Experienced as a Chief Marketing Officer with emphasis on strategic marketing, branding, website management, advertising, market research, loyalty, communications, and PR. I have also developed new products, built alliances and partnerships and supported direct sales organizations. |
EXECUTIVE PROFILE
Dynamic marketing executive with a consistent record of accomplishment leading the marketing strategies and activities for a Fortune 5 corporate subsidiary. Known for transforming businesses and brands through strategic innovation and execution excellence, and for generating results through hands-on management and the development of high performing work teams. Highly regarded change agent and skilled communicator with exceptional leadership and relationship skills. Successful in driving top line growth and creating sustainable, competitive advantage in challenging markets. Experienced in:
• Strategic Planning: leveraged market research, intelligence and business analytics to define innovative strategies. Applied disciplined planning, project management and metrics to maximize market impact and investment.
• Business Creation: demonstrated ability to recognize and capitalize on market trends and business expansion opportunities. Launched new products, built incremental revenue streams and cultivated strategic partnerships.
• Brand Development: defined brand strategy and architecture and developed and enforced standards tied to desired image, branding and positioning. Created sustainable value propositions that resonated with target segments.
• Market Execution: drove market strategies and integrated campaigns from creative concept through pinpoint execution for advertising, public relations, marketing communications, internet, direct marketing, promotions, sales collateral and events. Sourced and managed agency relationships to ensure high quality, cost effective programs.
• Management Oversight: recruited and developed strong talent, rationalized budgets and investments, forecasted with predictability, removed barriers and improved processes. Experienced at working at the officer level of a senior management team.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Financial Services Company
1984 to 2006
A leader in the financial services industry, providing innovative product and service solutions to businesses and affluent individuals.
Senior Vice President, Strategic Marketing [2005 - 2006]
Functioned as the Chief Marketing Officer and tasked with repositioning the business for market resurgence. Leveraged previous experience to accelerate the cycle time for business turnaround and growth. Member of the Senior Management Leadership Team reporting to the Chairman and CEO.
* Achieved sales growth of 60% while realizing historic low levels of customer attrition (4.3%) through customer engagement strategies which successfully mitigated customer perceptible impacts and drove business momentum.
* Revitalized a declining global brand through the development of a comprehensive brand architecture strategy, new branding system, new card plastic designs, breakthrough advertising and innovative publicity initiatives.
* Created a superior product value proposition that resulted in sustainable customer loyalty through the customer-centric management and strategic evolution of the customer loyalty program. Named as the industry's "Best Card Affinity Program" and named as a "Top Pick" by Consumer Reports.
* Transformed the company website into a dynamic, relationship building service enhancement and received the prestigious 2005 WebAward for design excellence.
* Improved product line P&Ls through revenue expansion services and strategic cost management discipline.
* Drove business strategies and guided resource investment decisions through the execution of critical market research and customer insight studies.
Senior Vice President, New Business Development [2003 - 2005]
Appointed by company president to spearhead a major business transformation initiative as part of a historic alliance. Dramatically expanded market reach opportunities by tying into the breadth of the partner's network. A significant, complex assignment that required the overhaul of an entire business while in full operation. Concurrently, identified business expansion opportunities in the private label and branded loyalty arena and piloted a receivables management product solution for the corporate market. Modified title structure adopted as part of business integration with another company division.
* Protected the existing franchise and revenue base while positioning the business for exponential growth.
* Successful in retaining over 90% of customers and in fostering employee confidence and performance excellence during a period of turbulent change and operations integration.
* Accomplished complex product and customer transition plans within aggressive timelines through strategic leadership and disciplined cross-functional team oversight.
* Directed a complex and comprehensive series of communication strategies and plans designed to manage the internal and external dissemination of highly sensitive information across multiple organizations and constituencies.
* Represented Business interests in the ground breaking alliance negotiations and in the drafting of the Agreement.
* Selected to present the business case and strategic rationale for the alliance to senior company franchise management across the Latin American and Asia/Pacific regions.
Executive Vice President, North America Consumer Marketing [1999 - 2003]
Promoted to lead the continued turnaround of a declining consumer business across the US and Canada. Drove innovation in product and distribution strategies to realize top line growth and improved profitability. Named to the Senior Management Leadership Team in 2000.
* Improved overall new account profitability and loyalty through an activation-based new member incentive strategy. Spend grew 32%, monthly activation increased 48%, while second year attrition was reduced 22%.
* Reduced account costs up to 80% through non-traditional acquisitions strategies and relationship leverage.
* Capitalized on market share expansion opportunities and drove incremental revenues through the development and launch of two new products.
* Achieved a 7% share-of-wallet increase while creating a critical new source of customer revenue to combat deteriorating margins by launching a line of credit payment feature.
* Reversed escalating customer attrition trends through the use of predictive and behavioral models and the implementation of marketing and service programs tailored to customer usage patterns.
Senior Vice President, U.S. Consumer Marketing and Brand Management [1995 - 1999]
Appointed to stabilize a deteriorating consumer proposition and portfolio and to define a new business growth model.
* Stemmed a ten year Personal Card account decline, achieving consistent years of portfolio growth.
* Achieved double-digit portfolio growth in sales, transactions and monthly activation.
* Developed business building opportunities with hotels, airlines, car rental companies and retailers. Negotiated marketing agreements and managed cooperative initiatives with alliance partners.
* Directed the development of the long range strategic business plan in conjunction with a major consulting firm.
* Directed all advertising, branding, publicity and communications initiatives to improve brand awareness and relevancy across multiple market segments.
Senior Vice President, Corporate Travel System, Travel Agency, Establishment and Revenue Marketing [1990 -1995]
Selected to lead the business development of three diverse marketing channels and to reverse the sales decline trend of the company's most profitable product. Tackled several of the Company's most significant challenges and growth opportunities. Recognized for outstanding leadership and business performance results and promoted in 1993.
* Directed the turnaround of a $2 billion product portfolio, accomplishing a 25% increase in sales in two years and a 40% increase in account acquisitions.
* Generated $700 million in new account relationships through travel agency alliances.
* Delivered over $2 million incremental income through a multi-faceted direct response marketing unit and the launch of a proprietary merchandise catalog business.
* Initiated an integrated sales and marketing merchant strategy, resulting in an acceptance gap improvement of 25%.
Vice President, Corporate Planning and Sales Support [1988 - 1990]
Identified business-to-business development opportunities and customer strategies to expand market share and generate incremental card and revenue growth. Worked with the direct sales organization to deliver impact programs to accelerate the sales cycle, improve closure rates and account performance.
Vice President, Brand Management [1987 - 1988]
Built brand equity and managed all creative agency resources. Global Marketing Board appointee for North America.
Director, Advertising and Communications [1984 - 1987]
Executed diverse marketing initiatives. Directed a global Card redesign. Managed events and sponsorships.
GOULD, INC., Rolling Meadows, IL
1981 to 1984
Manager, Advertising and Promotion
Managed business-to-business communications, advertising, trade shows and sales support programs.
EDUCATION
Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
Master of Science, Advertising Management - 1981
Magna cum Laude
University of Illinois, Urbana, IL
Bachelor of Science, Advertising with Marketing Concentration - 1980
Bronze Tablet Honoree |
