Director, Business Development at Designkitchen
Greater Chicago Area
- Current
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- Director, Interactive Business Development at Wunderman
- Director, Business Development at Designkitchen
- Past
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- Group Account Director, Business Development at Black Dog Interactive
- Project Management at Giant Step
- Account Coordinator at Black Dog Design Company
- Connections
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273
connections
- Industry
- Marketing and Advertising
- Websites
Laura Maness’s Summary
Passionate, optimistic and focused leader with insatiable appetite for winning. Proven talent for new business development, strategic brand building and organic agency growth.
Laura Maness’s Experience
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Director, Interactive Business Development
Wunderman
(Public Company; WPPGY; Marketing and Advertising industry)
July 2008 — Present (1 year 5 months)
Designkitchen and Wunderman Chicago offer a differentiated solution that integrates DK’s interactive expertise with Wunderman’s promotional, direct and CRM capabilities. The combination of digital, direct and CRM shows signs of being particularly potent as clients increase their investments in digital while continuing to need the superior targeting and ongoing relationship management that Wunderman offers. DK and Wunderman work as seamless integrated teams with clearly defined functional leads for account, creative and technology. Team structures are optimized depending upon the nature of the engagement and the client’s unique requirements. Our shared goals are to deliver measurable value through world-class work.
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Director, Business Development
Designkitchen
(Privately Held; Marketing and Advertising industry)
June 2006 — Present (3 years 6 months)
As Designkitchen’s Director of Business Development, Laura leads the agency’s efforts to identify and secure strategic partnerships that strengthen its expanding footprint in the B2C and B2B interactive marketplace. Laura brings over a decade of strategic marketing and business development expertise to Designkitchen, as well as a driving passion for building relationships and establishing interdisciplinary teams that are matched to each client’s unique needs.
Since joining the firm in 2006, Laura has been instrumental in establishing a proactive business development methodology to help grow Designkitchen’s portfolio and add blue-chip accounts such as Abbott, ABN AMRO, Aquila, Coventry Health Care, Exelon Corporation, Marriott Vacation Club, NAVTEQ, Sears, Sloan and Wheels to Designkitchen’s client roster.
Prior to joining Designkitchen, Laura led the business development strategy and execution efforts for Black Dog Interactive which resulted in the wins of Ace Hardware, Bally Total Fitness, Citi, CORT Furniture, LPGA, McDonald’s and Weyerhaeuser. She began her career in account management for Giant Step (Leo Burnett’s interactive arm at the time), servicing one of the agency’s largest accounts, Oldsmobile.
Laura earned her BA in Communication and Marketing from Loyola University Chicago. -
Group Account Director, Business Development
Black Dog Interactive
(Internet industry)
February 2000 — May 2006 (6 years 4 months)
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Project Management
Giant Step
(Privately Held; 51-200 employees; Internet industry)
June 1999 — February 2000 (9 months)
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Account Coordinator
Black Dog Design Company
(Privately Held; 11-50 employees; Marketing and Advertising industry)
May 1998 — June 1999 (1 year 2 months)
