Results

• 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.

• Grew catalog profitability 118%, growing ecommerce traffic +36%

• Reversed an 8% decline in cheese snacks and generated a 26% increase in revenue

• 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. 

• 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. 

• 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 find and solve the most challenging problems I could. Those problems weren't often in sexy businesses, just challenging ones. It's why I run toward businesses most run from. 

 

My Start

• Research Analyst with a strategic planning consultancy, Kurt Salmon Associates, now owned by Accenture.

• Wharton for my MBA to study entrepreneurial management so I could learn practical, hands on skills for identifying and capitalizing on opportunities.

• 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. 

• Taco Bell because it was the best place to learn SOBO skills -- (S)ales (O)ver night, (B)rand (O)vertime. 

 

Positions Held​​

• EVP of Marketing, Discovery Communications (Discovery Channel)

• VP of Marketing, Netpage/Silverbrook Research, an innovation lab HQ'd in Sydney, Australia.

• President, Brandspring Consulting        

• VP of Marketing, Our Block, an early social network

• VP of Marketing, The Picture People, div of Hallmark

• Brand Management, Taco Bell Corp., div of PepsiCo, Kraft USA, div of Kraft General Foods

• Senior Analyst, KSA, one of the first management consulting firms in the US, now owned by Accenture.

• Business Analyst, Murjani International, the business that founded and launched Tommy Hilfiger           

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