Enjoy My Site
MARIA POPOVA
Personal Statement
I am a producer, a digital journalist and a TV - host passionate about storytelling. I have built my career writing stories, producing original video content and working on digital marketing for a number of publications and brands, including Harper’s Bazaar, HELLO! Middle East, Agency 451, Hyundai Corporation, The Daily Free Press, the BUZZ Lifestyle Magazine, BUTV10, and First Channel Russia Worldwide.
Having lived in between The United States, The UAE, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Europe, I carry a global perspective and a strong desire to innovate and set new records in anything I do with my dedication, work ethic and creativity.
Professional History
EDITORIAL PRODUCER AT HARPER'S BAZAAR ARABIA
AUGUST 2017 - PRESENT
Produce Shoots - work on logistics, book talent and negotiate rates, discover shoot locations and negotiate barter deals with businesses, attain permissions, manage schedules and call sheets. Oversee photo and video shoots to ensure everything runs smoothly.
Produce Videos and Podcasts - give creative directions to the videographer and the video editor. Edit podcasts in Premier.
Manage magazine content online - manage magazine content publication calendar on Teamup, work in InDesign to format images, upload pieces through CMS. Write additional text and work on SEO.
Write original pieces, conduct interviews and reviews for harpersbazaararabia.com - schedule and conduct interviews, write original restaurant and hotel reviews for the website (wrote pieces covering Kempinski, Bazaar Cafe, Sean Connolly, etc.; interviewed Khalid Shafar, Elizabeth Kennedy, Taylor Hill, etc.)
Video Reporting - Report for Harper’s Bazaar on camera
Manage print and digital budgets - estimate budgets for each month, manage spending, work on CRM and BMS to put costs against budgets. Manage invoices and work closely with accountants to ensure timely payments.
Write and compile Flash pages - communicate with PR and photographers to attain exclusive images. Compile and edit galleries, manage captions and text.
VIDEO PRODUCER AT HELLO! MIDDLE EAST
MAY 2018 - PRESENT
- Launching HELLO! Middle East TV
- Producing video content
- Writing original scripts
- Editing videos
- Social media management
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER & MARKETING DIRECTOR, ON THAT POINT BUTV10
JANUARY 2015 – PRESENT
Maria collaborates with her team to create 30-minute episodes about today's most pressing issues. The show won 4 College Telly awards and a 2016 New England Emmy award for its Syrian Refugee episode last Spring.
Maria is also a founder and a manager of a marketing team of 6. She guides her team through the show’s promotion and development.
In addition, Maria directs and hosts the show, books guests and contributes to script writing.
Previous roles: stage manager, operator, assisting director, scriptwriter.
INTERNAL MARKETING INTERN, 451 MARKETING BOSTON, USA
JANUARY 2017 – PRESENT
As an Internal Marketing Intern at 451, a national award-winning communications agency, Maria builds project databases and website content; collects, researches and analyzes data, puts together media reports and performs other marketing-related tasks on a daily basis.
SENIOR WRITER, TRAVEL AND ARTS, THE BUZZ LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE
SEPTEMBER 2014 – JANUARY 2017
Write articles that cover traveling and international affairs for online magazine and semi-annual print magazine edition. Previous roles: Arts and Cinema writer
PRODUCER’S ASSISTANT, CHANNEL ONE RUSSIA WORLDWIDE – MOSCOW, RUSSIAN FEDERATION
JULY 2016 – AUGUST 2016
Maria worked on the set of a spy show "Sleeping," a special project for the Channel One. Performed English translations for the show, edited texts, helped with managing set inventory and paperwork, arranged broker services for traveling with the film equipment, acted in one of the episodes.
BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS INTERN, HYUNDAI CORPORATION - TORRANCE, CA, USA
JUNE 2015 - AUGUST 2015
Worked for Solar Energy Sales division. Analyzed financial statements and prepared excel tables, worked on customer development and filing, developed business presentations, went through the process of customer development from the analysis of a company's financial reports to business meetings and negotiations. Closely analyzed Solar Panel market and developed a business forecast based on extensive market research.
FEATURES WRITER, DAILY FREE PRESS - BOSTON, USA
SEPTEMBER 2016 – PRESENT
Report for Impact, InBusiness, Catalyst and Muse sections of the newspaper.
Educational Experience
BS, BOSTON UNIVERSITY, MAGNA CUM LAUDE
2014-2017
At Boston University I built a cross-disciplinary foundation and developed as a journalist, writer, business administrator and creative thinker.
Journalism major provided me with skills necessary to be an industry leader in the digital era. From my fluency in AP style to ability to produce multi-media content, from interviewing expertise to the knowledge of Search Engine Optimization, the skills I gained at Boston University enable me to tell compelling stories.
At the same time, the background in Business Administration provided me with commercial awareness and market understanding. I developed strong accounting, finance, management, organizational behavior, strategy, and economics skills that will assist me in becoming a forerunner in the global sustainability community.
Yet, the most important part of my education at BU is practical experiences gained while working at the Daily Free Press, the Buzz Magazine, and the BUTV10.
Activities and Societies: On That Point, BU TV10, Buzz Boston University lifestyle magazine, Arts & Entertainment and Travel sections writer Boston University Student Government – COM Senator chair The National Society of Collegiate Scholars (Fall 2014-present) Dean’s Fellowship in Social Impact (Fall 2015)
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
SUMMER 2013
Seminar on Debating Ethics of War and Political Violence
ROSS SCHOOL
2012 -2014
High School Diploma
Grade Top 5%, Graduated with honors
“The only way to atone for being occasionally a little over-dressed is by being always absolutely over-educated.”
OSCAR WILDE
