensive the suite was. I still continue to have those 'you can do that?' moments when talking to our integrator."

Scott Pellicone, XUG President and Vice President, Business Development, for Quebecor World Premedia, said, "Laura Selfridge brings important new insights and experiences to the XUG Board of Directors. As our membership continues to grow and diversify, we're finding an increasing demand to assist users on both the server side and the client side at all levels of expertise. The very nature of the Xinet WebNative suite is to bring client and server closer together, and there are important activities our group can initiate to help make that connection a smooth one."

Laura says she's a "newbie" when it comes to user groups. "I think there should be a voice for those in Xinet installations who aren't tech experts. I'm still finding my way around the technology. Many people can get overwhelmed not only with a new installation but also, later on, with how to get from Xinet 101 to more complex automation. An active users group can be a valuable resource for them. I have gotten a lot of great insight from other users and think that some hand holding of newer users is important. Having to meet client-side needs daily helps us to understand what's important for those who don't think about the complexities of the system but who are just looking for something that works for them. Hopefully, I can help be a voice for those constituents."

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