“SVP, Marketing”
(Cincinnati, OH)
Company Overview
With over 60 locations in 35 states across the U.S., providing local service in a showroom
environment, Champion is a leading window, sun room and home exterior company. The
company operates factories in Cincinnati, OH, and Denver, CO. Founded in 1953, Champion
products are “factory direct to you” so customers get premium quality at wholesale prices.
Champion designs it…builds it… installs it…and guarantees it. With this model, Champion
has complete control over every aspect of manufacturing, distribution, installation and
service, providing a single-source of accountability and peace of mind for its customers. The
company is committed to their values of integrity, passion and innovation. Headquartered in
Cincinnati, OH, Champion employs more than 1,300 across the U.S., and is owned by
private equity firm, Summit Partners. For more information on the company, visit their web
site at www.championwindow.com.
Summit Partners
In 1984, Summit Partners started with a vision of helping companies realize their full
growth potential. Today, Summit is a leader in growth equity and credit investing for rapidly
growing companies. Their investment team is one of the largest and most experienced in
the business. Summit employs more than 85 investment professionals across four offices in
Boston, Menlo Park, London and Mumbai, and in total, they employ more than 160 people.
Since 1984, Summit Partners has raised nearly $15 billion in capital, and has invested in
more than 380 businesses across North America, Europe and Asia. These companies have
completed more than 130 public offerings and in excess of 135 strategic sales or mergers.
Whether they take a minority or majority ownership position, Summit’s approach is the
same—They view themselves as a growth investor that provides strategic and operational
guidance to help proven, existing management teams reach their companies’ full potential.
Summit’s senior investment professionals serve on the Boards of Directors and assist the
management teams of our portfolio companies, providing them with a range of services.
Position Overview
This new “SVP, Marketing" for Champion will serve as a key member of the
corporate senior leadership team, and will be expected to be the company’s
critical growth-driver, by deploying an aggressive lead-generation and customer
acquisition plan, leveraging multiple Traditional, Digital, and Direct Response
efforts across the entire Marketing mix. This Marketing executive will be responsible for
the development - and subsequent execution—of a quantitatively-oriented, fact-based and
insight-driven Direct Marketing strategy with a keen eye on accelerating profitable growth
while enhancing the Brand's awareness, equity and preference. The "SVP, Marketing" will
have to be comfortable in an ambiguous, resource lean and rapidly-changing environment.
© 2013 Wiser Partners, LLC
Champion ~ “SVP, Marketing”
Page 2 of 6
Position Overview continued
To be successful in this role, the “SVP, Marketing” must be able to: (1) create an intelligent
and integrated Direct Marketing plan that delivers qualified leads and a strong call-to-action,
while creating a differentiated and preferred brand, and a superior customer experience;
(2) institute a metrics-driven "dashboard" and process that institutionalizes Marketing
efforts with a laser-like focus on CPA and ROI; (3) deploy resources against the right value
propositions, tactics and segments; (4) assemble and effectively lead an industry-leading
Marketing team; and 5) execute flawlessly with a sense of urgency, and a contagious
passion for winning, in a highly competitive market.
Scope of Responsibilities
 Demand Creation and Lead Generation – Primary responsibility for working across the
Champion team—particularly close with the SVP, Sales Operations—to coordinate and
establish annual Marketing plans, across the complete Marketing mix, and ensuring plans
generate high-potential leads (“making the phones ring”), link to the budget and the
forecast commitments, and can be executed within Selling and Operational constraints.
Tactics will likely include DRTV, Digital (E-Mail, SEO/SEM, Display, Retargeting, Social
Media, Mobile), Print, Direct Mail, Selling Collateral, On-Site (Showrooms), Call Center,
Print and Signage.
 Media Strategy & Delivery – Develop, and subsequently lead the execution of Champion’s
Media Strategy, working in conjunction with key internal stakeholders as well as external
agency resources. The Media strategy should both support and be aligned with the brand’s
overall strategic growth, targeting and promotional agendas. These Media plans and briefs
should include crystal clear objectives, systems for measuring and assessing performance and
ROI, and agreed-to points where prompt course corrections can be activated, as needed.
Ensure annual Media Planning/Buying is linked with critical Marketing objectives, including the
critical need to drive leads to the call-centers, and foot traffic to showroom locations.
 Segmentation and Targeting – The new “SVP, Marketing” will be responsible for
working closely with the VP, Sales in identifying the highest potential customers who offer
the greatest Lifetime Customer Value (LTV) and geographic locations to appropriately
allocate Marketing (and Selling) resources to capitalize on these segments in a manner
that meets Champion’s financial hurdles. This targeting process may require segmentation
research to help drive the design and utilization of a proprietary prospect database, which
will be optimized for each critical customer segment, product, and channel.
 Brand Stewardship – Collaborate with the CEO, external agency partners, the leadership
within Champion, and others, to continually develop, differentiate, reinforce and spread
the “Champion” brand equity across all critical and relevant customer touch-points. Serve
as the company’s brand steward, ensuring consistency and commitment to the brand.
 Product Development/Management – The new “SVP, Marketing” will lead Product
Development and Product Management for Champion. This will include directing Research
and Insights work that drives Product enhancements and upgrades, as well as Research
that leads to New Product development. This responsibility will extend across both
Developed Products (products which Champion designs and manufactures) and Purchased
Products (products which Champion buys, and then resells to its customers).
© 2013 Wiser Partners, LLC
Champion ~ “SVP, Marketing”
Page 3 of 6
Scope of Responsibilities continued
 New Showroom Openings & Grass-Roots Efforts – Establish and communicate clear
and concise strategic priorities to merchandising and retail colleagues in advance of
localized efforts and grand openings, and maintain strategic priorities to ensure that the
promotions, offers and opening events are relevant to target segments, consistent with
broader short-term and long-term Champion brand and financial objectives, while
concurrently delivering positive in-showroom customer experiences.
 Superior Customer Experience – Collaborate with Sales and other colleagues to ensure
delivery of a compelling and consistent showroom design and layout that reflects and
communicates the essence of the Champion brand, and offers an unparalleled customer
experience that differentiates the brand from other choices in the market, and drives
preference, superior customer satisfaction and referrals. This is experience is particularly
critical in the home, where Champion Sales staff work with prospects to close deals.
 CRM – Primary responsibility for continuing to design and build - in collaboration with
Sales and IT - a comprehensive, scalable Champion customer database that the company
can leverage through both online and offline Marketing as a key strategy for enhancing
customer relationships, customer loyalty, cross-sell opportunities (LTV), and for driving
customer referrals (and NPS).
 Insights and Innovation Leadership – Strive to continually uncover and identify new
marketplace and consumer trends, in addition to a keen understanding of the competitive
set, thereby enabling Champion to set the pace for “what must come next” from an
industry standpoint. This understanding should be leveraged to define Marketing and
communication opportunities worth exploring further via strategy/business case
development and measurable, projectable in-market testing.
 Functional Leadership and Development – Build and shape a highly-effective, worldclass Marketing team by hiring, training, motivating and setting leadership direction for all
direct reports. Define and nurture a collaborative and customer-centric Marketing
culture—cross-functionally—within the broader Champion organization.
Performance & Success Measures
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Increase total Revenue and EBITDA
Increase same-store Revenue
Increased quantity and quality of customer leads (RPA - $ Return-Per-Appointment)
Cost/Appointment; Cost/Sale
Continually improve NPS
Improving critical Brand Health measurements (Awareness, Consideration, Preference)
Measureable enhancement of customer Shopping Experience (Showroom, Living Room)
Increase Marketing ROI (by-program/channel)
Maintaining competitive ratio of Advertising $/Revenue
360-degree feedback from internal teammates
© 2013 Wiser Partners, LLC
Champion ~ “SVP, Marketing”
Page 4 of 6
Reporting Relationship(s)
The new “SVP, Marketing” will report to Mr. James Mishler, CEO for Champion
(since 2012). With more than 25 years of experience in the Building Products
Manufacturing and Distribution industries, Jim has held leadership positions with companies
including Lennox Industries, Pella Windows and Doors and Whirlpool Corp. Most recently, he
was President of Goodman Sales & Distribution at Goodman Global Inc., a manufacturer and
marketer of Heating, Ventilations and Air Conditioning products for both residential and
commercial markets.
Key Internal Operating Relationships
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CEO
CFO
SVP, Sales Operations
VP, IT
VP, Manufacturing
VP, HR
Staff and Resources
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Product Management
Creative Services
Support Services/Analytics
Customer Care
Compensation & Benefits
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Competitive base salary
Annual cash performance incentive/bonus
Equity participation
401K (with match)
Life and DB Insurance (available)
Paid time off/Vacation
Comprehensive Health Care benefits
Relocation assistance to the greater Cincinnati, OH area
Location & Travel
Champion is headquartered in Cincinnati, OH. It is fair to expect routine domestic business
travel related to the role (e.g., Supplier and Trade meetings, vendor meetings, regular Field
work), throughout the U.S. No International travel is expected at this point.
© 2013 Wiser Partners, LLC
Champion ~ “SVP, Marketing”
Page 5 of 6
Candidate Profile
Experience Base
 Digital Marketing – Candidates should have recent experience developing or overseeing
Interactive Marketing plans with an understanding of the current online customer
acquisition channels and agencies/suppliers. Should be familiar with a variety of tools,
including E-Mail, Display Adv., Retargeting, Affiliate, SEO/SEM, Social Media, Mobile.
 Direct Marketing/Response – DM/DR experience, with accountability for driving leads,
and qualified traffic across multiple channels, with a Marketing mix that includes a variety
of communication vehicles. Marketing mix modeling experience with a focus on MROI.
 Retail Experience – Beyond the traditional “line” Marketing role, ideal would be
experience in a customer-focused, promotionally-driven Retail Marketing environment
(QSR, Casual Dining, Home Furnishings, Wireless, Weight Management, Fitness), which
could also include a Field-Based Marketing assignment (local activation).
 CPG/Brand Management – Ideal, but not required, traditional CPG Marketing
foundation (at least Brand Manager level), from a world-class CPG company.
Demonstrated experience with Positioning, Segmentation, Product and Portfolio
Management,
Marketplace
Activation
(both
Traditional
and
New
Media),
Insights/Research, Communication Strategy, Media Planning/Buying and Innovation/NPD.
 Organizational Development – Experience recruiting, hiring, managing, developing,
motivating and promoting direct reports, and installing/nurturing a Marketing-centric
culture. This ability extends to external relationships, too, with key Agency partners.
Proven success delivering results with limited resourcespeople, money and time.
Skill Set
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World-class Brand and Direct Marketing skills (technically proficient)
Innovative and creative thinking balanced with pragmatism (fresh, imaginative thinking)
Organizational leadership and team development (leads through influence)
Intellectual horsepower (highly analytical & strategic)
Drives for results in prioritized manner (balanced sense of urgency)
Listening skills, minimal ego (listen first, then respond)
Complex problem-solving, especially hands-on ability (create options, then converge)
Organized and attention-to-detail approach (strong tactical execution)
Highly resourceful (stretches people and money; compresses time)
Collaborative (works with peers across many functionalities within the company)
© 2013 Wiser Partners, LLC
Champion ~ “SVP, Marketing”
Page 6 of 6
Personality Profile
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Self-directed/motivated self-starter
Flexible and adaptable
Results orientation
Sense of urgency
Enthusiastic
Strong work ethic
High integrity and trustworthy
Intellectually curious
Ego in-check
Search Contact
David Wiser
Principal Partner – Cincinnati, OH Office
david@wiserpartners.com
513.919.4000 (M)
File: Position Specification/Champion/Champion SVP Mktg Spec (11 12 13-F-DW)
© 2013 Wiser Partners, LLC