PROFILE
Dynamic and creative professional skilled in leading the development and implementation of results-focused strategic planning, business development, marketing, communications and financial programs and teams across industry groups, practices, offices, client teams and individual lawyers.
" Established record of building and managing highly effective business development and marketing teams that are value-added within an organization.
" Created and implemented the strategic blueprint and executed targeted action plans for high performing firms and practice teams resulting in measured improvements in marketing ROI, gross revenue, client relations, brand awareness and market share.
" Strategic leader of market positioning, branding, profitability initiatives, market expansion and lateral integration, while successfully instituting a firm-wide team sales culture.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Director of Strategic Business Development Initiatives
HONIGMAN MILLER SCHWARTZ AND COHN, LLP Detroit, Michigan (2014 present)
Advisor, Strategic Business Development Programs (Independent Consultant) (2012 2014)
Retained to implement newly launched business development program for AMLAW 200 firm of 280 lawyers; co-led team of 11 professionals. Leadership role responsible for positioning and market segmentation, firm and practice specific business development, client team and individual lawyer coaching, marketing operations, competitive intelligence, business development training programs, CRM, traditional and digital media and communications. Created a team-oriented culture committed to strategic thinking, collaboration, client service and professional excellence.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
" Formulated and implemented market and industry segmentation programs.
" Instituted new branding and positioning initiatives including strategy and collateral.
" Developed an enhanced proposal and pitch process realizing high success levels of over 70%.
" Expanded relationship with existing clients and generated new clients in select segments.
" Designed and led marketing and communication strategies for entry into Chicago market.
" Co-led integration and cross-selling programs for new office and subsequent lateral hires.
" Developed successful client-focused business development platforms and initiatives closely aligned with the firms strategic plan.
" Created and implemented training to integrate, mentor and manage newly created Business Development Managers, leading efforts with a comprehensive sales strategy supporting a new firm-wide practice group structure.
" Developed and implemented plans for client and industry teams programs, including establishment of a national PR strategy for select practices and industries.
" Advised on implementation of Legal Project Management and Alternative Fee initiatives, and helped promote them externally and internally.
" Instituted pitch coaching and lawyer advisory services across practices and industry teams such as Data Privacy and Cybersecurity, Global Automotive and Healthcare.
Chief Marketing Officer and Director of Planning
BUTZEL LONG Detroit, Michigan (1999 - 2012)
Director of Marketing and Planning (1992 - 1999)
Member of Senior Leadership Team; Ex-officio, Board of Directors; Chair, Strategic Planning Committee; Member, Geographic Expansion Committee; Administrative Management Committee; Alternative Fee/Legal Project Management Task Force; New York, Mexico, China and Washington D.C. Committees. Built and managed team of 9 marketing professionals. Report to Chairman/Board of Directors.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
" Structured and managed marketing and business development functions as firm size doubled to 220 lawyers.
" Created a streamlined marketing and business development processes resulting in improved visual identity, efficiency and win ratio for proposals/pitches to above 80%.
" Developed strategic relationships with clients, industry associations and other public/private organizations; created new business opportunities and multiple referral arrangements.
" Established key client feedback program to measure client satisfaction levels, identify areas of improvement and explore future service offerings; tracked 20% increase in new assignments.
" Assisted in the design and co-led New York office expansion including action focused business and marketing plans, eventually helping to triple the size of the office to 24 lawyers.
" Helped structure and managed the integration of Washington DC office joint venture including developing key marketing strategies to grow the DC practice.
" Developed practice, industry and lawyer marketing plans with full budget P&L responsibility.
" Team leader for the design and implementation of market-focused multi-disciplinary industry teams resulting in increased opportunities for broader cross selling and new clients.
" Assisted/coached multiple individual attorneys and teams in attracting significant engagements, structuring alternative fees, designing pitches and creating long term client relationships
" Developed/supervised multi-year sales training and coaching program for lawyers to enhance individual skills and form cross-selling teams; created a team sales culture .
" Developed/directed research and competitive intelligence capabilities.
" Directed adaption of technology to boost effectiveness of the firms online presence, management of data and improved communication through a synchronized platform.
" Led establishment of national PR program that defined firm and lawyers as subject matter experts in select areas such as IP, Global Automotive Suppliers, Bankruptcy and M&A.
" Leadership team that created the China Alliance, a collaboration of four independent North American law firms - with two alliance offices in Beijing and Shanghai. Developed and executed award-winning marketing launch of China Alliance in Michigan market.
" Served as first Global Chair of the Lex Mundi Marketing Committee (Worlds Leading Association of 160 independent law firms - www.lexmundi.com); initiated first branding and positioning efforts of association; enhanced firms visibility within association resulting in marked increase in referrals.
Director of Marketing
LUCKENBACH/ZIEGELMAN AND PARTNERS INC. Birmingham, Michigan (1988 - 1992)
Responsible for all marketing, business development, public relations and strategic planning efforts for nationally recognized architecture and design firm. Duties expanded to management of administrative and financial operations of firm in final two years.
" 37% revenue growth over three years including significant expansion of client base
" Developed and implemented firms first formal marketing program and budget, including creation of firms first lead-finding and proposal generation system
" Developed project profitability report for on-going projects; prepared reports and management strategies for bank relations
" Led firms first strategic planning effort
Market Analyst
ANHEUSER-BUSCH, INC. St. Louis, Missouri (1986 - 1988)
Responsible for in-depth analysis and monitoring of various brand, market and competitive trends.
" Established early alert protocol for changes in specific brand performance.
" Managed brand analysis including special projects for competitive response teams
" Led competitive analysis including development of new Competitive Database and forecasting models to track sales trends on state and national basis monthly report to Board of Directors
Corporate Strategic Planner
DIXIE BREWING COMPANY New Orleans, Louisiana (1983 - 1986)
Key member of senior management team for largest independent brewer in the South. Directed overall strategic planning efforts and implemented marketing and financial action strategies.
" Assisted in development and implementation of local and national marketing strategies including repositioning of core products, new product development and new market rollouts.
" Negotiated key supplier financial agreements and developed and implemented financial control systems in business turnaround.
" Developed alternative uses for excess plant capacity by establishing an ethanol manufacturing facility.
" Member of Leadership Team that negotiated sale to private investors.
EDUCATION
Tulane University, A.B. Freeman School of Business
MBA, 1983 (Marketing Concentration, Minor in Finance)
New College (Honors College of Florida)
BA, 1980
Member of Board of Trustees 1980 - 1983
HONORS/PUBLICATIONS
Platinum Award for Outstanding Marketing Achievement, Marketing and Sales Executives of Detroit (MSED) 2003
Authored or presented over three dozen marketing and strategic planning articles and seminars for professional journals and conferences including 2015 National LMA Conference
Contributing Author: Law Firm CMO Opportunities and Challenges Best Practices for Marketing Lawyers (Inside the Mind series, Aspatore Books, 2008)
OTHER PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
Legal
Lex Mundi: Regional Chair, Marketing Committee 2001-2007; Founding Chair Marketing Committee, 1999 -2001
Legal Marketing Association (LMA): Member, 1993 present; Hall of Fame Selection Committee 2012; Chicago Conference Committee 2007, 2009; Chair, National Publications Committee, 1997 1998
Private Enterprise Council (PEC): led firm involvement in multi-state association of six independent law firms 2004 - 2012
Zeughauser Group, CMO Roundtable: 2003 2008
Marketing
Adcraft Club of Detroit: 2002 - 2010
Marketing and Sales Executives of Detroit (MSED): 2003 present, Board 2008 -2014; Treasurer 2011-2016;
Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS): Member, 1988 - 2002; President, Michigan Chapter 1993 -1994; Michigan Chapter Board of Directors 1991 - 1995.
Economic Development
Automation Alley Technology Consortium: Member, Board of Directors 2002 2006; Executive Board, 2001- 2012; Government Relations Committee, 2003 2012; Chair, Marketing Committee, 2001 - 2002; International Advisory Board 2006 present
Detroit Economic Growth Corporation: Board of Directors 2005 - 2016
Detroit Regional Economic Partnership: Chair, Technology Investment and Attraction Committee 2001 - 2003; North American Investment Committee Chair 1998 1999; Asia Committee 2005 2010; International Business Attraction Committee 2014 - present
Medical Main Street: Advisory Board; Marketing Committee 2010 -2012
Michigan Global Partnership: Member, Asia Committee 1997 - 2009; Americas Committee, 2001 2003; Chair, Technology Committee 1999-2001
Michigan World Trade Week Marketing Chair, 1995 1996; Executive Committee 1994 -1997, 2004 2005;
Charitable/Non-Profit
American Diabetes Association: Advisory Board SE Michigan 2010 - 2016 |
