Mike Wilson: Managing Director in San Diego, CA
Work experience
Elite Sports Marketing LLC
Managing Director | 02/2017 - Current
ELITE is a San Diego-based, sports marketing agency that operates Elite Racing Services, specializing in complex professional and amateur road and gravel racing event support. In addition to racing services, ESM also provides consulting services for endemic communications (PR), product introductions, and event services. Clients include USA Cycling, SRAM, the Sea Otter Classic, Medalist Sports, Larry H. Miller Sports & Entertainment, LOOK Cycle, and Corima Wheels.
100%
Go to Market Manager | 09/2018 - 07/2019
Marketing Manager with primary responsibilities including the creation and implementation of a new Go to Market organization. Through my tenure, our team created a “by season” and “by activity” GTM Calendar, Toolbox of resources for distribution partners and a specific menu of marketing programs and services. I also was responsible for all social media strategy, implementation and overall digital tracking. I also created an internal public relations structure for day to day management of endemic public relations (replacing our external agency) and fostering better media relations.
Amer Sports
Mavic Brand Manager, Americas | 01/2016 - 01/2017
Job Purpose:
• Primary marketing manager of the brands/categories in the Americas - Mavic.
• Owns the adaptation and localization as well as implementation and execution of the Global Brand Initiatives.
• Act as the hub for all aspects of the Go-to-Market marketing mix to ensure complete alignment in the development and execution of marketing programs with an emphasis on: Brand Activation, Consumer Engagement, Concept and Key Initiative execution, Category Marketing Program Implementation, Marketing Toolbox delivery, Demand Creation Collaborate with the Digital, Trade and In-store Excellence Marketing Team as well as with the Tech Reps / Sell Thru Reps / Visual Merchandisers in order to orchestrate a well aligned marketing program.
• Key partner to the Regional Commercial Director and/or Commercial Managers in driving the category and commercial Key Business Drivers (KBDs).
Job Mission:
• Creator of outstanding consumer experiences.
Amer Sports
Suunto & Mavic Brand Manager | 02/2015 - 01/2016
Job Purpose:
• Primary marketing manager of the brands/categories in the Americas - Suunto & Mavic brands.
• Owns the adaptation and localization as well as implementation and execution of the Global Brand Initiatives for both brands
• Act as the hub for all aspects of the Go-to-Market marketing mix to ensure complete alignment in the development and execution of marketing programs with an emphasis on: Brand Activation, Consumer Engagement, Concept and Key Initiative execution, Category Marketing Program Implementation, Marketing Toolbox delivery, Demand Creation Collaborate with the Digital, Trade and In-store Excellence Marketing Team as well as with the Tech Reps / Sell Thru Reps / Visual Merchandisers in order to orchestrate a well aligned marketing program.
• Key partner to the Regional Commercial Director and/or Commercial Managers in driving the category and commercial Key Business Drivers (KBDs).
Holland Cycles
Sales and Marketing Director | 11/2013 - 11/2014
Holland Cycles (and Bill Holland) have handcrafted bicycles in San Diego since 1976. After beginning a sponsorship relationship with Holland Cycles in 2013, my role expanded to a one-year contract providing marketing and sales management including expansion of the brand into a new showroom, new website, new product introduction (Velonews Road Bike of NAHBS 2014) and general business management consulting.
More about Holland:
Holland Cycles' designs are anatomically fit, purpose built and satisfaction guaranteed. My role since late 2014 has been to
Founded by legendary frame builder Bill Holland, Holland Cycles is a premiere source of 100% custom, American-crafted titanium, Exogrid and Carbon bicycle frames. Each frame is individually designed and purpose-built for our customer and their exact riding needs.
In addition to custom bike builds, wheel builder Charles Wells is a partner in Holland Cycles who provides exacting advice and precision-built custom wheels. Fitting services are exclusively provided by former professional cyclist Cody Stevenson and industry leading service and repair on all makes and models of road bikes are led by Keven Lee and his team.
Kali Protectives
Co-Founder, Director of Marketing | 01/2008 - 10/2013
As a founder and the marketing principal, I led Kali Protectives' brand inception, all marketing activities and oversaw the development and delivery of a fully integrated sales strategy for the business from the go.
Duties included:
•Development of the brand strategy.
•Developed the global marketing approach for all products
•Oversaw implementation of the marketing strategy - including campaigns, events, digital marketing, and PR.
•Worked closely with the company’s sales team; enabled them to meet their commercial objectives by providing them with appropriate tools, materials and presentations
•Guided the day to day activities of the marketing team.
•Ensuring that the marketing team implements the marketing objectives.
•Worked closely with the product management team to define marketing materials and programs
•Managed social media presence and direct programs to improve social media reputation and recognition.
•Developed and delivered marketing and communications strategies for the
Divinity Sports Marketing
Director of Marketing - Freelance | 01/2001 - 01/2010
Divinity is a San Diego-based sports marketing company dedicated to developing innovative sporting goods brands, products, and events.
Divinity’s core competency is marketing specifically built around the action sports marketplace. We specialize in demographic-specific marketing, art and advertisement creation (brand and campaign), public relations, grassroots actions, copywriting, social media, photo & video services, etc.).
Salomon
Xsjado Brand Co-Founder, Business Manager | 07/2001 - 04/2007
Business Manager and co-founder of Xsjado, a skate brand that began as a co-operative with Salomon for responsible product development and sales distribution. As a hard goods project in development since 2000, products first arrived on sporting goods dealers shelves in 2003 and sell-through still remains at record levels.
Xsjado is a unique hardcore skating brand featuring the marriage of hard goods' products with an innovative footwear-line. Although delivered to a stagnating industry, the product captured 40% of sales above 200$/E as well as a strong footwear market share. The Xsjado Project was acquired by a European sporting goods conglomerate and management moved to Germany.
Salomon
International Sports Marketing Manager | 01/1998 - 01/2003
Responsible for street skate product marketing, athlete relations and marketing management with intense focus and support of North American, European and Asian subsidiaries.
Spent a great deal of my professional career developing the management skills required to fully utilize professional athletes and manage their activities on tour, in competitions and in specific actions designated to promote brands. It was through this hands-on experience that I acquired a great deal of understanding around core youth culture marketing.
Salomon
Brand Marketing - Entertainment & Product Placement | 10/2001 - 12/2002
Led a team responsible for managing Salomon's relationships with high profile summer and winter events, international and national athletes and celebrity relations / product placement opportunities (Summer and Winter X Games, Dave Matthews Band, Foo Fighters, Bare Naked Ladies, etc.)
Daily Bread Skate Magazine
Senior Editor | 03/2001 - 03/2002
Managed the editorial department of the original and benchmark street skating magazines. Responsibilities included management of the editorial staff and magazine contributors, plus original feature content creation based on skating culture and professional athlete interaction. This role also relied on inter-department cooperation with all facets of the magazine's production, especially challenging based on location segment production around the world.
In addition to editing all editorial, I regularly contributed major editorial pieces primarily based on international skating events and skate culture. I was also responsible for copy writing for various magazine clients.
Salomon North America
Promotions Manager, ILS | 01/1998 - 12/1998
Managed all promotions, marketing activities and national athletes working specifically in Salomon North America's inline skate sporting good line. I traveled thoroughly around the USA managing each specific promotion during the inline skating industries boom era.
Salomon SA
Product Testing Manager, ILS | 02/1997 - 10/1998
Responsible for long-term product quality field evaluations (inline skate sporting goods). Position's physical location rotated seasonally between Annecy, France, Perth, Australia and Miami or San Diego each year.
This position required extensive testing organization, relationships with sporting goods shops that specialized in rentals, on-site evaluation and direct/feedback/dialogue with product development in France, in addition to thorough sporting good product knowledge.
Rollerblade, Inc.
National Technical Trainer | 01/1995 - 12/1996
Responsible for technical product training (inline skate sporting goods) for the Rollerblade sales force in North America during this period (developmental for the company). Trained retailers throughout the United States on the Blade School University tour to help educate specialty retailers with the latest technical and in-depth product training.
Key Sports Marketing
Promotions & Retail Training Coordinator | 01/1994 - 12/1995
Responsible for Sporting Goods Sales Promotions, Athlete Management and Retailer Technical Training for regional sales agency of Rollerblade, Inc. and Reef, Inc. Territory included Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee and South Carolina. Traveled this region extensively.
Over The Mountain Outfitters
Buyer | 07/1990 - 10/1991
Hardgoods department buyer and manager. I was responsible for booking pre-season and follow-through hardgood and accessories orders. I also worked with regional sales and promotion reps to create specic skate promotions that resuled in record skate sales in the Birmingham, Alabama market.