Cristen Fletcher Ratay

Program Leader

• Spearheaded all Direct Marketing Acquisition Phases, ensuring timely launch of market assets, effective risk mitigation, and resource management.

Go-to-Market Leadership

• Directed production and timelines with the Omni Channel Team to enhance member experience, boost education, and generate leads.

Risk Management

• Averted program risks through development of dashboards, priority communication, and coordination with key stakeholders.

Process Improvement

• Led Direct Marketing Program efforts by implementing new processes and integrating two quality control resources.

SWAT Team Management

• Addressed Campaign reporting risks by forming and leading a SWAT team to streamline processes and ensure progress.

Campaign Leadership

• Headed campaigns for Special Election Period, Evergreen - New to Medicare (Retire-In, Age-In, Move to Medicare), and Network Disruption.

Support to Strategic Marketing

• Facilitated team restructuring and resource development for the Strategic Marketing Intelligence Team. Managed the Acquisition Backlog and coordinated with vendors and Salesforce for improved insights and reporting.

Digital Leadership Success

• Attained 100% lead plan in a digital direct marketing, gaining additional investments due to a strong return on investment.

Team Development

• Managed Quality Control resources and oversaw Direct Marketing Project Managers, enhancing quality assurance and project management. Successfully onboarded and fostered team growth during multiple direct marketing acquisition phases.

Administration

• Develop and execute the firm’s overall annual business development strategy and budget, including marketing initiatives.
• Work closely with Line of Business Leaders to execute the firm’s strategic initiatives in collaboration with all practice areas.

Business Development

• Work with attorneys to identify strategies and opportunities for new and existing client relationships and cross-sell/up-sell opportunities.
• Support established relationships with business partners, including financial and accounting firms, among others.
• Provide one-on-one and group coaching to attorneys in support of overall business development strategy, specific plans, and other initiatives.
• Work closely with individual attorneys to leverage and support business development, community and philanthropic activities.
• Serve as an integral role in new business pitches, helping to develop effective proposals and pitch presentations in collaboration with attorneys.
• Manage the firm’s pipeline to track activity as well as the results and outcomes of proposals, pitches, and RFPs. Responsibilities include CRM management.
• Monitor client and industry news, to identify business development opportunities and enhance client service.
• Conduct research projects and prepare reports in support of business development initiatives, current client and potential client research analyses, competitive industry, and business intelligence.

Marketing & Communications

• Generated over $2 million in cost savings by implementing aggressive PR strategies, yielding over 152.5 million PR impressions since 2017.
• Redesigned and implemented a Firm rebrand throughout 40 Practice Areas and four geographic locations, including international.
• Plan webinars, seminars, conferences, and other firm-sponsored events, including Continuing Legal Education (CLE) courses.
• Implemented a Publications Strategy to cross-market the firm and provide information to clients, legal community, legal consumers, media, and general public.
• Strategize and supervise omnichannel marketing including advertising (print, online, radio, NPR), social media (LinkedIn; Facebook; Twitter; YouTube), website, and blog.
• Host and Producer of Firm webinars via Microsoft Teams Software.

• Led advertising and media buying agencies, freelancers, and staff, to achieve annual, established business goals.
• Developed broad media relationships across various corporate markets (VA, NC, SC and OH) to increase brand awareness, memberships, auto loans, deposits, and more.
• Created effective advertising by implementing multiple television campaigns and billboard placements to communicate high-level, credit union member benefits.
• Targeted advertising to maximize benefits including quarterly broadcast campaigns in the Triad and Charlotte market (informed by financial institute research) and targeted direct mail campaigns, in collaboration with strategic partners, Travelers Insurance and Hartford (Accidental Death & Dismemberment).
• Managed budgets for special events, including annual meetings, grand openings, and sponsorships to elevate the brand profile across various markets.
• Developed and executed strategic content and growth for all social media channels, including Truliant Blog, Twitter and Facebook accounts, as well as Google Places, Yelp, LinkedIn, and Foursquare to maximize Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
• Increased Facebook followers by 550% and more than 375% increase on Twitter.
• Established effective online campaigns, leveraging a broad range of online tools, including Google Ad Words and display advertising within Yahoo and various media outlets in the Triad and Charlotte markets.
• Developed and implemented an effective communications strategy, highlighting 10 content experts at Truliant.
• Accomplished aggressive media outreach to generate over 35 million impressions (January 2011 - December 2013) and deliver $370,000 in value at no-cost.
• Developed and executed crisis management plans for internal and external use.
• Created monthly external member communications to be used across a wide range of communications: paper statements; eStatements; eNewsletters; online banner ads; envelope design/messaging and center merchandising, including Captive Indoor Media plasma content.
• Redesigned brochures, annual reports, membership kit, and business partner sales kits to increase product knowledge and memberships.
• Managed marketing communications and merchandising for up to 27 Member Financial Centers; collaborating with marketing liaisons (at each center) to prioritize marketing efforts and effectively disseminate member information, program education, and collateral.

• Implemented a Customer Relationship Management software program (Salesforce.com) to streamline and more effectively manage the sales team and related product sales.
• Managed ad development and media placements for more than 20 consumer and trade publications in North America and Canada.
• Managed internal staff and external agency contacts (Charlotte, NC) to achieve strategic plan goals.
• Created press releases and existing and new product brochures, generating incremental new business leads for more than 12 sales representatives (across three diverse industries).
• Organized, designed, and managed two websites.
• Coordinated annual trade show logistics, related marketing/advertising, and on-site trade show activation and booths (in North America & Canada).