Versatile Marketing Strategist Driving Growth with Global Insights and InnovationLara is a marketing strategist with a passion for sustainable growth. Often called a "Swiss army knife" of marketing, she seamlessly aligns business goals with market trends. Her expertise spans brand management, customer experience, innovation, and business strategy, delivering impactful, forward-thinking solutions.She partners with brands looking to elevate their marketing strategies, offering expertise in brand strategy, audience insights, competitive analysis, and go-to-market planning. Lara is particularly skilled in brand positioning, customer journey mapping, messaging development, and brand architecture, with a focus on helping small and mid-sized European businesses expand into the U.S. market. With over two decades of experience across CPG, luxury, pharmaceuticals, tech, education, and non-profit sectors, Lara has worked across three continents with organizations like WPP (Ogilvy, Kantar, VML, Mindshare), Diageo, startups, and consultancies.She holds a master’s from Cambridge University, an MBA from London Business School, and is Chartered Institute of Marketing certified. Early in her career, she taught geography and worked as a photojournalist.Lara also contributes to the industry by judging awards like Effie and Jay Chiat, mentoring emerging talent, and serving on the board of Conscious Capitalism, promoting values-driven leadership.Outside of work, she loves travel, outdoor adventures, and volunteering at her children’s school. She’s also an avid reader and karaoke fan, always eager to learn and explore.

Hudson Rouge is a global luxury marketing boutique, and part of WPP and VML. As chief strategy officer I led all facets of client strategy encompassing brand development, digital modernization, social media strategy, data analytics, platform optimization, and personalized experiences, and collaborate extensively on events, sponsorships, and media initiatives. I co-led agency strategy such as positioning, partnerships, go-to-market strategies, thought leadership, and new business. I enjoy strong industry involvement – judging for Effie, ECHO, REGGIE, Jay Chiat (as a head judge), extensive mentoring and coaching.

In 2022, VMLY&R was recognized by Forrester as a leader in Marketing Creative and Content services, praised for its innovative approach. Additionally, it ranked third as the most effective agency network at the US Effie Awards 2022.As part of the global and regional strategic leadership for a team of 700+ strategists, I led global strategic thought leadership, and contributed to agency-wide strategic development, new business, and DEI initiatives. I spearheaded strategic engagements for diverse clients like the United Nations Kraft Heinz, GSK, Pearson+, J&J, Janssen, Ford, Colgate Palmolive, Pfizer, Pernod Ricard, Sazerac, and Google, covering BX, CX, Growth, and Business strategies. My focus was on crafting connected brand and customer experiences, delivering innovative business results grounded in human insights. Additionally, I engaged in industry activities such as judging for Effie, ECHO, Jay Chiat, and REGGIE awards, while providing extensive mentoring and coaching.

As Digital Strategy Partner, I led engagements across a wide spectrum of client verticals - including Commerce/Retail, CPG, Pharma, Healthcare, Auto, Hospitality, on digital transformation and digital marketing strategy. Additionally served as eCommerce Practice Lead, Global Partner Lead, Subject Matter Expert, and Thought Leader for Ogilvy's Amazon relationship, and drove internal team development initiatives to support broad business needs, e.g. MarTech Center of Excellence. Ogilvy Consulting provides strategy and innovation consulting across: Growth & Innovation, Business Design, and Digital Transformation.

Digital B2B technology and telecoms client partner leadership: IBM Cloud, IBM Watson Analytics, & Huawei - Worldwide and North America. Directly responsible for all performance marketing - driving business value and client ROI through strategy, media, creativity, content, data and analytics, and innovating through new, agile, business delivery models. Launched and led Ogilvy's 'Continuous Commerce' practice - across Ogilvy’s domains of expertise and partners to deliver solutions driven by unique customer insights and holistic commerce strategies, enabled by data, digital, and technology platforms.

An executive program to attract MBA graduates to join WPP. Each year 3-5 MBA graduates are given the opportunity to spend 3 years working across WPP agencies. The program provides a platform for Fellows to take long term leadership positions with WPP agencies.My positions were:Director of ECommerce, OgilvyOne (NYC) -Developed and nurtured a global community of specialists and practitioners across e-Commerce, mobile, and social Commerce to launch a customer-centered commerce approach to maximize customer lifetime value by seamlessly serving their needs before, during and after sale.Senior Consultant, Kantar Retail (Wilton, CT)-Developed brand identity and positioning, growth drivers, launch plans, merchandising and strategies for wide range of CPG and retail clients - including Diageo, Kraft and Ascena. -Kantar Retail is a global insight and consultancy business delivering tangible and transformational growth solutions to the world's leading blue chip brands and companies.Director of Partner Solutions, Kantar Shopcom (Wilton, CT)-Managed 20+ partner relationships - including Google, Yahoo!, eXelate, Compete, Neustar, Videology, comScore, Xaxis, Condé Nast, Kantar Media Audiences - to help clients target, measure, and analyze media effectiveness. -Kantar Shopcom helps marketers grow their brands using customer purchase data, together with online and TV media data.Director of Business Planning & Luxury Division, Mindshare (London, UK) -Co-developed ‘Mindshare Luxury’ - a bespoke offering within Mindshare for current and future clients within luxury and retail. New Business and Business Planning projects included strategic industry overviews, and future of mobile marketing. Clients included: Unilever, Star Alliance, DeBeers, and HSBC.-Mindshare is a global media agency network with 7,000 employees, in 116 offices across 86 countries.

As the company's first Marketer, I led the growth of the company's marketing activity, building and nurturing a highly effective and motivated team, and helped the company to grow to around $5MM revenue. Key activities included a major re-branding program, and operational and strategic business development. Created an 'Awards Strategy', and managed more than a dozen award wins, including: • BT RetailWeek Technology Awards 2011 • Best Specialist Etailer, Drapers Etail 2010 • Retail Week Consumer Technology Awards 2009• Dell Small Business Excellence Award - UK & Global Winner 2009• Online Business of the Year - Start-ups 2008Originally the world’s first online tailors, then growing to incorporate over 30 studios nationwide and becoming Britain’s most popular tailor, A Suit That Fits individually hand tailors suits to fit customers' budgets, frames and styles at off-the-peg prices.

MBA degree, London Business School. Exchange programme at Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley. Focused on Strategy & Organizational Behavior, with specialisms in Entrepreneurship & Marketing High-Tech Industries.

Led UK brand strategy, including brand positioning and long-term growth platform development. Built and led large cross-functional marketing teams across seven agencies and numerous internal stakeholders across successful and award-winning marketing activities. Served as lead digital practitioner across Diageo UK, managed Guinness's early-stage social media activity & CRM. Strong budget management skills.

PGCE-qualified Geography teacher. Taught over 400 students aged 11-18. Provided Math & French tuition.

Assignments with The Sunday Telegraph, Mail on Sunday, Press Association and regional news. Won national award, and gained agency representation whilst simultaneously studying full-time.