Bio
Unique
Expertise
3X Turnaround Success
961
Years VP Marketing
Behavioral Economics
hours
20+
Results
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Grew same-store sales 58% for a 200 unit retail chain, bringing it to profitability for the first time in its 10 year history, resulting in the sale of the business to Hallmark and a successful liquidity event for investors.
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Grew catalog profitability 118%, growing ecommerce traffic +36%
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Reversed an 8% decline in cheese snacks and generated a 26% increase in revenue
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Designed and launched a mobile buying app using augmented reality and digital twin technology, selling it into 60% of the magazine industry, achieving our annual download goal in 3 months, winning an Edison Innovation award.
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Reversed a sales decline at Cheez Whiz by initiating, funding, and launching a promotion resulting in a 69% increase in 4th quarter sales of our flagship sku.
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Stood up a digital marketing department within 2 months and achieved a 340% ROI on digital ad campaigns.
Why I Run Toward Businesses Most Run From
I love to learn. So, my career goal was to maximize my learning, which meant finding and solving the most challenging problems I could. Those problems weren't often in sexy businesses, just challenging ones. As a result, I have a deeper and broader skill set than most business advisors. And it's why I run TOWARD businesses most run FROM.
My Start
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Research Analyst with a strategic planning consultancy, Kurt Salmon Associates, now owned by Accenture.
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Wharton for my MBA to study entrepreneurial management so I could learn practical, hands on skills for identifying and capitalizing on opportunities.
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Consumer package goods (CPG) after Wharton, because you're trained to be a good marketer AND a CEO because they only hire CEOs from the marketing ranks.
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Taco Bell because it was the best place to learn SOBO skills -- (S)ales (O)ver night, (B)rand (O)vertime.
Positions Held
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EVP of Marketing, Discovery Communications (Discovery Channel)
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VP of Marketing, Netpage/Silverbrook Research, an innovation lab HQ'd in Sydney, Australia.
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President, Brandspring Consulting
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VP of Marketing, Our Block, an early social network
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VP of Marketing, The Picture People, div of Hallmark
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Brand Management, Taco Bell Corp., div of PepsiCo, Kraft USA, div of Kraft General Foods
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Senior Analyst, KSA, one of the first management consulting firms in the US, now owned by Accenture.
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Business Analyst, Murjani International, the business that founded and launched Tommy Hilfiger
Education
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MBA, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
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BS, the University of Delaware
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International Study program, semester abroad, University of Copenhagen
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Over 961 hours of post graduate studies in Behavioral Economics, including personal training by Dr. Robert Cialdini.