VisualCV

The world’s largest environmental volunteer non-profit organization, $30M in global annual revenues.

Sole leader of the US-based marketing and communications team charged with engaging the world in Earthwatch’s mission-based story with a $1M marketing budget. Led a team of up to 15 strategic and creative professionals, contractors and interns responsible for the following: strategy, creative and design production, website and internet marketing, interactive and film-based communications management, strategic marketing partnerships with corporate and non-profit organizations, lead generation, public relations strategy and execution, and all volunteer field representative communications and support. Also mentored the international Marketing team (US, UK, Australia, and Japan), serving as senior representation for all strategic and tactical planning and organizational development.

Marketing Strategy & Execution

• Modernized the marketing plan by leading the transition from a tactical production department to a strategic marketing team prioritizing expansion of Web 2.0 tactics. Resulted in a more sophisticated marketing program with higher market yield while using 25% less funding (-$250K). Targeted, segment-driven mini-guide campaign resulted in $1.7 million in revenue and cost just $65K to execute (see sidebar for three mini-guide samples)
• Negotiated pro-bono relationship with award-winning international branding agency O&CO and oversaw outsourcing to agency and freelance-professional based creative production process.
• Created, championed, and implemented first-ever “mission-based,” multi-tiered marketing campaign for Earthwatch including partnerships with environmental NGOs, a Facebook Cause Campaign, and a gala fundraising event in Boston. Results included 900 new and renewed memberships, more than $150K in new donations and approval to maintain a featured blog on Treehugger.com.
• Developed marketing strategies against Boomers and Gen Y/Millennials by leveraging online social networks Eons.com (Boomer-oriented online community), Facebook, and YouTube. Piloted lead generation program through opt-in initiatives, segmented pay-per-click advertising, and regular blog posts. Partnered with Tree Media and National Geographic to sponsor and promote the 22nd Annual Earthwatch Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital. Event included an extensive publicity tour designed to encourage climate change awareness and action across college campuses.
• Partnered with Green Living Project to shoot an on-location video in Africa, which then became part of a nationwide lecture tour designed to engage new members and volunteers through interactive media and discussion.

Investor & Community Relations

• Created the organization’s first-ever international Annual Report that provided a true reflection of the organization’s full scope, progress and 10-year plan to all stakeholders
• Championed Earthwatch’s mission to external parties at trade shows, fundraising events, galas, media events, and partner negotiations and meetings to an audience including Corporate partners (HSBC’s Climate Partnership, Starbucks, Google, IBM, Wells Fargo, Alcoa, Mitsubishi, Shell Oil, UBS), NGO partners (Ocean Conservancy, IFAW), partner-based CSR campaigns (Planet Green, Discovery Communications), educational fellowships, members and donors.

Management

• Restructured the marketing organization to improve resource allocation and to align core workflows with staff abilities – created new positions, deleted obsolete positions and hired new talent to fill skill gaps.
• Appointed by the CEO to serve as Chair of the US Senior Leadership Team. Drafted organization’s first ever Guiding Principles, Vision Statement and Strategic Marketing Plan. Represented US Organization in international executive meetings and planning. Chaired and facilitated all US Senior Management Meetings and agendas.

Fortune 500 company providing information management systems and services to the financial services and health benefits industries, $5B in annual revenues.

Hired to introduce Brand Marketing to the largely sales-oriented business unit focused on financial service products ($40M in annual revenues) and to ensure the unit’s new investment in marketing produced maximized results. Leader of the marketing, creative, and communications group serving as the department representative within the Senior Leadership Team, and owner of all goals and business objectives. Responsible for engaging a wider audience of potential clients and partners, creating and implementing the organization’s first-ever comprehensive strategic and tactical marketing plan with an initial budget of $500K. Served on numerous task forces at the parent-company level, including a select team tasked with repositioning the Fiserv Corporate Brand on a global scale.

Major Accomplishments

• Developed and led marketing initiative to segment, target and position product to attract new prospects, retain existing clients, and expand stagnant client relationships including a revised product demonstration process (in-person and via Web-based video), outreach, and all product and company marketing materials. Company achieved +10% increase in revenues in 2007 during execution of marketing plan, suggesting a campaign ROI of +700%.
• Hired and directed external branding firm to conceptualize, create, and present new corporate identity options for both Fiserv Galaxy and Fiserv Continuum (closely related B2B channel) – resulting in the successful “Solutions for Life” portfolio campaign (see sidebar for samples)
• Negotiated and approved all media buys for campaigns.
• Traveled extensively to meet with and present to clients, media contacts, and prospects as a primary spokesperson and “evangelist” for the company and the “Solutions for Life” vision. Architect of “next generation” annual client conference (“Be The Hero To Your Members”), devising track-based system to help 300+ Fiserv Galaxy clients better deliver value to their own membership base.
• Served as Fiserv Galaxy’s primary communications writer, crafting letters from the President, budget letters, client and senior management presentations, client and product e-Marketing pieces, Web content, product marketing launch materials, and advertorials.

A leading provider of integrated information solutions to businesses and professionals, $300M in annual revenues.

With roles in both creative services and strategic marketing, developed a high level of experience and skill throughout the storytelling process. On the creative side, managed hands-on, day-to-day production of branded, deadline-driven marketing communications materials, including full-line catalogs, sell sheets, online promotions, targeted catalogs, brochures, navigation guides, print and banner ads, event signage, eNewsletters, product landing sites, trade show promotions, and more. As marketing strategist, led a small team in the development of strategic and tactical marketing plans for Greenhaven Press, KidHaven Press, Lucent Books, Blackbirch Press, and Sleeping Bear Press, K-12 brands representing $25 million in annual product- and services-based revenue.

Major Accomplishments

• Continually analyzed return on investment and other metrics to maximize marketing impact on imprint and corporate goals, customizing marketing messages and methods into successful campaigns. Included the highly successful “We Have Issues” campaign, growing revenue for the social science product lines by 25%, while reducing marketing expenses by nearly 15%.
• Oversaw multiple channels for the five imprints, partnering with independent sales force, wholesaler accounts, internal sales team, inbound group, trade accounts and others. Designed and conducted new product training for sales teams, negotiated necessary buy-in, and effectively managed internal expectations.
• As the “public face” of the imprints, traveled extensively across the country to trade shows, conceptualizing and building branded booth presence, interacting with customers, creating and then giving live presentations, and coordinating all promotional material creation. Recruited advisory board and focus group members and hosted national gatherings, which included board discussions, roundtables with customers and staff, new product proposals and more.
• Represented Marketing in planning with Euro RSCG 4D, an international marketing services agency, as Thomson Gale migrated to a formal agency/client relationship. Resulted in significant savings and increased flexibility for the organization’s marketing communications.
• Diplomatically oversaw creative efforts of all key stakeholders, including art directors, graphic designers, production professionals, domestic and international marketing groups, parent company representatives, off-site publishers, channel and product managers, sales reps, focus groups, publicists and others. Conceptualized, researched, wrote and edited all copy, while working with in-house and freelance art directors on branded design work.
• Organized surveys, creative reviews, customer roundtables and subsequent analysis to measure effectiveness of company-wide creative efforts. Received 2004 First Place Target Award from the Direct Marketing Association of Detroit for creative work on the ongoing Thomson Gale Community eNewsletter campaign. Also contributed to creative work that won more than 25 other Target Awards from 2000-2006.

Starting my career in 1994 as part of the editorial staff at Thomson Gale, I quickly moved up the ranks to become one of the organization’s youngest-ever Senior Editors and product leads. Led the pilot initiative to better leverage content across multiple product lines (print and electronic), while continuing to meet high-pressure deadlines for existing products generating significant revenue for the wider organization. Such direct product experience not only polished my writing and editing skills, but also provided me with a thorough understanding of the entire process, from concept to delivery. This, in turn, gave me a distinct perspective—and advantage—when making the shift to marketing communications and strategy in 2000.

Content Manager (1999–2000)

• Under heavy deadline pressure, successfully managed all team-based content creation for the full Contemporary Authors product line, generating more than $20 million in annual sales.
• Organized production efforts, mentoring and training of more than 15 editors and several dozen freelance writers and editors to ensure all projects were completed according to spec, on time and under budget. Not only were deadlines never missed during my tenure, but schedules were often accelerated and required even earlier delivery.

Senior Editor (1998–99)

• Continued series management and represented the line throughout Thomson Gale and beyond, speaking at presentations, assisting sales and marketing efforts and monitoring customer feedback.
• Improved production efficiency and quality, transforming a team of 10 FTE who had done 3 editions per year into a team of 4 who did 12 editions per year.

Editor (1994–98)

• Developed expertise in all stages of content production, including research, writing, editing, indexing, proofing and typesetting.
• As the project lead for both print and electronic products, managed all editorial production work, such as scheduling, profit and loss statement analysis, author correspondence and interviewing and desktopping. Led pilot effort to outsource editorial work to freelancers, resulting in significant expense reduction and dramatic expansion of product output.