Founded agency that collaborates intimately with brands to develop and share their stories. Part brand consultant, part creative ideator, and part campaign strategist, I'm focused on working closely with clients to solve marketing challenges with big ideas that tap into the storytelling power of messaging ecosystems. Since founding Here Be Dragons I have worked with clients in various categories including: wine/spirits, beer, airlines, hospitality, insurance, entertainment, tech, finance, manufacturing, public interest, and education.

Consulted with agencies and businesses to help develop their brands, build marketing strategies to communicate them, and guide execution through their operations. Work included client marketing and brand advisement, account leadership for key clients, pitch guidance and development, and agency growth and new business program direction. Clients were based in San Francisco and Philadelphia.

Executive staff member charged with building integrated teams and leading them to solve big brand problems. Responsibilities included crafting of brand and marketing strategies, guidance of campaign strategy and execution, development of senior client relationships, business development, and contract negotiation.RELEVANT HIGHLIGHTS • HotelTonight: Partnered with CMO to launch first integrated brand marketing campaign and led ongoing messaging efforts that defined the brand in a highly cluttered space. Led local market and sponsorship advertising program roll out. Results and senior-level strategic counsel across brand, marketing, and sponsorships helped HotelTonight get acquired by AirBnB.• Partnership Fund (Government of Georgia): Ran brand development for the Lost Eden wine brand working directly with CEO, winemaker, and two successive Prime Ministers of the country of Georgia to introduce the brand to the U.S. market. Lost Eden is the tip of the spear of a Georgian economic strategy to broaden its wine exports and insulate it from Russian economic pressure.• Toggle (A Farmers Insurance Company): Led national launch of Toggle, a millennial-targeted renters insurance product from Farmers Insurance, positioning it as a brand built from the ground up to cover a “lifestyle” rather than “stuff.” Built and led a performance-focused cross-functional creative, media, and public relations team that put the business on track to deliver 190% of its 2019 goal.• Barefoot Winery: Directed a social media content strategy for the world’s largest wine brand that was focused on delivering a participatory marketing approach via social media content programming and experiential activities. Delivered highest social media engagement levels ever for the brand and tapped into the spritzer trend with a successful launch strategy for Barefoot Spritzers.

Senior lead running a cross-functional team focused on delivering consumer-centric strategies that drove breakthrough creative thinking and category disrupting campaigns. RELEVANT HIGHLIGHTS• StubHub Brand (U.S. and Canada): Ran brand strategy and marketing program execution over a 5-year period that positioned StubHub as the dominant category player and drove it to a 60% share of a $5 billion e-commerce marketplace. Built a highly collaborative 25-person cross-functional team and directed integration of external social media, public relations, and specialist agency partners. Creative work received recognition from Adweek and the “Ticket Oak” spokestree was entered into Advertising Week's Hall of Fame. Media was recognized by the American Association of Advertising Agencies (4As) with a 2014 O'Toole award for media excellence.• StubHub Digital Marketing Model: Led integration of StubHub's digital marketing program with its brand communications platform building a full-funnel model that delivered awareness, traffic, and purchase activation at highest performance levels ever.• Kona Brewing: Led brand strategy development and built team that imported the Hawaiian philosophy of living to the mainland via Kona’s communications platform. Brand campaign introduced Kona to the beer trade and consumers driving a record-setting sales volume increase in the process. Campaign was recognized by the American Marketing Association (AMA) as a 2015 EFFIE finalist. • Tahoe South: Ran brand strategy for the region’s tourism efforts and directed multi-season marketing execution building out an approach that elevated the destination’s offerings and delivered urgency for visitation. Maneuvered all work through a 10-person marketing committee and 8-person Board of Directors and presented at community-wide forums about the value of brand building.

Day-to-day lead reporting to a Group Account Director. Led advertising execution that repositioned the high-volume quick service restaurant brand by continually refining messaging and creative work based on weekly sales results and projections.RELEVANT HIGHLIGHTS• Hardees: Led development and production of integrated campaigns (TV, OOH, radio) for Hardee's biscuit sandwiches.• Chicken Filet Sandwich: Led development and production of integrated campaign (TV, OOH, radio, POP) for new menu item.• FSI: Oversaw integration of new brand platform into weekly national FSI program including the development of production process.

Day-to-day lead directing a cross-functional team by using consumer insight to inspire brand strategy and creative risk taking.RELEVANT HIGHLIGHTS• StubHub: Defined advertising strategy, focused audience targeting, and led campaign development for StubHub's first brand marketing effort putting the brand on track to become the dominant player in the ticket marketplace category. Led local market research, strategic planning, and execution of an 8-market follow up campaign that grew revenue, drove 2 months of record-breaking sales, and increased mobile site traffic 60%. Applied out-off-the-box thinking to drive ideation and execution of a public relations / social media stunt that earned unpaid national TV and local radio broadcast coverage during the highly profitable baseball postseason.• Hard Rock International: Evolved brand platform to unify all properties (Cafes, Hotels, and Casinos) under a single global campaign celebrating the Hard Rock lifestyle. Work with new CMO drove continued double-digit revenue growth for the Hard Rock brand.• Birkenstock: Led development of print, digital, and promotional campaign that drove retail sell-in 40% above projections and generated sold out status for the Twilight Gizeh and iconic Arizona styles. Campaign was recognized by Communication Arts and Lurzer's Archive.

Day-to-day lead driving brand integration across all communication channels. Led a team of Account Executives and drove collaboration with external media and digital partners focused around delivering emotionally-based brand relationships. RELEVANT HIGHLIGHTS• AAA of Northern California/Nevada/Utah (NCNU): Led integration of Brand and DRTV for one of the nation’s most reputable membership networks. Expanded the brand’s footprint digitally to include a microsite (AAAtown.com) focused on delivering a richer lifestyle experience as well as a mobile-optimized website. Brand awareness increased 5% to 86% and consideration grew 7% to 31%. DR campaign delivered leads 9% over goal. AAAtown.com received a Cannes Gold Cyber Lion for global creative excellence.• SanDisk: Drove development of global brand platform including testing, adaptation, and execution of campaigns in Europe and India. • SanDisk's slotMusic: Led advertising launch of new Flash media-based music format that achieved 13% penetration of catalog artists' physical album sales within the first 6 weeks.

Drove relaunch of the Valvoline brand behind a category-disrupting emotional brand platform. Leadership included the integration of internal strategy, creative, and media with external sports activation and sponsorship, public relations, and digital teams. Led new business pitches for Hollywood Video and Widmer Brothers Brewing.RELEVANT HIGHLIGHTS• Valvoline: Developed and advocated cult brand strategy to CEO and CMO that re-launched Valvoline and catapulted the brand from the #4 category share position to #2. Led an enthusiast approach that elevated the brand out of the category’s tendency for transactional communication and connected it with consumers on an emotional level that generated interest, purchase, and loyalty. Brand tracking post launch showed a 600% increase in agreement with the statement, “A brand with communications I want to talk about" and a 93% increase in agreement with the statement, “A brand I would recommend.”• Valvoline's MaxLife: Re-launched sub-brand with effort (TV, print, media partnerships) that doubled purchase intent and tripled recall.

Led development and execution of local, national and global communications strategies and oversaw multi-national production efforts.RELEVANT HIGHLIGHTS• Beck's Beer: Spearheaded a broadening of the “Life Beckons” brand expression domestically and internationally that reversed a 6-year U.S. sales decline and drove double-digit global sales growth. Built and implemented a creative integration model with partner agencies. • Beck's Premier Light: Led positioning, naming, brand platform development and launch messaging strategy for a new beer brand that tapped into the low carb craze. U.S. market launch drove depletions 12% above goal and protected Beck’s shelf position.• Leffe Beer: Launched “Savour Life. Savour Leffe.” campaign, leading adaptation (TV, print, outdoor) in Belgium, U.K., France and Netherlands markets. Creative product received highest testing scores ever when compared to established company benchmarks.• Heinz Ketchup: Conceived and led team that executed an added-value promotion to drive in-store sales during peak summer purchasing season. Execution of promotion included negotiations and coordination with celebrities (William Shatner, Lindsay Lohan, Mia Hamm,Terry Bradshaw) and related public relations. • Chicago Museum of Science and Industry (MSI): Worked closely with MSI leadership promoting exhibits that built the MSI brand. Launched the Body Worlds exhibit in Chicago leading a disruptive campaign that reframed the MSI brand, delivered sell-out crowds, and earned a 2006 Bronze EFFIE for marketing effectiveness. • Summer Internship Program: Developed and ran a mock pitch program. Interns were placed into cross-functional teams and charged with developing and presenting an internship recruitment campaign for Leo Burnett, USA. Teams presented final campaigns to senior-level staff including the President of Leo Burnett, USA and the Chairman and CEO of Leo Burnett Worldwide.

Harley-Davidson: Developed reframing of Harley-Davidson Parts & Accessories communications strategy leveraging consumer customization insights that led to a new creative platform for the Parts & Accessories brand.

Developed and wrote RFP responses, agency presentations, and agency case studies. Researched and presented insights and new business exploratory learning to senior level staff that drove strategic development for business development pitches.HIGHLIGHTS• Achieved a 90% success rate advancing to Capabilities phase of pitches and an 88% success rate advancing to the Finals phase. Significant wins included Tractor Supply Company, A.G. Edwards, and IKEA.

Northwest Airlines: Coordinated day-to-day account activity including research projects and brand development support for the brand's 2001 Gold EFFIE winning campaign. Conceived and presented Wright Brothers 100th Anniversary Partnership Program to Northwest Airlines CMO that extended the brand into experiential offerings. Effort earned internal “Green Light Award’ recognition for added value client thinking.

Built Account Management curriculum and taught Principles of Account Management course.