BUSINESS EXPERIENCE
1998 - Present
A Midwest publisher of information resources——periodicals, newspapers, books, collections, dissertations,
and other scholarly material——for researcher, faculty, libraries, and students available through online
search tools, microform and print solutions.
'04 - Present Sales Manager - Traditional Products, North America
National sales leader driving up to $150 million in annual sales (about half of the company's revenue) to
libraries after being recruited by the National Sales Director. For the last two years we’ve
achieved 11% and 15% over-goal annually. This includes managing erosion of a $33 million
($60 million pre-divesture) subscription-based product in a maturing market. I am responsible for
establishing monthly/quarterly sales forecast which my team has met or exceeded 18 out of 24
months. I have been instrumental in transition management and integration of several
reorganizations and acquisitions, a key member on three acquisition discovery teams, and one
significant divesture (October 2005) resulting in Sr. Management’s purchase of a key product
line and 50% of my sales team to form a private company.
To deploy an Account Executive-driven renewal strategy, I identified and implemented process
improvements that provided the sales team with an online system to gain visibility and search-
ability——at the product level——into the 4000+ account base. Account Executives (AE) previously had access to only
prior-year’s printed territory commission reports. By making access more sales-friendly, this
tool contributed to the sales team’s ability to hold net erosion to less than 3% over the last two
years (industry average is about 7-10%). Implementation of my key account strategy proved to
be invaluable. Working with the AE, I was able to secure a combined renewal of $150,000 and
negotiate a 25% per year increase in annual spending by working directly with the Library
Director of a 10-library system to consolidate purchases and centralize funding.
'00 - '04 Sr. Strategic Marketing Manager
When the company restructured into Strategic Business Units (SBUs), the VP of Sales & Marketing
recruited me to assume the strategic marketing responsibility for the newly formed UMI SBU.
In establishing the annual Strategic Marketing plan to support operational and revenue
goals ($150 million), I managed a $550,000 promotions and T&E budget with three marketing
staff. I established weekly sales/marketing meetings to provide a feedback loop for sales to
"feel heard and motivated" to return to daily battle of selling. Through open communication, we
were able to identify and strategize about market pressures and develop solutions for immediate
sales implementation.
One of my first tasks was to establish benchmarks for the traditional business. I established an
11-member Customer Advisory Board, hosted customers panel discussions at annual sales
meetings, held focus groups, and re-established annual surveys to discover customer needs.
Managing the appropriate message for diverse audiences, I advised Product Management staff
on best approaches for communicating new product developments to sales and customers. Over
a two-year period, I developed about 27 subject-based print and online catalogs of cross-product
offerings to ignite new discussions driving an increase in new business sales—these are still
used as the primary sales tool. I also played a key role in P&L assessment for new product
development. I held pricing responsibility for the division’s products and provided accurate
product viability feedback. I presented my pricing analysis, including subscription erosion, to
Sr. Management (President, CFO and Sr. VPs) and my pricing recommendations were
implemented with only minor changes.
I effected culture change, streamlined operations, reengineered order & sales processes, and
improved employee cooperation/morale by providing strong, decisive leadership. I discovered
that we were not producing 5000 items that were actively being sold and billed as subscriptions–
1/5 of our total offerings. For over two years I led a cross-functional team including sales,
product management, customer service, content operations, manufacturing, finance, IT, and
marketing to identify the cause and scope of this multi-layered problem. I presented the process
improvement recommendations and drastic corrective action plan to the President, CFO, and
department heads in 2004 and immediately began implementation. These improvements reduced
the number of undeliverable items (from 5,000 to 100 between 2000 and 2005) resulting in staff
and material cost-savings. We were able to re-direct potential credits to other deliverable
products, take the deferred revenue, and finally satisfy the customer with definitive answers and
resolution.
With Product Management support, I established a partnership with a third-party manufacturer to
provide an affordable, innovative online alternative enabling customers to use millions of dollars
of archival research content creating a paradigm shift in the industry by encouraging continual
use of a declining product and slowing erosion of our renewal base (from 12% in 2000 to 3% in 2005)
and creating up-sell opportunities.
6/'99 – 1/'00 Strategic Marketing Manager - International
On the referral of the Director of Marketing Communications I joined the International team and
managed a $450,000 marketing budget to target all countries outside of North America.
Commuting from the USA, I was liaison between US and International product managers,
International sales and local creative agencies to develop and oversee all marketing. I created a
comprehensive product brochure—incorporating online and traditional products for the first
time—translated into 6 languages. I hired and managed one UK-based marketing staff.
’99 Marketing Campaign Manager - Domestic
Reporting to the Director of Marketing Communications, I proved my flexibility and facilitating
ability to get results. I created a 30-minute video for an academic audience of 2000+ institutions
5% under budget in an exceptionally tight deadline of five weeks—industry average is 8-10
weeks. I worked as liaison between Product Management and the in-house creative staff to
facilitate 13 marketing campaigns, including three direct mail campaigns returning results of
over 5% - compared to the industry standard of less than 2%.
'98 Account Executive – K-12 Division
Missing the challenges of the work place, I joined my current employer as an Account Executive. Working
as a team with the field sales representative, territory revenue increased 30% over the previous
years.
1995 – 1997 Software Services Corporation (SSC)
Ann Arbor, Michigan
A private, technical professional outsourcing company, SSC serviced Ford Motor Co., Detroit
Medical Center, as well as smaller companies. In an effort to diversify, the company created the
Advanced Technology Group (ATG) to develop custom, online database solutions for multi-
industry customers. The Ann Arbor location now closed.
'97 Account Manager, ATG
I was promoted to Account Manager for client management and relationship selling of web-
based solutions. I contacted prospects at all levels, including C-level, in multi-industry
organizations and continued as a key member of the steering committee for ATG. Due to the
intense schedule that the job demanded, I resigned to care for my newly born child.
'95 - '96 Marketing Specialist, ATG
I was asked to join the new division where I developed and implemented all marketing and pre-
sales activities including market segmentation, event coordination, case study development,
program planning and database design for the ATG division. I assisted with developing and
maintaining third party relationships including key partnership with Microsoft and was an
integral part of the solution development team.
'95 Sales Development Specialist
After studying in England for a semester while obtaining my international MBA, I joined
Software Services' sales team. I developed and tracked the execution of sales campaigns with
in-house sales representatives. I initiated customer research and analysis to define strategic
target markets, the selling cycle, and new product opportunities.
1994 - 1995 Spring Arbor Distributors Belleville, MI
Supervisor of Sales and Marketing
To return to the corporate sector, I joined Spring Arbor Distributors, a privately-held, full-service
Christian bookstore supplier employing over 500 people. As the Sales Supervisor I directed, trained
and mentored the Retail Systems Department's sales team of three. Selling their custom, turn-key,
POS, online inventory system, including hardware, I lead the team to increase sales 20% over
previous year through strategic customer contact, national events, and custom demonstrations.
1992 - 1994 Ann Arbor Area Chamber of Commerce Ann Arbor, MI
Director of Membership/Marketing
Moving to Ann Arbor, I joined the Chamber of Commerce to acquaint myself with local businesses.
I was responsible for all aspects of marketing and sales and two staff. I increased membership by
25% through strategic and budgetary planning, and by developing several member-benefit programs
including credit cards, telecom, and healthcare options.
1991- 1992 American Society for Quality (ASQ) Milwaukee, WI
Marketing Administrator, Membership
Moving for family obligations, I joined ASQ, a leading quality improvement society, where I
directed membership promotion and organized a cross-functional, ad-hoc marketing manger's team
of four to address Society-wide issues and define the quality standards to support its administration
of the Malcolm Baldrige Award. Through my strategic deployment of a $500,000 annual
membership marketing budget to targeted customer sectors, membership grew 15% over the
previous year to more than 130,000 individual and 1,000 sustaining members worldwide. I
developed and executed the Society’s first strategic membership marketing plan and cost/benefit
analysis, as I managed my 13-member recruitment and retention staff.
1989 - 1990 Illinois CPA Society Chicago, IL
New Membership Coordinator
Seeking career advancement in a for-profit, membership organization, I joined the Illinois CPA
Society where I increased membership by 10% over the previous year through my targeted strategic
marketing efforts, semi-annual new graduate events, aggressive advertising and membership benefit
promotions, as well as targeted call and mailing campaigns.
1988 -1989 National Textbook Company (Now a McGraw-Hill Company) Lincolnwood, IL
Associate Marketing Manager
Moving to the Chicago area and reporting to the National Sales Manager, I quickly gained the
required knowledge to add value. In my first full-time position, I frequently acted as fill-in
representative for vacant territories, represented the company at national trade shows, helped to
facilitate statewide adoptions, and worked with key customers.
EDUCATIONAL CREDITIALS:
MBA, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI, 1996 (International Business)
BS, Olivet Nazarene University, Kankakee, IL, 1987 (Business Administration, Marketing Major)
Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, '84-'85 (PR/Advertising major, Marketing Minor)
PERSONAL: Born January 27, 1965. Married, two children. |
