Professional Experience
Digital Practice Partner Customer Experience -
International Consulting Firm, Chicago, IL
03/2014 Present
Recruited to this publicly traded $8.2 billion technology consulting company to help launch Wipro Digital, working with the C-suite of Wipros Fortune 100 clients to build user-driven brands and experiences. As the #2 hire in the US, my mission was to launch the Customer Experience practice in North America, creating process and productization, while hiring all key roles and building a customer-centric culture. My responsibilities also include acting as the global SME for user experience; developing client relationships and driving business development, working closely with the client partners and managing director.
After more than two years of establishing increasing sales volume, profitability, and resource development, I was asked to relocate to New York, and my family and I prefer to remain in Chicago. As a result, and with Wipros acquiescence, I am seeking a new challenge& hopefully a CMO or a leadership position within a services organization, where I can continue to build new business models for aligning brand and audience in this dynamic digital age.
Accomplishments
By the end of 2014, I achieved the following organizational objectives:
o Helped close the first Wipro Digital client project with Hewlett Packard, valued at $5MM
o Hired key leadership roles in NYC and Chicago and defined 2015 org structure
o Working with my team, we defined and deployed all CX services for the practice, including project estimation, deliverables, client communications, success criterion, and optimization
o Customer Experience services were integrated with the Technology and Strategy practices, creating a cohesive approach that I presented to Wipro North America vertical sales teams. These efforts resulted in a 600% increase in 2015 client presentation activities
In 2015/2016, I achieved the following objectives:
o Established account relationships in the financial, utilities and media verticals. Identified and closed multiple projects within Microsoft, US Bank, Monsanto, and Citi, providing oversight and hands-on guidance for all research, content, UX, and design teams on all deliverables.
o Our Customer Experience practice generated 85% of North America revenues, billing in excess of $3MM in UX and creative services
o Supervised staffing for revised 2015 org structure, including opening new offices in Mountain View, CA and Redmond, WA.
o As a member of the M&A integration team for Wipro Digitals acquisition of Designit, (a 300 person, $30MM design firm based in Copenhagen, DE.), I served as the liaison responsible for integration of brand and services into the US market
SVP | Partner Customer Experience Discipline -
Ad Age Top 10 Digital Agency
04/2012 10/2013
I moved to Ohio to join this nine-office, $300MM digital marketing agency, rated as #9 on Ad Ages 2015 Agency A list, reporting to the Chief Creative Officer.
My mission was to develop and unify the UX culture across all regions, which were fragmented as a result of three M&A acquisitions and Publicis acquisition of the agency in 2011. To that end, I created a cohesive UX, Content Strategy, and Research culture- developing structure, methodology, and productization of all UX related services. I also published, lectured, and supported C-level business development, while providing executive oversight for major project work, acting as the authoritative voice of UX within the agency.
Accomplishments
o Overall team utilization / billability averaged 92% / 83% for my tenure, with direct oversight for 4 associate partners, 6 directors, 38 designers, and numerous contractors & interns
o Participated in 43 pitch presentations in 2012, with approx. close rate of 25%
o M&A consolidation- integrated UX, UeR, and CoS services for our acquisition of three regional agencies. I consolidated resources, methodology, and productization across nine offices and 1400 employees
o I provided senior leadership in launching the Commerce+ partnership program between Publicis and IBM. I also served as SME for the Adobe Marketing Cloud suite of services, laying the groundwork for our designation as Adobe Marketing Cloud growth partner of the year in 2015
o Specialized in developing audience strategies for eCommerce. EXAMPLE- Redesigned DYMO- Rubbermaid web presence, supporting commercial and industrial segmentation across multiple transaction pathways. Solution drove a 22% lift in CTR and conversion
Director- Creative Design - Social Commerce Group, Sears Holdings | Hoffman Estates, IL
12/2008 4/2012
I joined Sears to design UI/UX, as part of a small strategic team that reported directly to chairman Eddie Lampert. We were chartered with developing a personalization engine for online commerce, code-named TEC, which was deployed throughout the Sears family of brands. The resulting semantic data engine correlated disparate data within an intuitive learning system, which was deployed within 22 unique recommendation engines, across a wide range of eCommerce applications.
Accomplishments
o I directed the design for email, direct mail, and in-store touch points, replacing incumbent vendor Rich Relevance, showing a 600% increase in email opens, from 0.7% to 4.3%
o Provided strategic planning for new business solutions in the social media space, including integration of rewards program (Shop Your Way), into various online properties
o Directed visual and UX development of the Sears Catalogue shopping app versions 2.0, 2.5, and 3.0. This provided the proof of concept for global deployment of the TEC across all Sears properties, resulting in a 20% growth in online revenue, and directly influencing over 41B of in-store sales in FY2011
Creative Director - Avenue A | Razorfish | Chicago, IL
6/2007 7/2008
I entered the digital agency space by taking a position as creative director for Razorfish, an operating unit of Microsoft, and the world's largest interactive agency in 2008 according to Advertising Age. Provided thought leadership and guidance for design teams, including brainstorming, creative direction, brand and transactional strategy, specializing in eCommerce, retail, and complex user interaction.
Accomplishments
o My teams delivered global taxonomy restructuring and numerous site enhancements for JC Penney (JCP.com), along with JC Penneys digital strategy & mobile campaigns
o Provided senior leadership in winning JC Penneys $25MM media and AOR contract
Interactive Creative Director - Coldwater Creek | Sandpoint, ID
3/2006 5/2007
Instead of pursuing an AOL opportunity in Dulles, VA, I moved my family to Sandpoint, ID in 2006 to join Coldwater Creek, a tri-channel retailer of womens fashions with annual sales in excess of a billion dollars. Working closely with the CEO Dennis Pence and CMO Georgia Shawk-Simmons, I directed all interactive and online projects in collaboration with the retail and catalog channel teams.
Accomplishments
o Led first redesign of CWC.com in seven years, which included research, UX, and design enhancements. Increased PVs and transactions by 32%, while reducing cart abandonment
o Revamped email and digital promotion, resulting in 40% online conversion lift YOY
o Grew Coldwater Creek design team by 200% in 12 mo- 23 FTEs
Director, Design - America Online, Inc. | Columbus, OH
5/2001 3/2006
I joined AOL Web Properties, an operating unit of Time Warner, Inc., to support an Interactive network of web destinations, including Netscape, CompuServe, AIM, and numerous AOL content channels. My multi-discipline teams developed and implemented web-based products and services, facilitating AOL's business metrics of ad impressions, page views, click-through, and unique web visits. The Columbus, OH campus was downsized and my team disbanded in 2006, as AOL consolidated operations in Dulles, VA.
Accomplishments
o Directed the Netscape Network traffic catalyst project, leveraging content and driving recirculation across all Time Warner Brands. Sample results included additional +2MM unique sessions/mo to People.com, 1.2MM for SI.com, 4MM for CNN, and 1MM for Entertainment Weekly
o Deployed brand identity and web presence for Netscape ISP, grew subscriber base to over 500k in first 18 months
o Grew creative team 500%, from 7 to 36 UX, visual, art directors, photo editors, and user research associates during first four years, with direct budget responsibility of over 4MM
Creative Lead - Plural Inc. | Stamford, CT
2000-2001
Led Stamford CT design team that provided brand, web, and print design services for this
650-person multifaceted web agency/consultancy, which closed its doors in May of 2001.
Director- Creative & UX - eCommerce Corp & Attachmate Corp | Stamford, CT
1999-2000
Led eCommerce design efforts for NY clients. eCommerce Corp was purchased by Attachmate in 1999. I was retained to restructure and lead the new organization.
Design & Marcomm Director - Microtech International | Branford, CT
1995-1999
I was responsible for all design and communications for this midsized B2C technology manufacturer. This included press relations, print, digital, packaging, trade show design, and brand management.
Additional Skills and Experiences
Master Presenter- from boardroom to workshop, with a passion for storytelling that transforms factual data into a concise, inspirational narrative
Workshop Facilitator- including user journey mapping, Agile whiteboard wire-framing, future-visioning, program architecture definition, and creative brainstorming
Research Maven- led multiple research teams in qual and quant research, including market research, heuristics, and most forms of discovery and validation-based inquiry
Traditional Artist- Award-winning illustrator and artist with established gallery track record. Advanced skills in drawing, painting, and photography
Published Author/Speaker- authored 15 books on design & digital photography (published by Pearson Education), author of 100+ magazine articles, and accomplished conference speaker
Education
Bard College, Annandale, NY
Master of Fine Arts Degree (MFA)
School Of The Museum Of Fine Arts, Boston, MA
5th year Independent Study
School Of The Museum Of Fine Arts, Boston, MA
Design Diploma (BFA)
Yale University, New Haven, CT
Fellowship Yale Summer School |
