Geoff Gray
Event Marketing Manager · Red Bull North America
Indianapolis, INIn My Own Words
I grew up in a gymnasium. I’d shoot hoops on the sidelines as my dad’s teams ran plays on the court. He coached basketball. From him I learned early on to love team sports. This love makes me a passionate developer of individuals and teams and informs all aspects of my work as a marketing manager.
A good team demands a good leader; a good leader nurtures the strengths of his team. At the helm of multimillion-dollar marketing initiatives for industry-leading companies, I mentor diverse teams in cross-functional environments, captaining all project phases from conception to completion. Under my guidance, we envision and execute concepts, campaigns, and programs that dominate key business sectors and reliably outperform competitors.
I am a team-builder who engineers insightful solutions. By identifying and exploiting the nexus between global strategic objectives and local engagement opportunities, I help my teams slash costs and capture new revenue streams. My leadership helps them recognize and utilize their best skills to experience not only company success but also personal success. My teams get into the playoffs.
My core background in financial management, P&L, budgeting, and reporting shepherds my marketing project management talents, thus enabling me to align resources with marketing objectives to maximize visibility and ensure bottom-line growth.
My expertise includes: Brand Management – Marketing Initiatives – Market Penetration – Partnership Negotiations – Client Retention - Business Development – Corporate Communication – Staff Management – Relationship Building – Negotiations - Revenue Generation – Market Analysis – Event Planning – Cost Reduction – Team Leadership – Strategic Planning
Work Experience
Event Marketing Manager
Red Bull North America2017 – Present
Regional Event role with Director-level responsibilities in developing and driving the execution of Red Bull’s international properties, key initiatives, and consumer facing events. Known as an inspiring team-builder who engineers insightful solutions, identifying and exploiting alignment between global strategic objectives and local engagement opportunities to slash costs and capture new revenue streams. Responsible for the East Business Unit covering 1/3 of the US and over 40 events yearly - delivers quality field marketing plans and execution of the Red Bull marketing mix in the region. -Through collaborating with a team of a Brand Marketing Manager, Sports Marketing Manager, Athlete Marketing Manager, and Communications Manager drives the delivery of an effective consumer marketing plan to build the Red Bull brand and continuing to differentiate the brand to gain new consumers. -Foster and maximize cross-functional collaboration between sales and marketing departments to spearhead diverse and effective marketing activations; accelerated critical sales initiatives by directly incorporating brand awareness marketing into each component of the sales process. -Consistently augment media-reach through social media networking sites, blogs, television, and magazines; history of content creation capturing millions of additional endemic and non-endemic brand impressions for nearly all events and campaigns. -Plan, steer, overlook, and evaluate the details and operations of International World Series, national, and regional consumer events including Air Race, Crashed Ice, 3x3 Basketball, Ironman, and AMA Motocross events.
Field Marketing Manager
Red Bull North America, Inc.2008 – 2017
Served as Field Marketing Manager with Director-level responsibilities in developing and driving the execution of Red Bull’s Properties, Large Scale Events, Marketing Campaigns, and Key Initiatives; created a strong point of difference and helped to drive brand image. Tasked to generate substantial media coverage, expertly targeting editorial coverage—as opposed to paid advertising—for all events. Managed 6 direct and 20 indirect reports, delivering expert marketing leadership and capitalizing on regional opportunities that align with overarching brand objectives: quarterbacked 4-tiered marketing platform consisting of Sports, Culture, Collegiate, and Sampling. Accelerate critical sales initiatives by directly incorporating brand awareness marketing into each component of the sales process. Leverage increased incremental display space to elevate sales volume, maintaining and coordinating an extensive network of trade partners.
General Manager
Indy Urban Hardwood Company, LLC2016 – 2017
Taking the opportunity to expand operational expertise within a B2B and B2C environmentally sustainable start up; took an active role in a growing urban lumber company, driving new procedures to increase efficiencies and top and bottom-line revenue, as well as balancing the vision for growth with daily operational challenges. Developed alignment of processes at micro levels with macro levels of trends, company objectives and brand vision. Transitional period in the company’s history, becoming a more mature business model. Developed new and revitalized current business operations planning process, synchronizing demand, supply and support functions, resulting in enhanced gross margins, reduced inventory, increasing ROI, and greatly improved customer satisfaction. Navigated high growth and tight timelines.
Marketing Associate Manager
Burton Snowboards2005 – 2008
Conducted all phases, from the initial planning through to onsite execution, of North American event properties, including marketing for athletic competitions (US Open Snowboarding Championships), athlete promotional tours (Rider World Tour), and consumer experience events (Burton Super Demo Tour - event logistics agency hired to transport actual inventory along 10-stop tour). Seized strategic regional sponsorship opportunities and developed event-specific profit centers with the finance department for all event portfolio properties. Secured $4.1M annual entertainment budget in collaboration with the partnership marketing department by generating and maintaining partner relationships, ensuring fulfillment of all contractual deal points and directing on-site entertainment, hospitality, event branding, and print collateral. Administered new profit/loss reporting procedures and categorized revenue and expenses in order to pair the sponsor contributions with appropriate costs of individu
Accountant
Burton Snowboards2003 – 2005
Prepared income statements across all Burton Corporation brands and served as the Accounts Payable lead throughout annual auditing. Reconciled monthly cash and balance sheets, sales and use taxes, and royalty payment calculations for contract team athletes, as well as oversaw management of asset portfolios (including creation of new assets and monthly depreciation). Key Achievements • Reconciled millions of dollars in monthly cash and balance sheets, sales and use taxes, as well as overseeing management of asset portfolios (including creation of new assets and monthly depreciation). • Directed continuous auditing function; developed process-orientation that created a new structure on calculating athletes’ royalty payments.
Accounts Payable Inventory Analyst
Burton Snowboards2001 – 2003
Orchestrated the corporate credit card program and maintained the full accounts payable process regarding inventory vendors. Assessed employee expense reports, initiated reimbursements, and appraised sales representative commission payments. Spearheaded integration of online reporting procedures for the regulation of corporate employee expense reimbursements by sourcing third party software vendors, which benefitted the organization as a whole. Key Achievements • Reduced paper reporting with online procedures, which enabled accounts payable to establish efficiencies for internal employees and pay approved expenses directly to the corporate account credit vendor (AMEX). • Improved cash borrowing procedures by providing the treasury department with greater monitoring capabilities for outgoing payments through the implementation of online reporting.
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