MARY LARUSSO Experienced Marketer/Business Development Strategist
Chicago, Ill. 847.345.2648 mlarusso@sbcglobal.net
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SUMMARY:
Mission&driven! leader! and energizing coach.! Reputation! for! mobilizing! key! players! and! unifying! departments! to!
affect!stra tegic!initiatives.!Collaborator!with!more!than!a!decade!of!experience!leading!high=performing!teams!(as!well!
as! task! forces! and! volunteer! committee s! of! 70+)! while! shepherding! high=profile! projects! to! successful! completion.!
Gravitas!to!build!relationships!and!trust!across!boundaries!a nd!within!matrixed!environments.!Disciplined!process!and!
metrics!orientation.!Frugal!administrator!of!third=party!vendor!relationships,!outsourced!staff,!agencies.!
Confident and connected business development influencer.! Poised,! prepared! relationship! manager,! prospect!
researcher! and! revenue! generator.! Proven! success! in! stakeholder! outreach,! pitching! new! ideas,! corporate!
partnerships/sponsorships.!Experienced!in!member!retention!and!member!services.!Numerous!trusted!contacts!within!
the!healthcare!sector.!
Award&winning writer, editor, creative director.!Adept!at!simplifying!complex!ideas!while!sharpening !brand!stories.!
Creator!of!compelling!content!for!multiple!channels!and!formats:!ad!campaigns,!web!and!mobile!con tent,!marketing!
collateral,!documentation,!publications,!podcasts!and!video.!
Information architect, long&range strategist.!Product!development!contributor!and!creator!of!one=of=a=kind!product!
launches.!Product!branding,!naming,!creative! concepts,!position ing !and!campaign!development.!Marketing!strategy,!
event!planning.!
Digital!early adapter able!to!leverage!revenue=driving!insights/analytics.!SEO!savvy.!Proficient!in!web!analysis,!CRM,!
content!management!systems,!social!media!and!email!marketing.!
EXPERIENCE:
Associate Director of Marketing:!Joint!Commission!Center!for!Transforming!Healthcare,!
Metro!Chicago.!Feb!2015!±! Present.!Created!in!2008,!the!Center!aims!to!solve!healthFDUH¶VPRVW
critical!safety!and!quality!problems!and!shares!proven!effective!solutions!with!the!nearly!21,000!organizations!it!accredits!and!certifies.!
Responsible!for!launching!and!marketing!products,!programs,!events!and!websites.!Within!first!six!months!of!employment!launched!the!
Oro!2.0!High!Reliability!Organizational!Assessment!and!the!Preventing!Falls!Targeted!Solutions!Tool.!
Set! strategy! and! oversee! program! execution! in! alliance! with! internal! stakeholders,! Joint! Commission! leadership! and! external!
partners.!
Develop!strategy!and!execute!product!launches,!ongoing!programs!and!promotional!communications!via!all!available!channels!to!
build!and!protect!brand!value,!and!to!support!domestic!and!international!customer!engagement.!
Oversee!internal!and!external!development!of!all!creative,!effective!marketing!communications!and!corporate!materials!across!all!
channels!including!online,!print,!digital,!social!media,!multi=media,!conferences!and!events.!
Provide!subject!matter!expertise!on!content!marketing,!digital!marketing,!web!strategy!and!marketing!communications.!
Develop!and!manage!marketing!budget.!
Measure!and!analyze!marketing!initiatives.!
Oversee!website!strategic!planning!and!management!including!design,!content!and!customer!experience.!
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Director of Marketing & Communications:!American!Society!for!Healthcare!Risk!Management!(ASHRM),!
Chicago.!Ill.!Dec!2010!±!Feb!2015.!An!American!Hospital!Association!group,!ASHRM!provides!professional!leadership!
through!education,!recognition,!advocacy,!publications,!networking!events!and!interactions!with!leading!healthcare!
organizations!and!government!agencies.!6,000+!members!represent!risk!management,!patient!safety,!insurance,!law,!
finance!and!more.!
Steered! planning,! development! and! management! of! ASHRM! marketing! strategies! and! campaigns,! annual! conference! and! event!
marketing!and!promotions,!communications!and!publications,!social!media,!website!management!and!membership!efforts.!
Consistently!increased!ASHRM!annual!conference!attendance!by! developing,!directing!and!managing!effective!marketing!strategies!and!
campaigns\!e[FHHGHG$6+50¶Vall=time!annual!conference!attendance!record!in!2013.!
LeG$6+50¶V(GLWRULDO5HYLHZ%RDUGLQWKHGHYHORSPHQWRI$6+50¶VTXDUWHUO\DFDGHPLFSHHU=reviewed!Journal!of!Healthcare!Risk!
Management!resulting!in!five!consecutive!APEX!Awards!for!Journalistic!Excellence!in!the!medical!content!category.!
Created!and!drove!LPSOHPHQWDWLRQRIWDUJHWHGPHGLDVWUDWHJLHVLQFOXGLQJWKHVRFLHW\¶VLQDXJXUDOVRFLDOPHGLDVWUDWHJ\DQGOaunch\!led!
ASHRM!Social!Media!Committee!and!additional!media!efforts.!
Spearheaded!ongoing!membership!campaigns!and!continued!to!grow!membership!through!targeted!retention!and!recruitment!
strategies\!efforts!generated!a!10%!increase!in!membership.!
Managed!advertising!sales!including!the!development!and!delivery!of!multi=media!packages!that!meW$6+50¶VVWUDWHJLFLQLWLDWLYHV
and!departmental!goals\!spawned!new!revenue!opportunities!across!multiple!media!platforms.!
Led!internal!and!external!marketing/communications!team,!as!well!as!external!committees!and!task!forces!of!approximately!75!
volunteers.!
Collaborated!with!ASHRM!and!AHA!leadership!to!develop!and!implement!cross=functional!programs!designed!to!support!organizational!
initiatives!and!achieve!association!goals\!LQVWUXPHQWDOLQWKHGHYHORSPHQWDQGLPSOHPHQWDWLRQRI$6+50¶VILUVW=ever!AHA!TEAMStepps!
educational!patient!safety!program!resulting!in!master!trainer!certification!of!ASHRM!members.!
Content Director:!Tribune!Interactive,!Chicago.!Ill.!June!2009!±!July!2010.!Tribune!Company!division!had!a!dynamic!
local!and!national!online!presence\!operating!leading!news!and!information!sites!in!20!markets!including!10!of!the!top!12.!
Developed,!launched!and!maintained!content!stream!for!HealthKey.com,!the!Tribune!CRPSDQ\¶VILUVWQDWLRQDOKHDOWK\=living!
vertical.!Directed!content!strategy!and!collaborated!with!Tribune!team!on!back=end!development,!site!design!and!navigation,!best!
business!practices,!and!marketing!and!sales!strategies.!Spearheaded!HealthKey.com!launch!campaign.!
Led!HealthKey.com!and!digital!products!strategy!including!development,!packaging!and!delivery!of!all!health!content!in!engaging!user=
friendly!formats!to!meet!Tribune!Company!strategic!initiatives!and!departmental!goals.!Generated!new!revenue!opportunities!across!
multiple!media!platforms.!Created!brand!awareness!and!promoted!related!opportunities!to!potential!advertisers.!
Directed!Heal t hK ey!online!and!digital!content!efforts!including!Special!Sections,!e=newsletters,!mobile!site!development!and!text=
messaging!program.!
Collaborated!with!WPIX/NY!producer!and!HealthKey!on=air!talent!(Dr.!Steve!Salvatore)!to!create!and!distribute!unique,!timely!
broadcast!morning!show!packages!for!Tribune!affiliates!such!as!WGN/Chicago!and!KTLA/LA!and!video!content!relevant!to!the!
HealthKey!vision!and!mission.!
Developed!strategic!broadcast!partnerships!with!talent!and!celebrity!guests!such!as!PBS!Nutritionist!Dr.!Gourmet!and!Deepak!Chopra.!
Developed!and!managed!external!online!content!sources,!partnerships!with!medical!professionals,!associations!and!PR!agencies.!
Implemented!and!streamlined!procedures!and!processes!to!increase!efficiency!and!accuracy.!
Marketing Director:!Reilly!Communications!Group,!Schaumburg,!Ill.!May!2006!±! May!2009.!A!leading!B2B!publisher!of!medical!
device!journals,!websites!and!ancillary!print/digital!supplements.!
Conceptualized!and!deployed!VWUDWHJLFPDUNHWLQJSURJUDPVDQGDGYHUWLVLQJFDPSDLJQVDFURVV5&*¶VSULQW/online/digital!properties.!
Supervised!and! managed! website!and! microsite! front=end! and! back=office! development! and! installation! including! navigation! criteria,!
page!design,!advertising!content!management!programs!and!tracking!systems.!
6XFFHVVIXOO\ODXQFKHGFRPSDQ\¶VIRXUFRUHwebsites!within!first!six!months!of!employment.!
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Marketing Director:!3K\VLFLDQ¶V&KRLFHRI$UL]RQD,!Scottsdale,!Ariz.!May!2003!±!April!2006.!A!global!
medical!skin!care!product!manufacturer!specializing!in!clinically!researched!skin!care!lines!marketed!directly!to!
medical!and!clinical!aesthetics!professionals.!
Created!in=KRXVH PDUNHWLQJ GHSDUWPHQWUHSRVLWLRQHG 3&$¶VFRUSRUDWH LGHQWLW\ overhauled! website,! packaging! logos,! marketing!and!
advertising!materials,!corporate!collateral,!trade!show!products!and!booths,!resulting!in!record=breaking!sales!increases.!
Brought!advertising!creative!in!house!resulting!in!annual!savings!of!$100K+.!
Developed!and!implemented!a!consistent,!effective!monthly!marketing!plan!and!campaign!that!drove!sales!increases!of!more!than!35%.!
Within!first!six!months,!implemented!and!completed!packaging!redesign!project!for!professional!and!consumer!skin!care!lines.!
Launched!the!newly=designed!consumer!line,!which!led!to!a!25%!increase!in!PCA!revenue.!
Custom Publications Manager / The Arizona Republic:!Phoenix!Newspapers!Inc.,!Phoenix,!Ariz.!
Oct!1997!±!Jan!2003.!PNI!was!$UL]RQD¶VSUHPLHUPXOWLPHGLDFRPSDQ\LQFOXGing!The$Arizona$Republic,!the!Arizona$
Business$Gazette,!various!websites!and!specialty!publications.!(Gannet!purchased!PNI!in!2000.)!
Directed!the!creation!of!multiple!revenue=generating!niche!publications!and!special!sections.!Improved!quality!and!increased!quantity!of!
PNI!specialty!publications.!Produced!weekly!and!monthly!editorial!and!advertorial!products!that!raised!the!bar!in!the!custom=publishing!
arena!and!ultimately!generated!nearly!$12=million!per!year!in!new!revenue.!
Implemented!and!streamlined!departmental!procedures!and!processes!resulting!in!increased!efficiency!and!accuracy.!
Managed!and!motivated!a!staff!of!editors!and!designers!in!addition!to!a!team!of!freelance!writers!and!photographers.!
Oversight!of!department!budget!and!expenses.!
Fostered!relationships!with!clients!and!readers!as!well!as!with!editorial,!online,!marketing!and!advertising!sales!departments.!
Special Sections Coordinator/Editor:!Arizona!Business!Gazette!(ABG), Aug.!1996!±!Oct.!1997!
Scheduled!and!managed!special!sections!for!the!ABG,!a!weekly!business!newspaper.!Wrote!and!edited!copy,!and!managed!
photography,!layout!and!design!for!all!sections.!
Collaborated!with!advertising!sales!team!to!develop!sales!leads!and!meet!deadlines.!
Creative Services Writer:!The!Arizona!Republic,!Aug1995!±!Aug.!1996!
Researched,!conceptualized,!wrote!and!edited!copy!for!all!advertising!materials!including!special!sections,!advertorial!products,!ad!
campaigns,!sales!pieces,!brochures,!newsletters!and!promotional!programs.!Garnered!numerous!department!awards.!
ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE:
Chief copywriter:!Dodier!Advertising!&!Marketing!
Tucson,!Ariz.!
Copywriter:!Spiegel!Publishing!
Downers!Grove,!Ill.!
EDUCATION:
BA Marketing Communications!/!Journalism!concentration!
Columbia!College!
Chicago,!Ill.!
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