Ceri Mescall, CPP CAP ES-M BW-M APMP Fellow (Class of 2020)
Managing Director, Strategic Proposals Canada
Bio
Ceri Mescall is the Managing Director of Strategic Proposals Canada. She works with clients on upcoming and live deals, proposal capability development, APMP certification courses and proposal training. Ceri is a proposal and bid thought leader - a presenter/panelist, podcast guest, article author/contributor, and awards judge. She holds all four signature Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP) certifications plus the Executive Summaries and Bid & Proposal Writing micro-certifications and is an APMP 40 Under 40 award winner (class of 2019).
Ceri has 15+ years of progressive experience in bids and proposals, predominantly in professional services, Facilities Management (FM), and workforce solutions. Over her career, she’s enabled clients and employers to secure over $1 billion CAD in sustainable, profitable work. Ceri has played leadership roles within high-performing bid and proposal teams in Canada and the UK. She has collaborated with sub-vendors in Canada, the US, the UK, India, Australia, and across Europe. She’s worked for and with corporations, partnerships, family-owned businesses, start-ups, and solopreneurs.
When she's not winning work, she's planning her next adventure (Ceri's visited 35+ countries so far), enjoying nature on her doorstep (beautiful British Columbia in Western Canada), and watching international rugby union (she's an avid Wales supporter!).
What does being an APMP Fellow mean to you?
- I’m honored to have been recognized for my contributions throughout my career in the bid and proposal industry.
- I’m proud to be in such great company – 100+ thought leaders around the globe.
- I’m conscious of the responsibility that comes with the title – using an abundance mindset to share knowledge and leading practices to help others succeed.
What's your best memory from attending an APMP event?
Delivering my Ignite presentation to hundreds of peers on the final morning of BPC Dallas 2022. The Ignite format is five minutes and 20 slides - each slide automatically advances every 15 seconds. My presentation - “It’s Been Emotional,” - was about the curiosity, pride, relief, freudenfreude, and belonging we experience when working on proposals.
What advice do you have for a proposal professional entering our field?
- Be curious: See the opportunity in every interaction (beyond the immediate task). Ask open-ended questions and listen actively. Expand your network to proposal-adjacent functions (e.g., capture, sales, marketing, account management, client experience).
- Be versatile in the way you communicate: Flip the script from “treat others as you wish to be treated” to “treat others as they wish to be treated” – this could include varying comms methods (e.g., video call, text, DM, email), level of detail, level of (respectful) challenge.
- Be your own advocate: Control the narrative by writing and delivering your personal elevator pitch that shows your understanding of your stakeholders’ pain points and the outcome they’ll receive by working with you. Track your accomplishments week by week and present the highlights in advance of performance reviews.
