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Sales & Marketing Consultant

Specialist & Consultant

Marketing executive with over 25 years experience with consumer products companies including Fortune 250 Apparel & Footwear company, Mattel and Razor as well as startup mentality. Managed P&Ls of $75M and led 14 person teams. 

Strengths include cross-functional team leadership, team building, presenting, go-to-market strategies, marketplace optimization, brand marketing, strategic insights, product innovation, sales, and new business development. 
Direct Retail experience with Amazon, Target/Target Plus, Walmart.
Licensing/Partnerships experience with Disney, Warner Bros, Nickelodeon, Paramount, Sony, Universal, McDonald's, Ferrero, General Mills and Duracell.
MBA From Kellogg School of Management and BA from Dartmouth College. Open to relocation.

Embedded in a F250 Apparel & Footwear company for 6 month contract in Marketing Analytics to on-board 5 major brands to new retail marketplaces, including Target Plus, Walmart Marketplace and Amazon. Duties included developing onboarding procedures  for new marketplaces including timelines and roles & responsibilities for internal and external teams, best practices for PDP optimization, and leveraging 3rd party services like Criteo and PDP optimization services. 

*	Interim marketing lead for Razor USA. Developed Fall 19 and 2020 Anniversary marketing programs. Streamlined retail presentations to Walmart, Target to highlight consumer benefits.
*	Managing sales for consumer electronics accessory company with  HubSpot, leveraging previous sales experience with buyers at Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, Target and mid-tier retailers.

Consultant

• Oversaw global brand marketing and product management for a $75 million global portfolio with over 200 SKUs introduced annually. Reported directly to the CMO.
• Conceived and executed product launch of The Hangrees, a parody collectible brand in 9 months with full 360 marketing, including effective TV/digital advertising & social media. Launched brand at San Diego ComicCon with wrapped taco truck to gain awareness through social media.
• Led cross-functional teams to launch Viro Rides, new ride-on brand into market with TV/digital ads, influencers, social media and PR. Developed 9 SKUs for Fall 19 and 5 new for Fall 2020. Personally sold into Amazon, Target and Walmart as well as sporting goods and electronics retailers.
• Launched Dojo Battle, an innovative new electronic dueling game. Oversaw innovative rooftop TV/digital spot; Launched social marketing at ClamourCon for social media influencers.
• Directly managed a team of two, indirectly managed a cross-functional team of 12.

Vice President Marketing

• Interim team leader at a Fortune 500 company evaluating a new joint venture concept. Led cross-functional Joint Venture evaluation with console video game developer. Interviewed retail buyers, led cross-functional team to build full FP&A with bottoms-up five-year forecast. Personally presented recommendations to head of retail, CFO and President/CEO.
• Managed connected tech product category, including product development of new app-enabled licensed product. Oversaw development and bi-weekly licensor updates with Universal Studios.
• Led cross-brand pitch for master toy rights for the hottest online cross-platform game.

• Managed all global sales & marketing for 1-year old mobile VR startup. Reported to the President.
• Responsible for all marketing plans, product mix and future product development input; brand marketing, including DRTV advertising, AMS campaigns, Facebook ads and PR, resulting in product reviews in Forbes, Huffington Post and Time to Play.
• Set up and managed sales for Amazon, Walmart, and Barnes & Noble. Set up accounts in Vendor Central, Retail Link, resulting in $10.5 million in 1 year. Managed 8 regional sales representatives.

Vice President Sales and Marketing

• Responsible for $9MM in global sales & marketing for tech robotics STEM coding startup. Directly managed team of 5 out of 34 total. Reported directly to the co-founder/CEO.
• Responsible for $2MM consumer and retail marketing budget, including AMS, Facebook Ads, Google Ads, kid TV advertising, resulting in 3X lift on $150 retail item, selling out for Holiday 2015.
• Marketing partnerships included Apple Retail, B8ta Retail, SF 49ers Museum.
• Product placement marketing resulted in our robot being on Big Bang Theory and sci fi series Extant.
• Set up and managed sales at Amazon, Apple Retail Global, Barnes & Noble. Managed 9 US and 5 international sales distributors. Implemented segmented channel management strategy.

Vice President of Marketing

• Managed all Global Promotional Partnerships across all Mattel Brands, including McDonald's, Ferrero, Cereal Partners Worldwide, Burger King, and General Mills with over 50 US or international programs and $2 million licensing revenue per year. Led fee negotiations, product and marketing development to ensure relevant brand campaigns in 7 different global regions.
• Reduced 2016 marketing plans lead-time by 6 months by evangelizing longer range planning.
• Managed MBA marketing recruiting for Mattel for over 13 years including pitching and interviewing prospectives and managing the marketing aspect of the summer MBA intern group project.

Director of Global Promotional Partnerships

• Key liaison with Creative Artists Agency; directly presented Mattel brands to key Hollywood industry producers, directors and writers resulting in 4 TV game show and 8 theatrical development deals.
• Led cross-functional global license pitches for World Wrestling Entertainment and Disney/Pixar Toy Story 3 brands, resulting in Mattel obtaining multi-year global license deals for both brands.

Director of Entertainment Development

• Cars - Managed $260M brand with 220 SKUs. Co-developed retail promotion with Disney.
• Hot Wheels - led Innovation and collector segments totaling $80MM and 320 SKUs. Developed joint planning process with Walmart buyer. Negotiated Warner Bros license for classic Batmobile.

Director of Wheels Marketing

Led marketing on 5 different entertainment brands with sales of $40M and 100 SKUs. Re-launched Masters of the Universe brand with Mattel's first San Diego ComicCon booth in 2000.

Senior Marketing Manager, Male Action/Entertainment

Find out detailed information about Ned Ward, Sales & Marketing Consultant in Redondo Beach, CA

Ned Ward: Sales & Marketing Consultant in Redondo Beach, CA

Ned Ward

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE

NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY (Kellogg School of Management)