Marketing and advertising strategy lead and brand architect for national residential mortgage lender and insurance brokerage firm, as well as family of sub-brands.● Develop brand promise, value proposition, visual identity and associated benefit messaging across specific audience target segments for all brands and lines of business.● Develop marketing communications plans, audience targeting and media strategies.● Design and execute multichannel lead generation initiatives across online display and video, email and social channels, supporting multiple brands and driving leads to sales teams in multiple branch offices.● Lead creative development through strategic direction, brief development, concept evaluation, project trafficking.● Responsible for CRM program management and execution, led an initiative to expand and enhance prospect and customer promotions and communications.● Build and manage marketing team while establishing department process and strategy.● Partner with sales leadership teams to develop niche lending products and associated sales support collateral.● Develop and maintain content for web properties and landing pages for multiple brands, integrating strategies to drive lead generation and sales opportunities.● Vendor management, contract negotiation, budgeting and financial management.

Brand and performance marketing lead for national P&C insurance brand, directing brand strategy, media planning, audience targeting, analytics, creative, content, PR, and production, overseeing campaign execution and performance.● Manage $85 million marketing and advertising program promoting auto, home, life insurance products across multiple media channels and campaigns● Develop annual go-to-market plans including product mix, audience profiling and targeting, market segmentation, media strategies, lead generation● Lead the creative development process including strategy, business insights, brief development, benefit messaging, concept evaluation/production● Build test strategies to optimize campaign performance against KPIs● Execute multichannel initiatives in TV/OTT, online video/display, SEO, search, direct mail, OOH, radio● Manage Hispanic marketing efforts, collaborate with Hispanic agency partner● Design and development of websites and landing pages, optimized for performance● Generate primary research data and leverage secondary/syndicated data to develop customer, marketplace, and competitive insightsResults:● Increased digital response and efficiency while achieving record TV ad viewership following evolution of brand positioning and advertising platform● Achieved home insurance growth goals by identifying consumer perceptions and purchase triggers and building a multichannel media and messaging strategy● Lead generation goals achieved/surpassed on an annual basis● Increased revenue 100+%Awards:● Gold Telly, television, BTC (P&C Insurance)-2021● Silver Telly, online video, BTC (P&C Insurance)-2021● Silver Telly, television, BTC (P&C Insurance)-2020● Silver Telly, online video, branding BTC (P&C Insurance)-2020● CT Ad Club, Best in Show, TV and Online Video (P&C Insurance)-2018● CT Ad Club Silver, Online Display Ad (P&C Insurance)-2016● CT Ad Club Gold, Best of Industry, Financial Services (P&C Insurance)-2014

Brand and marketing strategy lead for flagship client business. Established work process and built a team to support multichannel marketing and advertising assignments. Role expanded to include strategy development for all new and existing client business, as well as ongoing management of all account service teams and clients. Developed marketing strategy for multiple categories in DTC and B-to-B applications.

A strategy role in one of Madison Avenue's largest agency networks coupled with a top 10 MBA program provided an unparalleled learning environment, as well as an opportunity to expand strategic skills while continuing to build and execute brand and marketing initiatives.● Developed go-to-market strategies for businesses in a variety of categories and consumer markets● Identified actionable market segments, consumer profiles, appropriate media channels, and relevant messaging to promote client products/services● Executed direct mail, email, call center, and web-based marketing initiatives● Produced performance reports to drive real-time campaign analysis and optimizationAwards:● Direct Marketing Association Bronze Echo (Michael J. Fox Foundation launch)

Moving from CT corporate marketing to the NYC advertising agency world was a formative step. The house that Lester built was filled with bright people supporting iconic brands, and added depth and strength to direct channels acumen with increasing involvement in strategy development and award-winning initiatives.● Executed B-to-B lead generation campaigns integrating TV, print, and direct mail media with contact center and database operations● Developed award-winning campaigns to launch Xerox office products in DRTV and print advertising, generate leads and distribute to sales teams, report sales results, and measure ROIAwards:● American Marketing Association Silver Effie (Xerox product launch/BTB lead gen)● American Marketing Association Gold Effie (Xerox product launch/BTB lead gen)

A successful college internship with this publisher of subscription-based books, periodicals and educational materials resulted in a permanent full-time role upon graduation. Early experience with advanced direct response and data-driven marketing built a foundation of market segmentation, direct-to-consumer audience targeting, data modeling, analytics, testing and optimization, and revenue and profitability management.