Wendy Freedman
Summary
Accomplished marketing professional with demonstrated success developing and implementing strategic approaches to drive market growth and bottom-line profitability. Strong communicator with natural leadership talent and high energy. Impactful and successful manager talented in building teams and motivating personnel to new levels of performance.
Overview
24
24
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Director of Brand - Stripes
AMYRIS
Emeryville, California
11.2022 - Current
- Lead the strategic launch of new products, management of the existing product portfolio, as well as core messaging, positioning and brand marketing for Stripes (expected $1.5M Net Sales) a line focused on women in peri/menopause
- Launched twelve new products across hair, skin, supplements and body within the year (average margin of 72 and customer rating of 4.5 stars) working with product development and regulatory for desired efficacy claims, including FDA approval
- Lead strategy presentations to senior management, including proof of concepts and charters to show justification for investment on new initiatives and assortment optimizations
- Launched brand on Sephora.com and Amazon.com with AOV +31% MOM responsible for creative, branding, pricing and promotional strategies
- Key member of initial financial planning and volume forecasting team responsible for pricing; analyzing sales and margins to ensure profit, as well as revenue
- Lead cross-functional teams (Product Development, Operations, Sales, Packaging and Creative) to identify product and packaging benchmarks, desired product features, brand communication, and annual marketing plans.
Senior Director of North America Sports & Entertainment
TOPPS INC.
New York, New York
01.2018 - 10.2022
- Oversaw development and implementation of annual marketing plans across all S&E properties ($800MM Net Sales)
- Lead brand communications to develop investment strategies to maximize ROI with holistic NASE viewpoint
- Grew business +8% vs ’19 +11% vs ’20 and +54% vs ’21 in Net Sales by focusing on acquiring new users through e-comm, digital and social activations, as well as creating customer facing events that grew core baseball products
- Championed and supported strategies to develop and embed innovative thinking within the sales and marketing organizations to create strong internal partnerships and reduce non-value-added work
- Lead multiple direct reports providing strategic leadership across multiple disciplines including budgeting, public relations, agency guidance, social/digital owned media and the sales/trade organizations
- Interacted directly with executive leadership team on partner alliance programs such as MLB, Budweiser, Franklin and Stance.
Senior Brand Manger Lipton Tea
UNILEVER
Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey
11.2012 - 12.2017
- Managed Lipton Black Tea and Convenience Tea portfolio ($275K Sales) responsible for setting strategy, developing product roadmap, creation of assets, as well as joint partnerships
- Recipient of “Makers 2017” Award: Only 3 women in US selected which acknowledged game-changing female employees
- Responsible for turn-around plan on Lipton Mainstream Tea taking it from -6% USG to Flat USG by creating new roadmap focusing on core items, re-examined assortment by retailer by region and attracted Millennial and Hispanic consumers
- Developed strategy for packaging transformation that included incremental variants, aligning global partners on uniform packaging and created benefit platforms with +40% trade-up story increasing company and customer margins
- Lead creation of TVC, digital and e-commerce assets from concept through production to implementation.
Senior Brand Manager Core Frozen Novelties
UNILEVER
Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey
09.2013 - 09.2016
- Promoted within role and managed portfolio of brand P&L’s ($900K Sales), responsible for general management of brands including leading creation of the annual marketing and innovation launch plans and liaised directly with retail and sales teams
- Spearheaded Popsicle’s turn-around by focusing on core assortment, margin enhancing special packs and lead marketing plans including developing shopper marketing programs, detailed channel assortment recommendations, oversaw key partnerships with co-licensed partners resulting in positive +1.7% USG growth, share growth +6bps and margin improvement for 1st time in 3+ years
- Lead Klondike, the #1 household penetration frozen novelties brand, to positive share growth +7bps by focusing on core products, managed A&P spend across TV/Digital/Social/Print channels and collaborated with sales team on pricing and promotion strategies
- Re-launched iconic Good Humor brand transformation (proposition, packaging, pricing, product mix) by implementing a new grocery/mass pack (creation to implementation within 5 months) and worked on long term strategies that resulted in positive USG +7.4% and share +13 bps total ice cream growth
- Oversaw S&OP forecasting, budgeting, sales tracking, competitive war-gaming and share forecasting across the portfolio.
Brand Manager Breyers and Popsicle Ice Cream
UNILEVER
Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey
11.2012 - 09.2013
- Managed over $1B US Ice Cream business across both packaged ice cream and frozen novelties categories, responsible for S&OP process, relationship management with Shopper Marketing and customer marketing teams, managed direct reports
- Pioneered new GTM strategy for Breyers that re-shaped the business into tailored regional plans for pricing assortment, competitive intensity and advertising citadels by local market/regions resulting in successful gains in market share.
Global Brand Manager Personal Care
AVON PRODUCTS INC.
New York, New York
04.2011 - 08.2012
- Lead Avon Naturals a $240MM business specializing in body lotions, shower gels and body sprays among other personal care items, as well as Simply Delicate, a $60MM global business that specializes in feminine hygiene needs
- Oversaw implementation of Naturals Kids, launched globally in 2012 and expected to drive incremental $25MM sales.
Global Brand Manager Color Cosmetics
AVON PRODUCTS INC.
New York, New York
01.2008 - 04.2011
- Promoted to lead multi-segment/brands - Over tenure in position, managed all segments of Avon Color flagship brand including Lip US $370MM, Nail US $175MM, Face US $275MM and Eye US $485MM, as well as lead Color Trend brand ($350MM) while managing two direct reports
- Grew all segments that led; in 2010 increased Lip by +8%, outpacing the market for the first time, increased Nail by +12%, in 2009 achieved growth of +12% for Eye and +15% for Face, outpacing market in both categories.
Global Associate Brand Manager Fragrance
AVON PRODUCTS INC.
New York, New York
01.2007 - 01.2008
- Oversaw execution and implementation of all value fragrances by analyzing competitive trends and developing strategies to pre-empt the competition and gain share, managed cross-functional teams to ensure timely development of new products
- Responsible for new product launches including concept ideation, setting pricing strategy, working with supply chain and R&D on development of product to creative execution which resulted in +15% increase over plan.
Associate Brand Manager Equal Sweetener
MERISANT
Chicago, Illinois
09.2005 - 01.2007
- Led US $15MM, five-member cross-functional team to develop creative materials, execute consumer promotion programs, coordinated with agencies and ensured timely deliverables of packaging changes and new product development launches
- Pioneered the creation of in-store Catalina coupon tracking system to monitor performance of consumer promotion programs, which achieved volume gains of +53% and +3.6-point share gain among targeted households.
Account Manager National Eating Trends
THE NPD GROUP, INC.
Chicago, Illinois
10.1999 - 09.2005
- Promoted to lead multiple client accounts and managed four direct reports
- Responsibilities included: maintaining client databases, preparing and presenting data analysis, conducting qualitative and quantitative market research, identifying white space opportunities and strategic alliance partners, consulting, problem solving and assisting with product positioning
- Achieved 200% increase over revenue goals and increased two strategic accounts over 100% with ad-hoc analytics.
Education
Master of Business Administration in Marketing -
DePaul University’s Kellstadt Graduate School of Business
06.2005
Bachelor of Arts in Journalism -
University of Wisconsin
05.1998
Skills
- Brand Building
- Product Development
- Performance Marketing
- Creative Development
- Sales/Trade Management
- Forecasting/S&OP Process
- Pricing & Promotion
- People Management
- Event Planning/Public Relations
- P&L Management/Budgeting
- Strategic Alliance & Partnership Development
- Market Research
Proficient In
MS applications and fluent in consumer research tools: IRI/Nielsen, NPD, US Census, MRI, Euro Monitor
Hobbies and Interests
traveling; sports; half and full marathon runner; skier; hiker; book reader; cooking and golf
Timeline
Senior Director of Brand - Stripes
AMYRIS
11.2022 - Current
Senior Director of North America Sports & Entertainment
TOPPS INC.
01.2018 - 10.2022
Senior Brand Manager Core Frozen Novelties
UNILEVER
09.2013 - 09.2016
Senior Brand Manger Lipton Tea
UNILEVER
11.2012 - 12.2017
Brand Manager Breyers and Popsicle Ice Cream
UNILEVER
11.2012 - 09.2013
Global Brand Manager Personal Care
AVON PRODUCTS INC.
04.2011 - 08.2012
Global Brand Manager Color Cosmetics
AVON PRODUCTS INC.
01.2008 - 04.2011
Global Associate Brand Manager Fragrance
AVON PRODUCTS INC.
01.2007 - 01.2008
Associate Brand Manager Equal Sweetener
MERISANT
09.2005 - 01.2007
Account Manager National Eating Trends
THE NPD GROUP, INC.
10.1999 - 09.2005
Master of Business Administration in Marketing -
DePaul University’s Kellstadt Graduate School of Business
Bachelor of Arts in Journalism -
University of Wisconsin
Similar Profiles
Nydia PriceNydia Price
Sr. Quality Associate at AmyrisSr. Quality Associate at Amyris
SHIRLEY LEESHIRLEY LEE
Senior Project Manager at AmyrisSenior Project Manager at Amyris
BRENT D. ILGENBRENT D. ILGEN
Sr. Director of Global Distribution & Omni Channel Logistics at AmyrisSr. Director of Global Distribution & Omni Channel Logistics at Amyris