Kendall Elchison
New York,NY
Summary
Senior affiliate marketing and commerce leader with 10+ years of experience scaling revenue programs at large digital publishing platforms. At BuzzFeed, grew affiliate arbitrage revenue 138%, improved ROAS 53%, and helped steward a commerce business generating nine-figure annual GMV. Deep expertise in performance media and cross-channel conversion optimization.
Overview
11
11
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Director, Affiliate Marketing
BuzzFeed Inc.
New York, NY
01.2024 - Current
- Grew affiliate arbitrage revenue by 138%, scaling it into a core revenue stream through strategic traffic acquisition and disciplined margin management.
- Drove a 53% ROAS improvement over tenure by leading cross-channel optimization with editorial, distribution, and social teams.
- Owned revenue forecasting and in-quarter pacing for a nine-figure GMV commerce business, partnering with data analytics to guide paid acquisition optimization and editorial prioritization.
- Negotiated performance-based brand partnerships that unlocked new commission structures and incremental monetization opportunities.
- Led affiliate infrastructure improvements with product and engineering, enhancing tracking accuracy and link monetization workflows.
- Directed strategy for 10 Amazon Prime Day cycles and 6 Cyber Week programs.
Director, Affiliate Distribution
BuzzFeed Inc.
New York, New York
01.2021 - 12.2023
- Built scalable performance marketing strategies to expand affiliate distribution and revenue across BuzzFeed commerce.
- Managed marketing investment across paid channels, optimizing toward CPA efficiency and revenue growth.
- Developed affiliate platform partnerships to broaden reach and monetization.
- Collaborated with analytics, editorial, and product teams to align marketing execution with company growth goals.
Senior Manager, Affiliate Distribution & Growth
BuzzFeed Inc.
New York, New York
05.2019 - 12.2020
- Built and executed a content arbitrage strategy, acquiring traffic at efficient CPAs and monetizing through affiliate partnerships to generate profitable GMV growth.
- Optimized campaign performance through audience segmentation, creative testing, and bid strategy, improving conversion rates and ROAS.
- Managed budget allocation and performance forecasting to ensure efficiency and pacing against revenue targets.
- Partnered with editorial teams to identify high-converting shopping content aligned with distribution strategy.
Manager & Senior Associate, Paid Social
MindShare
New York, New York
07.2015 - 05.2019
- Managed paid social campaigns across Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Snapchat for Chanel and TJX Companies, overseeing strategy, execution, and performance optimization.
Integrated / Digital / Assistant Media Planner
Maxus Global
New York, New York
07.2015 - 10.2017
- Developed cross-channel media strategies across TV, digital, radio, and print for NBCUniversal and Church & Dwight; negotiated digital partnerships and managed campaign delivery against KPIs.
Skills
Affiliate Marketing Strategy
Performance Media & Paid Acquisition
Commerce & Content Monetization
Revenue Forecasting & Budget Management
Affiliate Networks (Amazon, CJ, ShareASale)
Conversion & ROAS Optimization
Cross-Functional Team Leadership
Timeline
Senior Director, Affiliate Marketing
BuzzFeed Inc.
01.2024 - Current
Director, Affiliate Distribution
BuzzFeed Inc.
01.2021 - 12.2023
Senior Manager, Affiliate Distribution & Growth
BuzzFeed Inc.
05.2019 - 12.2020
Manager & Senior Associate, Paid Social
MindShare
07.2015 - 05.2019
Integrated / Digital / Assistant Media Planner
Maxus Global
07.2015 - 10.2017