SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS
Seasoned, insightful and responsive MARKETING / BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT executive with a proven record of success. Persistent problem solver who thrives on challenges, excels under pressure and gets the job done. Confident, goal-oriented and enthusiastic team player who possesses excellent interpersonal and communication skills. Quietly assertive/hands-on leader and coach, organized/thorough planner and persuasive negotiator dealing effectively across all levels of the organization. Accustomed to a fast pace and multiple projects, understands competing agendas and meets deadlines while consistently providing value-added services to clients enabling management to achieve their strategic and financial objectives.
Areas of Expertise
Marketing Management including creation of robust value proposition, competitive advantage assessment and market-driven product development, segmentation, brand awareness, advertising, product positioning and niche market distribution, pricing, planning, participation and execution of international trade shows, and content ownership of internal and external web sites.
New Business Development/Sales Management including account plan development (strategic & tactical), identifying client requirements, cross-selling integrated & complementary solutions, national and international account penetration and development, sales proposals; negotiating contracts, licenses and agreements, account maintenance, time and territory management; hiring, training, motivating, directing sales staff; account maintenance, and educating & entertaining clients.
Client Relationship Management: including managing all aspects of existing customer relationships, developing new client relations, managing customer expectations, e-CRM data mining, customer education & training, structuring mutually advantageous sponsorships and marketing plans, timely and consistent response to customer needs & crises, handling difficult people and defusing perceived slights, and end user research.
Product Management including strategy development and planning of new applications, selection & prioritization of product enhancement, budgeting & scheduling, pricing; relationship management with heads of R&D, global sales, marketing, technical support, and key customers; identification of business drivers and key issues, end user research, and content ownership of product web site.
Project Management leadership of multinational & multifunctional projects from conception through project implementation including review of customer & internal requirements, business case development with cost and benefit analysis, technical team building, interfacing with various internal departments and external vendors, daily project supervision, measurement and tracking, and documenting and communicating findings to executive management.
BUSINESS EXPERIENCE
1999-2001: Product Manager, Foreign Exchange Line of Business, TIBMercury FX, TIBCO FINANCE TECHNOLOGY,INC., New York, NY, financial technology subsidiary of Reuters, Ltd, delivering infrastructure software solutions enabling companies to seamlessly integrate business systems globally and in real time with sales of US$ 350 million.
Responsible for positioning TIBMercury FX (renamed Reuters Treasury Solution or RTS) as the premier automated trading application in the global FX market. Managed global internal and external marketing, customer relationships, and a staff of four (three in Palo Alto and one in NYC). Provided pre-sales and sales support as necessary, and reported to Sr. VP-Product Management. Worked collaboratively with engineering to ensure product development met business requirements as specified by the market place.
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* To reorganize product line possessing one strong application, and one weak, yet complementary,
application after merger, combined the two existing applications into one integrated solution. Result: the weak application sales rose 150%, while the integrated solution sales exceeded target by 35% in the first year.
* To enhance product position in the market while maximizing use of Reuters Global Sales staff, conceived, then created course materials, course content, and conducted initial product (RTS) sales training courses for Reuters Global Training (train-the-trainers) who then trained the regional sales force. Result: 130 field sales representatives trained within two months of product’s introduction; RTS sold to 4 banks generating US$ 8.9 million.
* To capture smaller, niche customers that considered the product excessively expensive, negotiated mandate to include an Application Service Provider (ASP) offering in our business model,providing an inexpensive entree for smaller institutions to provide an internet-based service. Result: locked the customer into the product, and increased our market share 12 %.
* To manage customer implementations, instituted Implementation Road Map for Project Management of customer deliverables including business case development,measurable milestones, and human resources allocation from customer and vendor. Result: product implementation cycle cut from 12 weeks to as little as three weeks.
* To alleviate customer skepticism and lamentations, organized and moderated a two-day Product User Forum to define customer concerns, advise customers of management commitment to the product, and introduce the process for future product development, which would include client input. Result: channeled customer complaints into a cost free marketing, advertising, and end-user resource; retained all major clients which generated US$ 28 million in annual revenue.
* To better manage customer expectations, initiated and controlled content of Customer Relationship
Management (CRM) program with a new Product User Forum Web Site for interactive dialogue between customers and product management, including draft specs for review and feedback, announcements, and information on known problems. Result: profit generating requirements, generic to most customers, were tasked first; shortened release schedule from 6 months to under three months while allowing customers to feel part of the development process.
* To overcome an inadequate marketing and advertising budget allocation, coordinated marketing the product with key customers through the use customers’ “Product Statement” advertising in numerous trade publications. Result: created an advertising campaign using the customer’s budget; saved over $50,000 in ad expenses.
1997-1999: Account Director & Business Manager, COGNOTEC, Ltd, Dublin, Ireland, a privately held financial services software firm engaged in the development of automated trading solutions with sales of US$ 13 million.
Hired to plan and execute opening of New York office with US$400,000 budget and staff of three. Provided marketing strategy, initiated and closed “high level” license product sales, conducted end-user research and analysis for engineering, and reported jointly to CEO and Global Head of Sales.
* To overcome lack of name recognition among potential customers, became first technology vendor
to sponsor local & regional Forex Association meetings. Result: allowed to address, exhibit and demonstrate our product capabilities directly to the target market within its own venue; introduced the company to large and small potential customers and their decision-makers.
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* To quickly establish U.S. customer base, developed separate sales plan, customized sales collateral
and demo scripts for U.S. branches of established European customers leveraging these relationships. Result: first two U.S. Letters of Intent obtained in 6 months and lease agreements (US$ 690K) signed within 9 months of office opening allowing office to match budget in first year.
* To crack the domestic U.S. banking market, established sales exercise as a “concept sale,” and
focused sales efforts on the search for an internal “product champion” at the business decision-making level of targeted banks. Result: sale driven from top, down to skeptical operational levels; closed first two U.S. domestic customers generated US$1.1 million.
* To obtain a competitive edge, designed an end-user questionnaire and received extensive responses
at the Treasury Management Association (TMA) annual convention, Over two year period, received detailed competitive research on product requirements and enhancements end-users considered imperative. Result: engineering able to determine the direction of next generation of the product.
* To convince potential customer’s senior management to buy, established two-week consultancy
which outlined business case development, cost/benefit analysis, customer marketing strategy, competitive analysis, delivery and implementation. Result: made product easier for customer to buy and generated US$25,000 in fee income per new customer.
1990 -1997:BANK OF MONTREAL/HARRIS BANK, New York, NY.
Director & Senior F/X Advisor - 1994 to 1997.
Coordinated the integration of Harris Bank and Bank of Montreal corporate and institutional sales desks. Marketed Fortune 500 corporations, central banks and institutional customers on the combined Harris Bank/Bank of Montreal F/X sales desk.
* Initiated use of automated trading systems and integrated F/X sales teams into Investment Bank
sales teams. Result: increased spread revenue 30 percent annually.
Vice President, Senior F/X Advisor - Harris Bank - 1990 to 1994.
Established Fortune 500 customer penetration for the bank in the Northeastern United States.
* Opened east coast Institutional F/X and Central Bank sales and trading desks respectively.
1975-1990: BARCLAYS BANK PLC, New York, NY.
Vice President, Senior Corporate F/X Dealer - 1982 to 1990. Advised exposure managers on market perspective and exposure strategies. Marketed the bank’s F/X products including options and
Eurodollars.
Assistant Vice President, Corporate F/X Dealer - 1980 to 1982.
Foreign Exchange Dealer, Spot $/FFr. Dealer - 1978 to 1980.
St. Thomas, U.S.V.I., Manager’s Assistant, Division International - 1977 to 1978.
Account Officer, Money Markets - 1975 to 1977.
EDUCATION B.A., History, MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE, 1975. Alumni Advisor, Middlebury College Black
Students Union.
AFFILIATIONS Member, ACI, The Financial Markets Association, & Financial Markets Association, U.S.A.
Member, Association for Financial Professionals (formerly, Treasury Management Assoc.)
Alumni Representative, Office of Admissions, Middlebury College
PERSONAL DATA & INTERESTS Married, two children; excellent health. Bridge, whist, football, woodworking, family activities, gardening and historical reading. |
