David Friend – Managing Director

David Friend is the Managing Director and sole owner of Shared Services Solutions (SSS).

David is also proud to be President of the Frankston Football Club, which is part of the Victorian Football League (VFL).

David has worked in the membership and merchandise industry for 15 years and has established a quality reputation for achieving record results for organisations utilising his strategic planning skills and first-hand experience. In this time, he has been instrumental in large membership growth for many sporting, corporate and not for profit organisations.

Prior to establishing Shared Services Solutions, David was General Manager of Membership and Merchandise at the Hawthorn Football Club for 5 years. The Hawks experienced huge membership and merchandise growth during this time using David’s strategies.

David was also General Manager of Membership and Merchandise at St Kilda FC and achieved record membership and merchandise results during his tenure with the Club.

David and SSS expanded internationally working with clients in Monaco (Peace and Sport) and the UK (Major Events International).

Janita Friend – Communications

Janita Friend has over 20 years of communications/public relations experience and has worked across sectors as diverse as hotels, arts, real estate, fashion, sport, automotive and theatre. 

She has experience not only in communications/public relations but also in social media strategy and implementation brand development, crisis  management, marketing, sponsorship, training and events utilising her skills as a qualified coach/trainer.

Yvonne Johnston  – Membership and Merchandise Manager

I’m dedicated to helping membership businesses grow their membership base and decrease member churn. Members are the most valuable sponsors and retention of these members is the lifeblood of most organisations.

Area of expertise: Understanding client goals, tailoring campaigns to achieve the desired results, strong business relationships, how to get the best value out of Australia Post.

At Shared Services Solutions I act as the Membership and Merchandise Manager developing sales and marketing strategies that achieve long-lasting results. Highlights have included managing all aspects of Melbourne Victory’s membership and merchandise programs and at Melbourne Heart reaching 5382 members in their inaugural year.

Previously, I worked as Senior Accounts Manager for a boutique call centre and mail house, working with membership and subscription based organisations including in Private Health Insurance, Retail, Not-for-profit, AFL, NRL and FFA. This involved managing all aspects of acquisition, renewals and membership communication.