Kara Wagner Email & Phone Number

Detroit, MI, US

London, GB

• Responsible for account retention and expansion within assigned Media & Agency Clients
• Manage a book of business spanning 40+ accounts worth $10 million+ in revenue across the advertising agency and media owner verticals. Notable clients include Paramount Global, Bloomberg Media, Horizon Media, Havas.
• Secured 90%+ client retention rate by working closely with Client Services to identify client challenges and introduce creative solutions to achieve the client's research goals
• Achieved 125% of annual target in FY 2023, 120% of FY 2024 target
• Upsell and cross-sell additional research products and services across the YouGov product suite
• Conduct regular check-ins with key senior stakeholders

Tempe, Arizona, US

• Responsible for program management for the Mopar.com National eStore parts and accessories sales program.
• Manage scheduling, project goals, milestones and deliverables
• Develop proposals and quotes
• Manage production and release schedules
• Facilitate ongoing strategic discussions with key client stake holders
• Responsible for managing and identifying potential program risks

New York, NY, US

• Responsible for business development within Nielsen’s buy business inclusive of Assortment & Space Optimization, Retail Execution, Revenue Optimization, and Store Operations within the 5 operating companies of Nestle.
• Responsible for maintaining and growing relationships with Nestle
• Negotiated client contracts and renewals
• Aided clients with data analysis, transitioning insights into actions by identifying key business issues

New York, NY, US

Responsible for growing Nielsen’s reach business inclusive of TV, Radio, Digital, Ad Intel, and Scarborough services within the Automotive, Travel, Retail, Restaurant, Media, and Agency verticals.

New York, NY, US

Responsible for driving significant client impact, advocacy and revenue growth for Nielsen's advertising and marketing effectiveness solutions at leading automotive accounts.

Chicago, Illinois, US

• Responsible for business development, selling market research solutions, performance improvement initiatives, and product consulting for General Motors, BMW, Volkswagen/Audi, Jaguar Land Rover, Mercedes Benz and Volvo..
• Focus on Automotive and Transportation research within Harris Interactive Business and Industrial Group.
• Design and manage custom studies including brand equity, marketing communications effectiveness, pricing, new product development and testing, consumer decision making, corporate reputation, and customer satisfaction.
• Redesigned 2011 AutoTECHCAST syndicated study that focuses on understanding trends on more than 60 emerging automotive technologies.

Troy, MI, US

• Responsible for developing tools/templates/training for employees on project management concepts and methodologies that can be implemented to improve day-to-day management of initiatives. Manage project lifecycle on.
• Manage the development and launch of a Mobile Application supporting multiple platforms.
• Create and refine project management methodology process, tools, and templates.
• Support new and existing product development projects using the Project Management Institutemethodology.
• Practice continuous process improvement protocol by working with cross-functional teams to collect,map, analyze and document current and future business processes.
• Support 3-5 approved strategic improvement projects; manage accountability for allocated resources.

Troy, MI, US

• Responsible for business development with automotive clients, Ford Motor Company and Jaguar Land Rover, selling marketing and market research solutions, performance improvement initiatives, forecasting, and product.
• Maintained and grew the J.D. Power and Associates product portfolio with from $5.5 M in 2006 to $7 M in 2007, $10 M in 2008 and $7 M in sales through 2009 Q2.
• Established new distribution channels through client management, business needs assessments, market research, and detailed prospecting resulting in new business opportunities not previously offered.
• Worked directly with automobile product development teams in creating strategic marketing and brand plans for new models; analyzed market segments and competitive position, and developed customer profiles.
• Collaborated with OEM client agencies to ensure full utilization and implementation of media studies and their findings.
• Analyzed client’s vehicle launch performance against product segment and consumer market trends to identify key areas of potential weakness in design and function against key competitors and made recommendations for.

Minneapolis, MN, US

• Managed marketing and dealer training programs developed for Ford Motor Company. Identified needs and developed overall budgets, capital expenditure requirements relating to each project.
• Managed the design, development and process documentation, of Web Based Training courses for Ford and Lincoln Mercury dealership personnel.
• Led internal IT Department and clients through project milestone meetings to ensure projects remained within scope and were delivered on time.
• Managed the content input for the national Ford Dealer Automated Testing System (ATS).
• Created project reporting and change management documentation to deliver on time and target results.

• (Temporary Contract Position)Managed and communicated project scope between IT and internal business units to enable and adhere to schedule and budgetary guidelines.
• Identified issues that affected the project’s scope, quality, schedule, budget, or resources.
• Conducted regular stakeholder group meetings to identify possible dealer and field facing migration issues.
• Ensured dealer and field portals and applications were designed to support the global organization.

• Created and implemented parts and accessories marketing programs and sales objectives for the Audi Dealer network.
• Created and implemented national dealer tires sales program resulting in over $1M in dealer revenue in the first eight months.
• Established the 2005 retail parts objectives for the entire Audi dealer network.
• Negotiated and implemented Shop and Detail supply program with 3M Corporation resulting in 5% revenue on all sales.
• Developed market and sales forecasting tools to monitor objectives and field performance.
• Monitored and analyzed retail sales of parts and accessories versus objectives to detect trends and areas for increasing sales.

• Launched and managed the Learning Management Systems for Volkswagen and Audi dealers and corporate personnel.
• Managed $1.2 M annual Learning Management budget.
• Responsible for multiple supplier pricing quotations and developing purchase agreements.
• Monitored call center hotline teams, including training on program policies, new implementations and enhancements.
• Hosted, facilitated and developed Touareg and Phaeton Ride and Drive events including curriculum development, site inspections and selection.
• Coordinated and documented all technical user acceptance testing (UAT) for VW and Audi Learning Management Systems to ensure issue resolution prior to launch.

• Designed and delivered training for dealers, corporate and supplier personnel.
• System Administrator for the Training Server System tracking Certification progress.
• Administered Dealer Certification programs 2000 and 2001.
• Developed and facilitated New Hire Orientation program.
• Authored and produced technical training manual for the Training Server software application.

• Designed Intranet sites and trained users to maintain intranet information related to IT, Corporate Legal, Field (technical Service Group) and Finance.
• Redesigned the on-line communication directory and new employee hire procedures.

Bachelor Of Science, Training And Development

Bachelor Of Science (B.S.)