Kai Lu Email & Phone Number

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Founder and CEO of a unique, single-ingredient, all-natural dog treat business. Passionate about promoting healthy, sustainable pet nutrition and supporting small, local, and female-owned businesses. Actively involved in philanthropic efforts and charity organizations.* 𝐄𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐌𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐝 𝐋𝐋𝐂, a premium pet food company, from inception to full operational status.* 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐬, including product development, marketing strategies, and sales initiatives, to drive company growth and profitability.* 𝐋𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 of high-quality ingredients to ensure the production of nutritious and premium pet food products.* 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐬 to increase brand awareness and customer engagement.* 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, including budgeting, financial planning, and supply chain management, to optimize efficiency and productivity.* 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 to expand market reach and distribution channels.* 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 of a talented team to support company objectives and foster a positive work culture.* 𝐃𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧-𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 in guiding the company through various challenges and achieving key milestones.* 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 and building long-lasting relationships with pet owners and their furry companions.

Chicago, Illinois, United States

* 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐲: Led the company's digital transformation strategy, driving revenue growth by implementing sales automation tools and CRM systems (Hubspot, similar to Salesforce). This streamlined the B2B sales process, optimized vertical sales pipelines, and enhanced B2C customer engagement.* 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚-𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬: Spearheaded data-driven sales strategies and performance metrics, resulting in the optimization of sales funnels across all business units and significant increases in conversion rates.* 𝐑𝐨𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐀𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬: Implemented robust data analytics and reporting systems within the CRM, providing real-time business intelligence for informed decision-making and improved forecasting accuracy.* 𝐄𝐑𝐏 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Oversaw the successful implementation of an ERP system, collaborating closely with Finance and Procurement teams to identify pain points and optimize processes through ERP customization. This streamlined Finance and Procurement operations, integrating financial data seamlessly across departments, reducing manual errors, and enhancing operational efficiency.* 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭-𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Led an ongoing effort to enhance our project-based accounting workflows. This involves developing and deploying customized financial dashboards to provide key stakeholders with crucial financial insights and KPIs. This initiative aims to establish a unified platform for tracking project financials, billing, and resource allocation, enabling real-time visibility into project profitability and resource utilization. These ongoing efforts have been instrumental in improving project cost control and ensuring accurate revenue forecasting.

Greater Chicago Area

* 𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥-𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐥 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐲: Led marketing strategy and operations for B2C, B2B2C, B2B, and partner sites, covering SEO, budgeting, forecasting, and performance analytics.* 𝐓𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐬: Collaborated with business units to execute tailored campaigns, boosting qualified leads and conversion rates with customized reporting.* 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 & 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠: Managed digital assortment and pricing strategy, optimizing on-page content and our AI re-assignment engine.* 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐀𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 & 𝐀𝐭𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Implemented cutting-edge attribution modeling and UTM tracking for in-depth insights; proficient in Google Analytics, Google Ads, Hubspot, WordPress, SEMrush, and MailChimp.* 𝐄-c𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭 𝐋𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭: Oversaw 8K+ product SKU launches, expanding our footprint to 1000+ zips, emphasizing DTC demand generation.* 𝐁2𝐂 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡: Achieved 600% YoY B2C growth with 30X ROAS via performance-based marketing and advanced analytics.* 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡 𝐃𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐛𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬: Established data-driven growth dashboards, delivering actionable insights.* 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭: Launched 30+ partner sites, offering integrated omnichannel experiences.* 𝐒𝐄𝐎 𝐎𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Implemented on-page SEO, driving a 400% growth in organic traffic.* 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬-𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Worked closely with Product Development, UX, and Tech teams for seamless customer experiences.* 𝐃𝐲𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐥: Developed a dynamic pricing model powering an AI reassignment engine for automated product swaps.In this role, I've led strategic marketing, driven growth, and leveraged data insights for success.

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Illinois, United States

- Drove marketing & strategic initiatives through test-and-learn across Sears Holdings, Sears, Kmart, and Lands-End, covering hard-line and soft-line categories.- Established test performance reporting and conducted in-depth analysis, translating data into actionable insights and prioritizing growth opportunities based on ROI.- Built and institutionalized "Test-and-Learn" processes, managing a portfolio of 500+ initiatives and sharing insights across the organization.- Managed full-funnel test & learn portfolio, defining project plans, structuring tests, overseeing execution, and providing actionable recommendations for growth opportunities.- Developed and deployed test-and-learn tools, training modules, and processes, enabling collaborative strategic planning, execution, measurement, evaluation, and rollout.- Created a cloud-based learning library with best-practice business cases to disseminate insights throughout the organization.- Led marketing tests, including media-mix strategy, TV, radio, circular, FSI, direct mail, digital, and in-store tests, driving decision-making through analytics and ROI.- Built a financial model quantifying 15 critical initiatives for Home Appliance's 5-year forecast.Led a $2.5 MM consulting project, successfully implementing a predictive T&L analytical tool.

New York, New York, United States

Developed GTM plan for Asia, establishing global partnerships with a focus on high-tech and financial industries

- Led a 6-member team in devising a comprehensive restructuring roadmap for a prominent dairy company's business unit, encompassing financial planning, budgeting, HR planning, sales & marketing, R&D, and operations.- Developed a highly effective Go-To-Market strategy to capitalize on emerging Corporate Banking opportunities for a regional bank. As a result, the client's ranking surged from middle-of-the-pack to No. 1 in the Corporate Banking sector.- Constructed a robust M&A valuation model for a USD 200 million regional bank acquisition, providing critical insights for informed decision-making.- Identified key cost-saving opportunities and formulated an action plan to support the firm-wide cost-cutting initiative, ensuring optimal resource allocation and operational efficiency.

Master Of Business Administration - Mba, Gmat 760

Bachelor Of Arts - Ba, Finance, General, Dean’S List