Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Timeline
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Maria MacNamara

Bay Village,OH

Summary

Storyteller. Brand Builder. Product Leader.


Storyteller at heart. Highly experienced and accomplished leader in brand-building, product development, marketing, and innovation. Skilled at cultivating strong internal relationships and external connections. Passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion. Editorial expert and lifelong advocate of the Oxford comma.

Overview

14
14
years of professional experience

Work History

Senior Editorial Manager, Innovation and Marketing

American Greetings
11.2022 - Current
  • Direct all editorial strategy and content for Route 99 (American Greetings’ in-house marketing agency) and creative innovation, including party gifts & goods, signage, Target Celebrations & Features, humor, and diversity & inclusion product.
  • Develop consumer testing for humor content and new product innovation concepts.
  • Co-lead all American Greetings and Papyrus marketing campaigns with Route 99 Creative Director and develop social and promotional content for retailers.
  • Partner with Sales, Product Management, and Design to create compelling product pitches for retailers, including all PDM “stories.”
  • Continue to grow and manage external community of consultants and freelance creatives for diversity & inclusion product.
  • Serve as member of the Greeting Card Association and the Louie Awards Planning Committee; represent American Greetings as Louie Awards judge.
  • Serve as mentor for Young Professionals’ Resource Network Mentorship Cohort.

Editorial Manager, Target and D&I

American Greetings
06.2020 - 11.2022
  • Managed editorial strategy and product development for all Target and D&I card product.
  • Established a community of external resources to inform, collaborate on, and review diversity & inclusion product.
  • Co-led the Relevance and Inclusivity Council.

Editorial Manager, Core

American Greetings
05.2019 - 06.2020
  • Managed editorial for assigned Core programs for Target and Walmart.
  • Led consumer research initiatives for the Editorial department, including Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and African American online product tests.
  • Co-led the African American Research and Development project, conducting online and on-site focus groups in Chicago and Atlanta.

Editorial Manager, Millennial Brands

Papyrus-Recycled Greetings
03.2017 - 05.2019
  • Developed editorial strategies and writing innovation for the Papyrus-Recycled Greetings Millennial brands, Paper Rebel and bird&Quill.
  • Managed external and internal writing community and sourced prospective talent.
  • Co-directed editorial with Marketing Manager for all brands under Papyrus-Recycled Greetings.
  • Directed all editorial output for paperrebel.com (September 2018 – April 2019).

Associate Product Manager, Everyday

Recycled Paper Greetings
11.2015 - 03.2017
  • Led the strategic and day-to-day business of all Everyday programs, including the management of product development analysts.
  • Collaborated with Merchant/Brand Management and Account teams to identify line needs and develop product strategies according to retailer need.
  • Developed creative briefs for all Everyday greeting card programs, in support of the Recycled Paper Greetings brand direction.
  • Managed and coached strategic artists to deliver creative to meet program targets.
  • Developed annual forecasts to estimate, assess, and explain the strategic artist's business.

Art Coordinator

Recycled Paper Greetings
12.2013 - 11.2015
  • Coached assigned artists on art and editorial direction.
  • Coordinated Art Department processes, workflow, and capacity planning.
  • Partnered with Product Management and Account Teams to identify program needs, creative direction, and artist selection.

Associate Editor

American Greetings
07.2010 - 08.2013
  • Edited, wrote, and proofread across a wide variety of tones and styles for card programs.
  • Served as member of the Copy Analysis Team, a team dedicated to testing new writing projects and analyzing consumer feedback.
  • Co-founded the American Greetings’ Young Professionals Resource Network and served as co-chair of its Professional Development committee.

Education

Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion Certification

Cornell University
Ithaca, NY
04.2022

Master of Arts - Comparative Literature

National University of Ireland, Maynooth
Ireland
09.2008

Master of Arts - History And Literature

National University of Ireland, Galway
Ireland
09.2004

Bachelor of Arts - English And Philosophy

John Carroll University
University Heights, OH
05.2003

Skills

  • Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills to effectively engage with retailers and internal teams
  • Strong analytical skills to identify growth opportunities through market trends and customer data analysis
  • Excellent ability to craft compelling strategic presentations and selling materials
  • Organized, proactive, and collaborative to support and track team performance
  • Strategic, ambitious, and aggressive with a demonstrated history of achieving significant business growth

Timeline

Senior Editorial Manager, Innovation and Marketing

American Greetings
11.2022 - Current

Editorial Manager, Target and D&I

American Greetings
06.2020 - 11.2022

Editorial Manager, Core

American Greetings
05.2019 - 06.2020

Editorial Manager, Millennial Brands

Papyrus-Recycled Greetings
03.2017 - 05.2019

Associate Product Manager, Everyday

Recycled Paper Greetings
11.2015 - 03.2017

Art Coordinator

Recycled Paper Greetings
12.2013 - 11.2015

Associate Editor

American Greetings
07.2010 - 08.2013

Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion Certification

Cornell University

Master of Arts - Comparative Literature

National University of Ireland, Maynooth

Master of Arts - History And Literature

National University of Ireland, Galway

Bachelor of Arts - English And Philosophy

John Carroll University

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Maria MacNamara