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Founder/CEO of Daily Grommet. Industrial Design and Graphic Design graduate from University of Michigan, Harvard MBA. Product Development, Business Development, and Marketing expert, Web 2.0 and social media fluency.
Ziggs.com is a social networking platform for professional people. Joined the start-up company at a time when the business model needed revamping and expansion. Worked closely with the founder to reinvent the business model and led the team through the development and launch of an entirely new product. Through my network, secured key partnerships with Starbucks, Amazon.com, and PayPal. Launched new site in January of 2007 and saw the company through major June 2007 software release. New site dramatically increased user stickiness (page views and average time on site) and revenue generation. Freed up founder to complete $8M fundraising round and to focus on high level vision setting and two other ventures. Managed all day-to-day activities including product development, IT, marketing, customer service, finance, and operations.
Employer:
Lexington Education Foundation, Lexington, MA
Position:
President
Time period:
January 1998 - December 2001
Description:
Managed a 24 person volunteer board annually raising over $160,000 to fund educational grants. Directed all Foundation functions, including finance, recruiting, marketing, grants management, public relations and fundraising. Increased income 117% while maintaining expenses at 10% of total income, 300% below comparable Foundation average. Launched a $5MM endowment fundraising project, after extensive educator and donor research, to allow Lexington to attract 200 new superior teachers and address problem of 25% staff retirement during a period of national teacher shortages. LEF grants have been instituted in three other school systems and the LEF was used as a model at Harvard Business School in creating the Harbus Foundation.
Medium to long-term assignments in marketing and product/brand strategy. At Hasbro, the second largest toy manufacturer in the world, directed the overhaul of the brand identity and product visual strategy at the Playskool division. Managed a large team of internal and external designers, marketing, and product development personnel to create new packaging, consumer communications, and product line. Resulted in a total revamp of the consumer experience of the brand and its products. At Ulster Bank led global team to revamp retail and customer service strategies to improve competitiveness and reduce costs of branch banking services. At Eircom, led cross-functional internal team to identify opportunities and prepare new strategies for consumer business, reflecting new international population of Ireland, and mobile business and deregulation threats. At Smirnoff, and Irish International BBDO (ad agency), worked as advisor to brand strategy teams for multinationals and Irish clients.
Employer:
Stride Rite Corporation - Lexington, MA
Position:
Vice President of Strategic Planning, Director of Licensing and Special Projects
Time period:
January 1992 - December 1995
Description:
Strategic Planning: Conceived and directed overhaul of Stride Rite division’s brand strategy, retail store design, and visual identity. Directed market research, financial analysis, architectural consultants, and graphic designers to execute brand-re-launch. New store designs contributed to an up to 71% sales increase in renovated locations.
Strategic Marketing/Special Projects: Conceived and directed extensive brand strategy research for the Keds division, resulting in a brand re-positioning to respond to changing customer demographics. Analyzed distribution strategy to result in channel-focused product placement. Managed relationship with largest retail account during troubled implementation of new distribution center. Resulted in retention of sales of $35MM, equivalent to pre-distribution center interruption of shipments.
Licensing: Opened a market segment previously not addressed and directed licensee and licensor activities of the Keds division. Responsible for controlling use of Keds brand in licensed apparel, hosiery, and accessories businesses. Created licensed footwear revenue stream of $45MM through proposing, selling, and negotiating of licensee contract with Warner Brothers.
Employer:
Design Continuum, Inc., Boston, MA
Position:
Vice President, Sales; Director of Marketing
Time period:
January 1986 - December 1992
Description:
Increased sales over 225% to make Design Continuum one of the ten largest product design and engineering firms in the USA. Sold development projects of up to $500K each to clients such as Reebok (Pump shoe), Hewlett Packard (ultrasound equipment), and Samsung (televisions, microwave ovens, computer monitors). Increased average project size over 150%, enabling company to grow from 20 to 50 people.
Employer:
Early Career - Boston, Detroit, Paris
Position:
Industrial Designer
Time period:
January 1982 - December 1984
Description:
Worked on design staff of Data General (now EMC Corp.) as lead packaging designer for supplies and portable computer businesses. At Burroughs (now Unisys) was designer of bank teller terminal equipment. At Sagem, S.A. held internship based in Paris headquarters; designed telecommunications equipment.
EDUCATION
University:
Harvard Business School
Time period:
1986
Degree:
MBA
University:
University of Michigan System - Ann Arbor
Time period:
1982
Degree:
Industrial Design and Graphic Design, BFA
INFORMATION
Hobbies:
Avid hiker/theatre enthusiast
Memberships:
Harvard Business School: Member of Women’s Soccer Team (a case of enthusiasm trumping skill).
Awards:
University of Michigan: Awarded Industrial Designer’s Society of America Student Merit Prize, given to top graduating senior. Also selected by faculty to receive a travel/study fellowship from Milton Glaser and represent the University at 1981 International Design Conference. Fritz Heutwell Merit Award (Full Scholarship).
Editor of Mass High Tech: The Journal of New England Technology, a biweekly publication and daily news web site, www.masshightech.com, that spotlights technology entrepreneurs, early-stage companies and emerging technologies in New England.
Daily Grommet
