Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Websites
Twitter
Hobbies and Interests
References
Timeline
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BETHANY WOOD

Killingworth,CT

Summary

With over 25 years as a Brand and Marketing leader, across three verticals; consumer packaged goods, healthcare and financial services, the foundation of my experience is traditional brand management, launching several national brands and developing a deep respect for “Brand” as a critical strategic asset. Unexpectedly, life handed me an opportunity to strengthen my leadership skills and experiment as an entrepreneur before the third chapter of my career led me to financial services. This provided an opportunity to redefine Marketing in a modern, digital-first economy driving customer engagement and acquisition. My transformational leadership style helps teams manage change, focus on high value work and delivering key performance metrics. Through a clear purpose, commitment to skill development and leaning into autonomy, I nurture high performing teams and tribes.

Overview

39
39
years of professional experience

Work History

Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Offic

Principal Financial Group
07.2019 - Current
  • Transforming established global financial services firm from a B2C marketing model to B2B2C. Transformation included revamp of enterprise and brand strategy, marketing and customer experience capabilities.
  • Working across three global regions (APAC, Latam and US/UK) to establish global marketing governance, define new and scalable strategies and build a high performing talent pool.
  • Established new functions and capabilities to drive funnel metrics, client acquisition opportunity and targeted KPIs (NPS, CSAT, EODB)

Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer, Individual Lines

Guardian Life Insurance
01.2016 - 07.2019
  • Led development of new Guardian logo and brand strategy. Launched with over 5,000 employees, cross functional teams and 3,500 agents. Championed first national ad campaign designed to drive 90%+ awareness and 60%+ consideration among target.
  • Enabled consistent delivery of operating earnings through introduction of targeted performance marketing and account based marketing teams. Focus on generating over 10,000 leads for general agency channel.
  • Built agency sales enablement program through comprehensive training, social selling and independent agency brand development.

Second Vice President, Life and Agency Marketing, Agent Training

Guardian Life Insurance
01.2010 - 01.2015
  • Pioneered firm shift from product centric organization to customer centric. Led high value segmentation, drivers and attribute analysis.
  • Established the firm's first Customer Experience (CX) capability. Establishing first generation customer understanding, journey atlas and priority journeys.

Assistant Vice President, Marketing

MassMutual
01.2007 - 01.2010

President/Chief Marketing Officer

Nancy’s Coffee
01.1993 - 01.2007
  • Unexpectedly, I was faced with an opportunity to transition from a corporate culture to an entrepreneurial environment, leading growth in an underperforming regional chain of specialty coffeehouses.
  • Built the firm to operate 60 profitable brick and mortar stores, an e-commerce site and catering business. By 2007, overall revenue had grown from less than $3million to over $25million, with a team of 550 employees.

Group Product Director

Johnson & Johnson
01.1991 - 01.1993

Group Marketing Director

Frito Lay, Division of PepsiCo, Inc.
01.1985 - 01.1991

Education

Cornell University

University of California, Berkeley

BS Marketing and Communications -

Babson College

Skills

  • Transformational Leadership
  • Brand Strategy and Activation
  • Digital and Traditional Media
  • Public Relations and Executive Communications
  • Customer Centricity, CX, UX
  • Marketing Operations & Technology
  • Performance and Account Based Marketing
  • Content Development and Storytelling

Twitter

@bethwood17

Hobbies and Interests

I spend my free time helping women-owned startups develop their business and marketing plans. When time allows, I work with my husband on “growing the game” efforts for girl’s ice hockey in New England. I am a strong advocate for equality in youth sports and I relax by dabbling in gourmet cooking.

References

Character and employment references provided upon request

Timeline

Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Offic

Principal Financial Group
07.2019 - Current

Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer, Individual Lines

Guardian Life Insurance
01.2016 - 07.2019

Second Vice President, Life and Agency Marketing, Agent Training

Guardian Life Insurance
01.2010 - 01.2015

Assistant Vice President, Marketing

MassMutual
01.2007 - 01.2010

President/Chief Marketing Officer

Nancy’s Coffee
01.1993 - 01.2007

Group Product Director

Johnson & Johnson
01.1991 - 01.1993

Group Marketing Director

Frito Lay, Division of PepsiCo, Inc.
01.1985 - 01.1991

Cornell University

University of California, Berkeley

BS Marketing and Communications -

Babson College
BETHANY WOOD