It’s so true. We are the sum of our experiences. What life, work and family share with us becomes rooted in who we are and how we interpret our sphere. It shows in how we think, speak and act — and for me — write.
Cutting my teeth on solid American values and a strong Midwestern work ethic, I have energetically embraced a global perspective through languages, culture, history and geography. That appreciation has sparked a career from reporting to media relations to international marketing to global travel to business consulting to real estate sales to property management to retail operations and back fulltime to copywriting, marketing, reporting and wordsmithing.
This full-circle journey adds up to a knack that enables me to step into the shoes of virtually any person or situation to capture essence, heart and motivation. For you, my client, it means that your ideas will be heard, evaluated and positioned for your ultimate purpose, vision and goals through words that matter. I call it: copy as you like it.
From the Taj Mahal to city hall, my proficiency is broad, varied and forever linked to listening, informing, educating and motivating through the power of the written word.
About Sue's Expertise
With a top degree in life experiences and an MBA from Northwestern University, I bring to each project an incomparable blend of insight, creativity and know-how to satisfy client needs and surpass expectations. From business management to marketing communications, I have lived and breathed startups, turnarounds and ongoing concerns to deliver strategies, tactics and work plans that command results. It is that very talent — honed across publishing, technology, utilities, real estate, retail, health care, avionics and other industries — which makes me so adept at amassing information, interpreting the salient facts and choosing what, how and why to write for target audiences.
Imagine how my expertise can enhance your story:
♦ Business Management
• Created startup, turn-around, and expansion strategies.
• Structured tactics to achieve strategic business objectives for regulated and unfettered firms.
• Integrated expectations, roles, accountability, performance measurement, and compensation.
• Directed cross-functional domestic and international teams implementing tactical plans.
• Mentored individuals and provided knowledge transfer to teams.
• Expedited issue resolution and resolved operational conflicts.
• Spurred senior management to “stay-the-course” and motivate their teams.
• Transformed work styles and decision-making processes to match cultural norms.
• Unleashed open communications at all levels to optimize team contributions and performance.
♦ Product Launch
• Conceptualized marketing vision, mission, values and strategy for multiple business entities.
• Established goals, deliverables and success metrics for physical products and intangible services.
• Expedited creation of service packages targeted to countries, customers, and sales channels.
• Piloted tasks, timelines, test markets, beta programs, and budgets for market entry.
• Mobilized launch teams to position, market, sell and service new product lines.
• Augmented United Nations-style consortium delivering satellite services.
• Hypothesized with Mayor and entourage seeking infrastructure bid for Olympics in Greece.
♦ Service Delivery / Customer Care
• Synthesized mapping of customer experiences with firms’ delivery systems.
• Empowered diverse teams designing customer-facing and back-office processes.
• Secured customer-focused marketing redesign of manufacturing startup.
• Pioneered sales and customer care practice targeted to real estate.
• Streamlined suite rentals, Internet access, and phone services for executive business center.
♦ Sales Channels
• Identified customer and sales channel needs pre-sale, point-of-sale and post-sale.
• Analyzed existing sales channels for departments’ abilities to match customer expectations.
• Designed sales channel model for 13 international operating companies.
• Constructed work plans for channel development, compensation, management and support.
• Devised processes, tools, and programs to optimize sales, service and customer care.
• Led extensive sales channel reorganization for wireless company and re-allocated $40M a year.
• Implemented mass merchandising and training program for 265 distributors in 1,463 outlets.
• Directed three managers and $1.7M in channel management, support and delivery.
♦ Market Research / Competitive Assessment
• Commissioned applications-oriented market research to meet $480M+ annual revenue goal.
• Progressed $300,000 annual customer satisfaction study to benchmark/monitor expectations.
• Performed competitive analysis and market assessments for utility firms.
• Supervised vendors delivering focus groups and quantitative market research.
• Conducted in-country secondary research of businesses and consumers to size markets.
• Procured primary market research to guide demand forecasts.
• Generated forecast models to drive product manufacture, inventory, packaging and pricing.
♦ Trade Shows / Trade Fairs / Exhibition Services
• Generated participation at airport, shopping center, C-store, and truck stop conventions.
• Orchestrated marketing plans for global trade fairs in Switzerland, Poland and Hungary.
• Synchronized 34 technical demonstrations and 75 global personnel in three-story exhibit.
• Coordinated signage, collateral, display components, exhibit staffing, and housing.
• Prepared guidelines and supervised training for exhibit sales personnel.
• Analyzed and reported show results vis-à-vis clients’ objectives and expectations.
♦ Marketing Communications
• Instituted corporate entity’s public relations function and external persona.
• Composed presentations, business cases, and itineraries for potential overseas partners.
• Initiated marketing programs, campaigns, and materials across varied media and platforms.
• Crafted proposals, bids, and sales packages for customer-centric consulting practices.
• Composed advertising strategies, tactics and campaigns for consumer and business services.
• Achieved media relations coverage in print, radio and TV for 50 percent of Wisconsin.
• Systematized communications processes to disseminate product information.
• Marketed and promoted city as lifestyle choice to prospective buyers.
• Reported, photographed, edited and laid out news/feature stories for print publications.
♦ Clients, Employers and Partner Companies
Accenture, Ameritech, Andrew Corporation, Booz Allen & Hamilton, Cap/Gemini Consulting, Compaq,
Comverse Technologies, D S Howard and Associates, Eau Claire Leader-Telegram, General Motors Europe,
Great Western Telecommunications, Iridium, Maxwell Partners, Motorola, Prescott Gateway Mall, Renaissance Consulting, Russ
Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty, Stargate Communications, Stewart Telecommunications, Sun Pine
Executive Center, Windermere Real Estate, Waukesha Freeman, and Wisconsin Bell.
♦ Venues
Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, India,
Israel, Italy, Kenya, Lichtenstein, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Singapore, Sweden,
Switzerland, Thailand, United Kingdom, USA, and Venezuela.
♦ Languages / Education
Fluency: English, German, French
Courses/Private Study: Spanish, Italian, Russian, Hebrew, Arabic
MBA: 1994, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
Bachelor of Arts: German and Journalism, 1976, University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire, WI
