I’m a technology CMO who helps companies transition to the next chapter in their history. Most recently, I was with Conduent which was the spin-off of Xerox Services in 2017.

Before Conduent, I was the CMO of Xerox following an 18-year career at IBM which included leading global Corporate Marketing, and a range of geography and business unit market roles. This included two assignments in IBM Asia-Pacific where I was based in Tokyo. My roots are classic packaged goods having started my marketing career at P&G on iconic brands like Downy and Spic and Span. P&G taught me the fundamentals of marketing products and offerings to buyers and end-users. At IBM, Xerox and Conduent, I learned the complexities of marketing a company to all stakeholders as experienced through a corporate re-positioning, corporate separation and IPO.

This is a brief run-down of my career:

Following college, I joined Bank of America (NCNB at the time) in their commercial lending development program. It was a solid first step into business given the exposure I’d receive to companies large and small across so many industries. As a Credit Policy Officer in the Financial Institutions unit, I combed through hundreds of “work-out” situations during the S&L crisis. I learned first hand the toxic combination of easy credit, motivated lenders and real estate. A cycle that seems to show up in our economy every ten years or so.

After b-school, I joined P&G in their Laundry and Cleaning Division assigned to Downy and later to Hard Surface Clears and Spic and Span. Based in Cincinnati, my experience at Procter forever shaped my thinking on marketing strategy and buyer behavior. Instilled in me were the disciplined approaches to market understanding, consumer needs and product marketing. Fundamentals that I rely on every day.

In the mid-90’s, I returned to my roots in North Carolina to join IBM’s Consumer Division in Raleigh. After only two years in the company, I would embark on the first of two ex-pat assignments to Asia-Pacific based in Tokyo. Returning to the US in 2007, I was soon assigned to lead Corporate Marketing on a global basis. This was a high-water mark of IBM’s history, marked by the very successful “Smarter Planet” initiative, IBM’s Centennial and the Watson/Jeopardy Challenge; all three of which I would play a major role. To this day, Smarter Planet is considered one of the most successful b2b enterprise platforms, successfully re-positioning IBM towards becoming data, analytics and cognitive computing company.

I left IBM in 2014 to become the CMO of Xerox. Xerox’s brand was in decline and it’s enterprise story was confused as a result of a myriad of acquisitions since 2008. I sought to clarify the company’s enterprise positioning, strengthen the sales pipeline and modernize the marketing and communications function. In 18 months, we launched a new enterprise brand campaign, accelerated to “everything digital’ and brought in new talent to the organization. When Xerox announced plans to separate into two companies, I quickly earned my black-belt in Corporate Communications given the range of stakeholders impacted by this historical move — clients, employees, investors, business partners and local communities.

In late 2016, I needed to decide which horse to ride — Xerox or Conduent. I jumped at the chance to create the new services company, Conduent. Together with my team, we named, branded, launched and infused life into this $6 billion, 100,000+ employee start-up.  We were the first IPO of 2017. I held 3 different roles over 2.5 years as new leadership needs emerged. As Chief of Staff to the CEO, I had a ring-side seat to the daily decisions involved in running a major corporation. As Chief Digital Officer, I led an internal start-up selling digital transformation services. A CEO change in 2019 ushered in entirely new leadership resulting in my departure in August, 2019. Conduent continues to find its footing operationally, but the work I led with my team on it’s naming, branding and brand architecture endures — which was always the goal.

I am currently an advisor and board member to several software and IT companies. I am selectively interviewing for full-time positions.

Raised in a medium-sized town in North Carolina, I have always been an explorer who likes to take gnarly assignments. From the prospect of turning around a struggling PC unit in Japan, shifting seemingly immovable brands, to creating an entirely new B2B technology company — I’ve always run towards tough challenges. I live in the Riverside section of Greenwich, CT and have two children in their 20’s. In my spare time, I enjoy boating, Crossfit and improving my skills on acoustic guitar and banjo.

I am best contacted through e-mail.