Dave Dess Email & Phone Number

El Dorado Hills, Ca, Us

Westport, Ct/Sacramento, Ca

MCAworks is a team of senior marketing and strategy professionals who are passionately dedicated to helping clients identify opportunities that accelerate growth. For over 25 years MCAworks has built brands and sustainable business strategies for a broad range of clients dealing with diverse business challenges. Our approach builds on three pillars for success: 1. Marketing Focused. All our efforts are designed to generate demand for client’s product and services. We are a team of professional marketers.2. Senior-Level Experience Guaranteed. Each of our Executive Directors has over 15 years of successful real-world marketing and sales experience. All lead consultants have hands-on experience working for Fortune 500 global businesses, mid-size enterprises, early life and start-ups, and turnaround businesses. We are not lifetime consultants.3. Pragmatic Solutions. Every final report includes specific “what to do now” recommendations based on in-market experience with practical realties of motivating teams and personnel, marshalling resources, executing new strategies and measuring success. MCAworks “speaks the language” of strategic marketing that applies experience-based judgement in informing sensible solutions. Our understanding of industry trends, fact-based decision-making , consumer dynamics, and customer imperatives help us exceed expectations and deliver results. At MCAworks the focus is on unlocking the potential of our client’s business.

Folsom, Ca

Powerhouse Ministries mobilizes community awareness to needs of the poor by raising funds and recruiting volunteers to aid the operation of the organization. Powerhouse is a non-profit faith-based corporation serving families and individuals trapped in addiction, abuse, and poverty. Founded in 1992, it is the primary social services provider for the greater Folsom area. Among programs Powerhouse offers, the Transformation Center is a 2-year residential program for women and their children designed to break the cycle of multi-generational patterns of destructive behavior (i.e., addiction, abuse, homelessness, crime).

Rancho Cordova, Ca

VSP Global is one of the worlds largest providers of vision care products and services, generating over $5B annually. Responsible for developing and implementing unified marketing strategy that optimizes VSP Global assets across 5 lines of business. Lead Brand Strategy and Management on a global basis, and provide strategic leadership and executional support to all multi-brand VSP Global initiatives. Manage and deploy Global Creative Solutions, Trade Show Management, Media Strategy and Execution, New Product and Integrated Program Testing for broadscale implementation, as a shared service.•Initiated corporate brand refresh and comprehensive master brand strategy, leveraging best practices and communicating a differentiated value proposition across diverse customer base. •Developed and launched Eyeconic, VSP’s ecommerce entry. Lead brand strategy, design, social media/advertising, and promotion that exceeded an aggressive growth plan yearly since 2015.•Consolidated creative services and designers across multiple divisions and departments to broaden capabilities and increase productivity (high quality, lower cost, speed to market); gained 90%+ satisfaction rating across business partners, achieving all stated objectives.•Initiated corporatewide trade show integration, a significant aspect of VSP marketing. Working with all Lines of Business, reduced booth space from 12 to 4, and centralized planning, management and vendor negotiations, resulting in $3MM+ savings while achieving sales objectives.

Rancho Cordova, Ca

VSP Vision Care Insurance is the largest division of VSP Global, generating over $4B revenue per year, serving 70M+ members and 50K clients. Responsible for all consumer, member and client marketing for Vision Care, encompassing strategy, brand management, P&L optimization, product development, on-line marketing, communications, channel management, RFP development, trade/benefit shows for domestic and international markets.•Streamlined and reorganized department of 40+ marketing professionals to better align with company strategy and priorities, focusing marketing support for newly formed Strategic Business Units, integrating marketing plans and economies of scale, and leveraging data-driven decision-making and speed to market to yield competitive advantage.•Significant contributor to VSP Major Growth Initiative, setting extraordinary goals that entailed challenging long-held ‘sacred cows’. Championed and lead two key breakthrough programs: 1) Direct to Consumer ecommerce marketing, which provided a channel for consumers to purchase insurance directly from VSP (vs. through employer), producing incremental profitable revenue of more than $100M; and 2) embracing mass retail channels to meet demand of clients and members, resulting in adding Walmart as a strategic gap provider and one of VSP’s top 3 clients.

Founded consulting firm and partner network serving companies facing challenges requiring radical marketing strategy, new product development and innovative growth tactics. Clients include Fortune 500 corporations (i.e., Coca Cola/Odwalla, Nestle, Rogers Wireless, Russell Financial Group) to early life and start-ups (i.e., appointed to advisory board for Max Communications, Sanders Sports Marketing, Radical Sun Systems, 1Dawg.com, and Creatis Marketing). Built marketing strategy for Zavers, an online couponing start-up, which was aquired by Google. From 2007-2010 served on-staff as senior marketing executive at United HealthGroup and Erickson Living Communities.

Responsible for brand strategy, multi-media direct marketing, advertising, public relations and internal communications for 19 independent living retirement campuses in 10 states. $1.2B annual revenue and $4B assets. Managed 112 staff and $94M budget. • Guided brand repositioning (6/09 launch) via integrated campaign encompassing DRTV, website, print (including Tribune monthly newspaper to 1.5M prospects), direct and relationship marketing.• Co-authored segmentation and lead generation program to improve qualified leads and subsequent conversion; improved cost per lead 18% and conversion rates through sales funnel.• US housing market collapse and credit freeze (09) required radical shift in strategy and marketing re-prioritization, close sales support and effective corporate communications / PR. Achieved rigorous restructuring goals and reduced costs while gaining market share despite sales decline.

Minnetonka, Minnesota

UnitedHealth Group, an $100B+ health care insurer, formed new $15B Secure Horizons Division through acquisition of four companies to serve adults 65+. Responsible for marketing strategy, brand management, direct marketing acquisition and retention programs. Managed $181M budget. • Designed and staffed marketing department, including 47 employees. • Authored brand strategy and go-to-market plans, launching first national integrated multimedia campaign within four months. Generated brand awareness and purchase intent to #1 across all four sales regions. Improved marketing efficiency metrics 40-80%. Added 220,000 members, +60% vs. prior year, and $600M revenue increase.

Accountable for brand and go-to-market plans for every major Sprint PCS initiative. Responsible for $580M budget (plus shared accountability for $140M co-op program), five departments, 85 staff, and 12 major agencies. Following Sprint Nextel merger announcement (11/04), appointed to Merger Integration Team responsible for transition planning. Launched Sprint Nextel, generating $45B revenue. Built infrastructure that encompassed data services, customer communications / retention, website / on-line, and business-to-business communications. Revenue for Sprint PCS increased to $10B within five years of launch, the fastest any company grew from $0 to $10B in history.•Co-authored Flexible calling plans (the first plan to eliminate overage charges) and the first 7:00 P.M. calling plan (the first plan to shift from 9 PM off-peak calling).•Launched Sprint’s high speed wireless entries: Sprint PCS Vision, the first third-generation network (2002) and PowerVision (2005).•Launched of wireless Picture Mail and Video Mail, both industry firsts.•Recognized in AdAge “Top 30 Power Players” for marketing success, leadership and ad spend.

Established department responsible for brand strategy, product marketing, advertising, media, promotion marketing, sponsorships (NFL, IRL) and market launch for the largest startup in U.S. history ($10B). •Launched first market 12/1996. Increased revenue from $0 to $5B and post-IPO (1999) $55B market cap. Added 10M subscribers. Achieved break-even ahead of plan.•Co-authored Free & Clear calling plans, an industry breakthrough that included Free Long Distance calling. Resulted in severe competitive disruption and thrust Sprint PCS to industry prominence.•Championed Sprint PCS retail marketing strategy: 1) Developed company-owned stores including store-specific marketing, eventually growing to 800+ stores and 40% of company revenue; 2) Strategic partnership with Radio Shack, via $40M campaign introducing The Sprint Store at Radio Shack in over 5,000 outlets. This innovative store-within-store concept accounted for approximately 30% of sales ($5B); and 3) Distribution at national, regional, and 3000 local retailers.

Directed all marketing strategy, pricing, new product development, advertising, promotion, and public relations for all products: binoculars, telescopes, riflescopes, sunglasses, night vision and laser rangefinders. Portfolio management encompassed Bausch and Lomb, Bushnell and Jason brands, over 3000 SKUs, domestic and international markets. • Reversed stagnant and historically unpredictable performance to vibrant and consistent business, increasing sales from $48 to $125M, generating double-digit earnings growth and return on net operating assets in turnaround environment.• Engineered unprecedented product line restructuring, creating 20 new product families and 250 SKUs, while reducing net SKUs by 194. Improved core margins by 16%, rejuvenated flagship sales (+34% vs. -11%); received industry recognition for nine new products, including Night Vision, Laser Rangefinder and Holographic Sights.• Reorganized and expanded global distribution to tap underdeveloped European, South American and Asian markets. Produced 30%+ sales increase and United Kingdom share leadership.• Co-authored acquisition of Jason Empire, Inc. (01/1992) to reinforce market leadership and distribution efficiencies. Unified operations via facility relocation from California to Kansas. Achieved all operating goals.

Director of Marketing – Bottle and Can Division (1986 – 1988)Created nationwide Geographic Marketing department reporting to SVP Marketing. Organized department to exploit regional differences in brand strength ($5.5B sales; $7M budget; 425 bottlers).Group Marketing Manager — Food Service Division (1985 – 1986)Reorganized and set objectives nationally for new Fountain Beverage department. Directed programs to increase profit, sales per outlet and gain new accounts ($300M sales; $5.3M budget).Marketing Manager — Bottle and Can Division (1983 – 1985)Developed marketing strategies to achieve sales and profit objectives for Central Sales Region ($1.7B sales; $26M budget; 120 bottlers).Associate Marketing Manager — The Pepsi Challenge (1982 – 1983)Accountable for broadening success of Pepsi’s most impactful marketing strategy of all time. Infused Pepsi Challenge positioning into all Pepsi Cola marketing strategy. Catapulted Pepsi to share leadership.

Bs, Psychology

Honors, Distinction in Psychology, Phi Beta Kappa

Mba, Marketing & Statistics

Fellowship 1970-1980

Ms, Psychology

Statistics Teaching Grant 1976-1977