VALERIE J.

OBEN
(203) 761-4900 voben@foxboro.net http://www.linkedin.com/in/valerieoben
VP|DIRECTOR STRATEGIC MARKETING
Strategic marketer with proven success growing start-ups and established businesses
through integrated marketing strategy and execution in the B2B and B2C space. Passion
for growing market share and ROI by extracting insights from analytics, creating and
implementing go-to market strategies, building teams, leading innovation across
Marketing, Sales and Customer Service. Disciplined product, project and vendor
management, hands-on execution, rigorous financial control.
CORE COMPETENCIES
Marketing Strategy, Plans &
Customer Acquisition & Retention
Budgets
Positioning, Branding
Direct Marketing
Digital, Mobile, Social Media
Product Management-New
Marketing
Products
Content Marketing
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
FOXBORO CONSULTING, INC., Wilton, CT
5/2015 to Present
Founded strategic integrated marketing resource that transforms brand strategy and
positioning into cross-channel campaigns that grow sales, acquire, retain and engage
customers for B2B and B2C clients. Recognized as invaluable resource to CEOs and other
C-Suite executives providing reality checks, strategic insights, and reliable results.
Selected Client Accomplishments
Pat Sajaks Voomerang
Deal-a-Day Digital Start-Up Launched service, built audience and customer base in LA
geography with opt-in email campaigns generating 47% open rates, 10% conversion
through innovative launch promotion.
Non-responder follow-up email yielded 23% open rate and 12.5% conversion to sales.
MasterCard Marketing Director
Launched MasterCard Advisors, MasterCards multi-million dollar professional
consulting practice resulting in dramatic multi-million dollar revenue contributions and
increased net income per employee, prior to IPO.
Validated business model, branding and positioning through design and implementation
of global research study
Converted research insights into brand identity, positioning and multi-channel launch
campaign
Led RFP, agency selection and managed agency to create award-winning multi-national
integrated brand communications, and internal and external stakeholder education
campaign, launch event.
Willis Group N.A.
Wrote, launched e-newsletter sales support to acquire 30,000 opt-in subscribers for
global insurance broker, division of Willis Group Holdings. Monthly risk issue content
empowered brokers, significantly increased policy renewals, policy origination. Vehicle
continues as primary outreach channel for all lines of business.
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Valerie

J.

Oben

CHOICE PET SUPPLY, Danbury, CT

2/2014
to 5/2015
Chief Marketing Officer
Strategic customer acquisition, retention, online and offline marketing leader for Private
Equity owned specialty retailer with 13 stores in CT. Sold equity to new investors April
2015.
Reversed 5yr same store sales decline, then grew sales by $1MM+ or +7.6% increase
year over year in stores open 1yr+
Acquired 666 new customers within 9mos. adding over $80K net profit to the bottomline
Profitably opened 5 new stores in 4mos. through-out NJ, NY to grow chain to 18 stores
by year-end 2014
Increased web traffic 185%, with +180% new users, and +4.3% in pages/session

CHIEF EXECUTIVE MAGAZINE/SECURITY DIRECTORS REPORT , Greenwich, CT

6/2011 to 12/2013
Marketing Director Contract B2B specialty online and print publications
Acquired by Greenhaven Partners in 2010 out of bankruptcy. Assets sold to Diversified
Media in 2013.
Digital - Increased customer subscriptions 21% over 9mos. for Security publication via
revamped digital, direct mail lead generation and conversion campaign
Content - Increased subscriber retention 10% over 12mos. for Security publication
through innovative content marketing outreach that leveraged authoritative, custom
content into value-added subscriber resources
Event marketing/e-commerce - achieved record paid attendance for Chief Executive
CEO2CEO conferences by creating and executing integrated direct mail, digital
marketing and social media campaign.

FOXBORO CONSULTING, INC., Wilton, CT

1996 to 2011
Founded strategic integrated marketing resource that transforms brand strategy and
positioning into integrated customer acquisition and retention campaigns that grow sales
engage customers for B2B and B2C clients.
Selected Clients: Newsday, Rodale, Newhouse Newspaper Group, JP Morgan Chase,
MAC Network, Core States Bank, Meridian Bank, Bay State Bank, Bank of Boston,
XL Limited, Versus/Outdoor Life Network, Pet Partners LLC
MARKETING CORPORATION OF AMERICA, Westport, CT
1989 to 1996
Senior Vice President (1994 to 1996)
Vice President (1992 to 1994)
Managing Director (1989 to 1992)
Built $3,500,000 consulting practice, acquired and managed $1,500,000 in new
consulting relationships for this privately held management consulting firm
Launched Newsday and the Los Angeles Times to the web, drove site traffic, first annual
online ad revenue for The Los Angeles Times, Newsday through successful $2 million
simultaneous bi-coastal launch of LATimes.com and Newsday.com
Achieved 95% small business and customer account retention in JP Morgan
Chase/Chemical Bank merger and branch consolidation of over 300 retail bank
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Valerie

J.

Oben

branches, multi-million accounts

Team member on award-winning CPG promotions - Gatorade, Kraft

START-UP JOINT VENTURE Financial & Investment Services, Jericho, NY

1984 to 1989
AT&T/JP Morgan Chase (formerly Chemical Bank)/ Bank of America/ Time
Group Manager, Marketing and Product Development
Marketing lead - developed and implemented product and marketing strategies for first
interactive direct banking and information service. Reporting to CEO, led diverse team of
five Marketing, IT and Customer Service professionals and three agencies.
Acquired 40,000 online subscribers, valued at over $700,000,000 in deposits, within 6
mos. of launch
Obtained 52 % increase in subscriber acquisitions and 25 % decrease in acquisition
costs through strategic bank-wide training and incentive programs at Bank of America,
Chemical Bank, affiliates in CT, FL & TX
PRODUCT MANAGER
AT&T - Product Manager, Online Directory Services
COLGATE PALMOLIVE COMPANY - Product Manager - Dish Detergent
GENERAL ELECTRIC - Product Manager Small Motorized Appliances
EDUCATION
MBA, University of Michigan, Ross School of Business, Ann Arbor, MI
BA, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Google Digital Analytics Fundamentals Certificate Northwestern University/Coursera Content
Marketing Certificate General Electric Strategic Planning Certificate General Electric
Product Planning Certificate

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Valerie

J.

Oben