GABRIEL BESTARD-RIBAS
San Francisco, CA 415-***-**** aczh2r@r.postjobfree.com www.linkedin.com/in/gbribas
Technology Product Strategist. Executive. Innovator. Marketeer.
Specializing in Globally-Focused B2C Brands (Software, Platforms, eCommerce, Devices, IoT)
Global technology strategist and business leader with a 16-year track record of success helping both startup organizations and enterprise companies decipher the international customer ecosystem, develop a profitable vision, secure funding, and profitably take products/solutions to market.
Recognized for possessing a truly unique, iconoclastic view of user experience that allows brands to design one-of-of-kind offerings and attain breakthrough levels of loyalty, resonance, and emotional attachment among their targeted audience segments. Extensive network of connections throughout the global technology, startup, venture capital and investment communities. Strong competitive drive. Passionate about recruiting, mentoring, and inspiring teams to produce their best work.
Areas of Expertise
Product Strategy, Development & Launch Usability (UX) & Customer Experience (CX)
Pricing, Positioning & Competitive Differentiation Product Incubation, Ideation & Commercialization Consumer Insights & Market Research Thought Leadership & Innovation Management
Strategic Partnerships & Alliances Branding, Advertising & Public Relations
Interactive & Experiential Marketing Voice of the Customer / Customer Advocacy
Customer Acquisition, Loyalty & Retention Metrics, Analytics & Data-Driven Decision Making
Career History & Accomplishments
ENTREPRENEURIAL ADVISOR, San Francisco, CA 2016 – Present
Supply strategic marketing inspiration, support, and guidance to startups in both the B2B/B2C technology space
Strategic Marketing & Product Development Consultant
• Serve as Interim VP of Marketing for a promising Ride Sharing startup (Shotl.com), leading a 3-person team in completion of branding, positioning, marketing, advertising, PR, and SEO/SEM deliverables
• Retained as Strategic Advisor and Interim VP of Product Marketing for an IoT startup (Sparva Power), guiding a series of product development, brand, PR, and product positioning activities for this exciting wireless electricity play; efforts included fundraising and crowdsourcing assistance
• Additionally contracted with a rapidly-growing international Food Technology startup (Seahorse Food & Beverage) as Interim VP of Marketing, in charge of leading the company’s first product launch
GOJI SMART LOCK, San Francisco, CA 2011 – 2015
35-member startup that provided breakthrough B2C home access and monitoring solutions
Founder / VP of Product Marketing
• Identified an innovative new IoT opportunity and guided this early-stage organization through the first rounds of funding essential to developing/launching the new “Goji Smart” product
• Championed the use of crowdfunding, and other non-traditional sources, to raise over $1.5M in total seed capital including $300K through the Indiegogo portal and $1.2M in direct website donations
• Identified, approached, and closed deals with a top list of strategic partners (e.g. iControl, Samsung, Honeywell, State Farm, Verizon) to help develop the new technology in addition to negotiating deals with numerous top retailers (e.g. Best Buy, Home Depot, Amazon) to distribute the Goji product line
• Held full P&L responsibility for the company, managing all aspects of corporate operations and strategy including leadership of a 4-member Product Marketing/Management group and a 5-member team responsible for all branding, product positioning, packaging, and marketing activities
• Leveraged cutting-edge CRM tools and marketing automation to scale the company’s marketing efforts aggressively, on a worldwide scale, with minimal need for vendors or additional headcount
• Evangelized the product to key industry influencers and media outlets, leading to numerous honors such as receipt of the CES 2015 Award for Innovation in Home Automation, inclusion on the 2014 Gartner “Cool List” of 400 Global Companies to Follow, recognition by Engadget as “The Most Innovative Company” in 2014, and a Finalist ranking in the 2014 Wal-Mart “Get on the Shelf” Contest
DANNON, Barcelona, Spain 2008 – 2011
Recruited to lead this world-leading food company through modernization/digitization of its global marketing model
VP of Digital & Social Media Strategy
• Led team in the development/launch of the first Social CRM in Europe, acquiring 1M+ participating households within a mere 6 months and a 10% sales increase; this new approach reached break-even in the first year and went on to grow the online channel business from $0 to $30M within 3 years
• Redefined the communication model and exported the new methodology throughout 7 markets in Europe and America; efforts included qualifying/selecting a pool of advertising agencies for usage across Dannon s 18 brands in order to improve overall alignment, quality, and cost effectiveness
• Enhanced the company’s online branding/marketing presence, concentrating on owned media and growing corporate site traffic from 30K to 3M monthly visits within 3 years; additionally developed earned media in the social space, launching highly successful CPG Twitter and Facebook campaigns
• Centralized all digital marketing efforts around a single technology provider to minimize technical issues, ensure integration with internal CRM system, and reduce cost by 27%; the new approach also allowed for a deeper analysis of family purchasing patterns, versus individual consumer behavior, alleviating a costly and persistent “cannibalization effect” among the company’s various brands
• Acted as a key disrupter and change agent within the firm, battling a culture of outdated thinking and working closely with numerous internal leaders to drive innovation and fresh thinking; efforts played key role in the company’s receipt of the National Marketing Award for Innovation in 2011
WUNDERMAN, Madrid, Spain 2004 – 2008
Executive leader for an international branch of this leading global online advertising/PR agency, part of the Y&R Group
VP of Interactive Marketing,
• Guided a 25-member team of Creative, Production, Analytics, and Account Management personnel in the development/execution of complex, multi-channel communication and marketing campaigns
• Managed executive-level relationships/strategy with numerous key clients, across multiple verticals; examples include managing CRM programs, online communications, and digital marketing campaigns for clients such as Renault, Repsol, DHL, Mobistar, Citibank, and Diesel Jeans
• Owned $30M in total P&L and constantly assessed performance of the firm as well as external market conditions to effectively allocate resources, set priorities, and make key strategic decisions
J. WALTER THOMPSON / OGILVY & MATHER, Madrid, Spain 2000 – 2004
Recruited to senior strategist role within this iconic global advertising agency, part of the WPP worldwide group
Senior Strategic Planner, New Products
• Conceptualized and led a unique, long-term innovation management program in conjunction with cross-functional peers, leveraging the brainpower and creativity of 40 key employees (associate to executive level) in order to generate hundreds of new client marketing, branding, and product ideas
• Played key role in developing targeted brand positioning, communication strategies, and advertising campaigns for client organizations leading creative pitches to client leaders, securing executive approval, and guiding creative and implementation teams in executing the agreed-upon strategies
• Pioneered the use of data-driven thinking and analytics for the firm and its client base, setting up state-of-the-art campaign measurement systems and leading teams in the completion of deep quantitative/qualitative research aimed at unearthing new consumer insights and product ideas
Prior Experience (details upon request)
TRADEINTERIORS.COM Product Manager San Mateo, CA: 1999 – 2000
LGT ASSET MANAGEMENT Product Manager San Francisco, CA: 1995 – 1997
STOCK EXCHANGE Options Clerk San Francisco, CA: 1994 – 1995
Education & Additional Data
IESE Business School MBA, Strategy & Marketing Program
Southern Illinois University BA in Business Economics & Finance
Fluent in English/Spanish; dual citizenship in the U.S. & Spain