Bay Club Women’s Network
bayclubwomensnetwork.com

Lauren Essex has 20+ years of experience creating brands and getting them to market. Areas of focus include early stage and Fortune 500 companies in the technology, consumer and health care/biotech industries, with a particular emphasis on marketing to women. Her customer-centric approach focuses on understanding the target audience, category and channel dynamics, whether B2B, physicians, distributor/franchise, or direct-to-consumer. This informs a compelling, differentiated brand with marketing plans that drive awareness, credibility, demand and close sales. A grounded, make-it-happen leader that makes work fun. Thinks like the customer and end-customer. The bottom line: impact in the marketplace.

Prior to founding ToMarket Consulting, Lauren served on the executive team for several early stage and venture-backed companies where she established the strategic marketing and product management functions, guided the commercialization of consumer, health care, and technology brands, supported partnerships with Fortune 100 companies and helped take an early stage company public. Her foundation in marketing strategy comes from 10 years with consumer packaged goods leader Helene Curtis, now Unilever, where she was the brand champion for several nationally advertised brands from $60 – $150 million in sales.

Key Accomplishments

Led positioning, branding, go-to-market strategy, and launch of GreatCall’s Jitterbug cell phone and service, celebrated by national media, the wireless industry and consumers alike. Subscriber growth outpaced expectations and won industry’s most innovative new product award. Company continues to be the leader in simplicity mobile services with over $200 million in revenues.

  • Managed profitable businesses as large as $150 million in sales and launched a nationally advertised brand that achieved 2% of billion dollar category for global consumer packaged goods company Helene Curtis, now Unilever.
  • VP Marketing for telehealth platform and solutions company, Numera. Managed new product launch including collaboration with AT&T and other partners. Led product marketing, channel marketing, and lead generation plans that drove awareness and a healthy pipeline. Managed website redesign for US and international sites that required corporate repositioning, channel-specific messaging and search engine optimization; resulted in 44% increase in visitors; below average bounce rate and time spent on product pages of 1-2 minutes.
  • Developed sales management systems for Microsoft Gold Certified Partner after its acquisition of an ERP and CRM company. Implemented Solution Selling™-based sponsor letters, evaluation plan, pipeline reports, territory plans, and executive level reports.
  • Work recognized with 2 Effie Awards, Tellie Award. Brands received other prestigious accolades such as NY Times Top 10 Brilliant Ideas and Reader’s Digest 100 Best Products.
  • Managed product development and launches with prestigious partners and institutions, such as AT&T, Samsung, La Costa Spa, Tufts University, and JoanRivers.
  • Directed the consumer strategy as part of an IPO for early stage company (WomenFirst HealthCare).
  • Masters of Management from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.
  • Personal: National Leadership Recipient for largest US women’s non-profit organization; Girls on the Run coach, non-profit; community volunteer, triathlete, foodie, devoted Mom.
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