Résumé

For additional information, visit: Theo’s LinkedIn

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

BBDO, Minneapolis, MN                                                                           2018 to Present

Vice President, Director of Planning & Strategy 

Oversee the agency strategy and planning discipline, and lead team of direct reports to create communications, business, and media strategies.  Solve complicated business challenges by uncovering deep insights to create innovative and data-driven business growth plans including brand, communications, product innovation, operations, and supply chain strategies.  Maintain C-level relationships with client who has had AOR with BBDO for over 90 years.

  • Increased client demand for strategy by creating team that provides business-growing strategies and problem solving. Reorganized, refocused, then doubled the size of strategy department.  2020 client scorecard scored strategy team highest score in more than 10 years, the highest score of any discipline in agency.
  • Initiated, sold-in, and grew digital strategy discipline with top clients, including digital ecosystem optimization, user experience, and measurement, attribution, and analytics at each stage of the purchase journey.
  • Change leader, tester, and roll-out expert of “Omni,” BBDO’s digital tool for proprietary customer journey mapping (combining digital and offline activity), and hyper-targeted marketing tactics including Artificial Intelligence (AI) developed creative and media placement.
  • Embedded with marketing sprint team at 3M to create unique cross-silo marketing materials for new business lines in less than twelve weeks. Brought decision makers together with engineers to streamline marketing process and beat competitors to market.
  • Industries include: Food, Healthcare, Real Estate, Industrials

THE SCHWEITZ GROUP, Minneapolis, MN                                          2016 to Present

Owner and Founder

Grow client business with insight-led marketing strategies, new business development, and new product creation.  Clients include creative agencies, food manufacturers, and industry consultants.

  • Gained new business opportunities for client (creative agency) by creating strategy to utilizing trade show activation to generate leads, followed by a digital, e-mail, and social follow up strategy to engage leads. Led resulting RFP strategy process to convert $600k+ traditional focused marketing budget to digital, social, event, and content led marketing plan.

JT Mega, Minneapolis, MN                                                                               2017 to 2018

Account Supervisor and Strategist (Director Level)

Led team of direct reports to grow a multidecade Agency of Record (AOR) relationship.  Included strategy development, marketing communications planning, agency P&L ownership, and oversight of agency execution of client communication tactics.  Reported directly to agency President.

  • Exceeded client marketing ROI expectations by leading collaborative brand strategy review leading to the creation of sub-brand for new product launch including R&D, Marketing, and Sales initiatives. Utilized audience analytics, brand planning, communication strategy, and roll-out execution to sales team and distributor network.
  • Developed relationships with client leadership team by anticipating strategy needs and developing multi-year marketing strategies and activation plans to grow their sales and execute their vision.
  • Scouted, led pitch development, and won business from Delighted By Dessert Hummus. Pitch work included brand strategy, media plan and creative campaign, website redesign, and social media rebrand and strategy.
  • Industries Include: Food, Business to Business (B2B), Direct to Consumer (DTC)

TARGET, Minneapolis, MN                                                                            2006 to 2016

Director – Private Label Strategy (2014 – 2016)

Led team of eight direct reports in creating and executing strategies for owned brand meat, frozen, dairy, bakery, deli, and produce divisions with $1.3B annual sales volume. Oversaw P&L, brand building, operations, and digital and traditional marketing.

  • Grew sales $40M above plan by initiating brand audit process across entire Target Food owned brand portfolio. Developed innovative, millennial focused, brand positions and identities, innovative digital and social marketing strategies, new product pipelines, and in-store activation plans.
  • Invigorated traditional in-store marketing strategy by connecting with younger consumers through advanced digital marketing strategies focused on Cartwheel (Target’s mobile app), social media, digital media, and paid search. Increased promotional sales 5% and campaign impressions 20% while reducing budgetary costs by 10%.
  • Met customers’ fresh grocery needs by creating new “consumer first” fresh brand with unified fresh food navigational and promotional experience by leading cross-functional partnership between internal creative / business teams and 3rd-party consultant to identify brand white space.

Senior Buyer – Owned Brand Grocery (2011 – 2014)

Led seven person cross functional team in $250M annual volume Meal Essentials department. Developed brand strategies, portfolio marketing strategies, product development / commercialization tactics, and on-shelf pricing plans for Market Pantry, Archer Farms, Simply Balanced, and Giada brands for 14 categories of business.

  • Initiated competitive negotiations, improving gross margin rate 4% and reducing vendor count 20%.
  • Generated 400M total annual marketing impressions by captaining brand marketing strategies for owned brand food, including online, social, receipt coupon, in store signing, and out-of-home vehicles.
 

Merchandise Planning Manager – Personal Care (2009 – 2011)

Managed and developed five business analyst direct reports, promoting two to senior buyer. Led department inventory strategies and financial plans for $2.2B sales and collaborated with large CPG companies.

  • Captained Unilever’s joint business plan (JBP) for merchandise planning and led collaborative Unilever and Target task force to create and execute supply chain expense optimization strategy, reducing year one expenses 5%.
 

Buyer – Women’s Accessories (2006 – 2009)

Managed design, development, and commercialization of softlines product, including aesthetic design, trend timing, pricing, financial, and brand direction for categories including hats, scarves, belts, and umbrellas.

  • Grew sales 60% above plan with decisive trend reaction, strategically adjusting category space allocation and marketing media plans.

 

MARSHALL FIELD’S DEPARTMENT STORES, Minneapolis, MN     2003 to 2006

Buyer and Senior Business Analyst

Worked in women’s fine jewelry, designer handbags, and designer apparel.

  • Designed and executed entrepreneurial strategies, concentrating on discovering small, hard to find designers.
  • Created focused assortments, making vast floor pads easy to shop.

EDUCATION

Master of Business Administration (MBA), Marketing & Finance

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA, CARLSON SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, Minneapolis, MN

Carlson Scholar (top 5% of class)

Bachelor of Arts (BA), Triple Major: Economics with Honors, International Relations, and History (Diplomatic)

UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA, COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES, Philadelphia, PA

Dean’s List

Certificate, Digital Marketing

CORNELL UNIVERSITY, S.C. JOHNSON COLLEGE OF BUSINESS, Ithaca, NY

Associate of Applied Science (AAS), Culinary Arts

THE ARTS INSTITUTES INTERNATIONAL OF MINNESOTA, THE INTERNATIONAL CULINARY SCHOOL, Minneapolis, MN

Presidents List

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

 Certified in Organizational Change Management (Destra Model), 2015