My History
I’ve been working since I was 16; I started flipping burgers in high school to help Mom pay the rent and have worked ever since. Paid for college as a cocktail waitress and bartender (great way to learn people-management and problem-solving skills!)
As a marketing troubleshooter, my focus is “black & white” marketing – timely technology commercialization, sustainable competitive positioning, and integrated offline/online marketing strategies. This means that - no - I won’t write your brochure or ad copy. That’s “color” marketing and there’s a lot of work that needs to happen before we get to that. (Tip: If you’re just now seeking seed capital, you need to put plan before glitz. And, you don’t need to be “branded” if you don’t even have a product yet.)
My clients have ranged from two-man software start-ups to global corporations such as Mitel/Gandalf and Hewlett-Packard.I’ve worked with clients to do successful IPOs (ah, the good old days), craft licensing agreements with companies such as Microsoft, and design new approaches to saturated markets.
I’m a proud and happy corporate refugee, having held Corporate HQ staff and management positions in business strategy and product development for companies such as NEC, Nortel, and Unisys. I’ve built and managed international teams and held up to $30M in P&L responsibility. My last “real job” was Director of Strategic Alliances for a technology services start-up, where I was responsible for negotiating and managing channel agreements with companies such as Hewlett-Packard, Cisco, and Verizon.
I also work with nonprofit clients, such as The Loan Fund and Habitat for Humanity, as I’d like to leave the world a bit better than I found it.
I do my best to live according to a favorite Oscar Wilde quote, “Life is too important to be taken seriously.”
“Mary delivers - consistently and with integrity and innovation.”
- Glenn Lovelace, Founder and Chairman, TManage, Inc.
“Mary’s versatility and “can do” attitude is a big help. Whatever the need - she produces under pressure.”
- Catherine Woodward, Executive Director, Greater Albuquerque Habitat for Humanity
Got a question? Think we may know each other from a past corporate life? Drop me a line!
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