KATHLEEN NOEL O’HARA

linkedin.com/in/kathleen-o-hara Cell: 630-***-**** ad02w7@r.postjobfree.com

Summary of Qualifications:

Business leader with a proven record of delivering results, growing revenue, managing P&L, increasing customer counts, and leveraging consumer insights to develop and execute strategic plans. A highly adaptable team leader experienced in implementing change and bringing value to shareholders through:

• Attracting and retaining new businesses and customers

• Increasing the value of current businesses and customers

• Defining B to B and B to C strategies

…while optimizing operational and technology investments.

Specialties: Business model development, contact center and operations technology roadmap development, go-to-market strategies, data-driven omni-channel marketing, consumer loyalty, branding for consumer and design-driven product development.

Experience:

2019 to Current Naperville, Illinois

Oncourse Home Services – An APAX Partner Company

Senior Vice President – Client Success 2022-Current

Defining strategy and structure to attract new and optimize existing client relationships.

Leading team in delivering over $175M in gross profit associated to current partners.

Identifying value proposition to attract and build new partners’ sales funnel.

Vice President – Operations 2019-2022

Brought together two acquired entities into one unified Operational Team of 350+ employees from contact center to field operations, from back office to HVAC and Leasing businesses.

Led organizational and process design to unit two companies under one strategic team.

Delivered an excellent customer experience from phone call to field through Covid while keeping our employees and customers safe.

2017 to 2019 Hoffman Estate, Illinois

ServiceLive, a Sears Holding Company

Vice President General Manager

Defined and implemented Home Service Platform strategy and operations. ServiceLive is the source for local, certified home repair and improvement pros individually selected and verified to be on time, on budget and to do it right.

Defined business model and sales strategy, delivering 91% growth in external revenue while reducing operating expenses by $2M per annum.

Led product development using Agile methodology across entire business.

Completed new brand and product positioning, deployed across ecosystem.

2016 to 2017

Exhale, (an Inspirotec, Inc. company) Chicago, Illinois

Chief Marketing Officer

Defining and executing the marketing and business strategies for a new startup, Exhale developed to help people pinpoint the cause of allergies and asthma in their homes at Accomplishments include:

Determining recommended sales channel mix to deliver growth targets.

Testing pricing to derive an acceptable margin per sales channel and product.

Developing website infrastructure to deliver a branded customer experience using low cost, open-source tools.

Creating and executing omni-channel marketing strategy including digital, print, radio, PR, and social media to increase brand awareness and drive sales.

2012 to 2016

Direct Energy Buffalo Grove, Illinois

Vice President, Marketing

Defining and executing strategies to introduce Direct Energy Protection Plans to the U.S. market. Built digital and analytics team for Direct Energy Services defining strategies focused on cross-selling to improve retention of residential customers; introducing new customers to the brand; driving consistent repair and replacement volume to the company owned store locations and franchisees; and increasing the value proposition of being a company franchisee. Accomplishments include:

Managed the Protection Plan P&L during Direct Energy Home transition.

Created first Return-on-Investment tool to evaluate and manage marketing spend.

Built team, sales channel capability required to launch business.

2005 to 2012

Tribune Media Group Chicago, Illinois

Vice President, Marketing 2008-2012

Lead a team of 60+ with responsibilities spanning consumer insight, database marketing, PR, communications, corporate social responsibility, acquisition and retention of all print and digital products, social media, brand marketing and management and B to B marketing.

Restructured, integrated new areas of responsibility, taking on overall Tribune research, analytics and product development role and managing staff of 60+.

Created the consumer insight trend hunting methodology to drive continuous product development pipeline.

Led product development strategy for new digital marketplace brand.

Reversed circulation revenue decline, generating over $106M in revenue and an incremental $9M in cash flow through strategic price increases.

Launched ChicagoNow a local blog network with an integrated marketing campaign increasing home page traffic by 234% with 60% traffic retained beyond launch period.

Developed CLIO and Lion winning Chicago Tribune cross channel brand marketing campaign which drove two consecutive increases in Scarborough readership.

Director of Audience Development 2007 to 2008

P&L responsibility for full consumer marketing budget of $16M budget, including new customer acquisition, retention, and database marketing teams.

Delivered circulation volume commitments with over 10% cut to budget.

Used Net Present Value scores to optimize acquisition while reducing budget by $2M.

Director of Customer Relationship Marketing 2005 to 2007

Role expanded to include all retention and call center management as Director – CRM. Led outsourcing the call center overseas for Chicago.

Managed transition of call center from internal to overseas vendor saving $1M annually.

Developed and implemented $1.7M capital investment to bring click stream data into consumer data warehouse incorporating online behavior into customer models.

Designed and implemented Chicago Tribune loyalty program yielding a 28% improvement on subscriber retention, becoming the model for all Tribune.

2003 to 2005

DDB Chicago Chicago, Illinois

Vice President Account Director

Worked in top creative agency environment, leading the development and growth of the State Farm and Chicago Tribune accounts.

2000 to 2003 Oak Brook, Illinois

Latham SRM

Account Director

Led account team to provide strategic consulting, data-driven and creative marketing solutions for key accounts including, Harrah’s Entertainment, Whirlpool Corporation and House2Home

1995 to 2000 Downers Grove, Illinois

Customer Development Corporation (ChoicePoint Direct)

Associate Creative Director

1994 to 1995 Chicago, Illinois

Blau/Direct Edge (Euro/RSCG Worldwide)

Senior Art Director

Board Positions and Associations:

Chicago Advertising Federation ADDY Awards Chairperson (2010-2014)

Appalachian Service Project (ASP) President of the Board and Board Member (2009-2013)

Education:

Bachelor of Art and Design – University of Illinois-Chicago

Certified Scrum Product Owner

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