Sponsor Profile: American Express

The second piece in our series of sponsor profiles comes from American Express. The article below was written by Holly Guzman ('12)

American Express is a global services company, providing access to products, insights and experiences that enrich lives and build business success. This blog entry will provide you with a rich understanding of the company and how to best prepare for the recruiting process if you are interested in a marketing role at American Express. In order to gather this information, I have interviewed Booth alumna, Lindsay Loyd, who is currently serving as Director of Acquisition Strategy & Planning for Consumer Cards at American Express.

Lindsay Loyd joined American Express in 2007 after graduating from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. She worked as a Manager, then a Senior Manager, on partnership marketing for the Global Commercial Card business. In August 2010, she was promoted to Director of Acquisition Strategy & Planning for the Consumer Card business. Prior to business school, she worked at Capital One as a data and financial analyst. Originally from the Pacific Northwest and a proud Washington State University alumna, she now lives in Hoboken NJ with her husband, Adam Berkowitz (also a Booth 2007 grad), and their 11 month old daughter, Marissa.

Holly Guzman: Why did you choose to work for American Express?

Lindsay Loyd:

- Great Brand. American Express has a reputation of delivering high quality services and it delivers on its brand promise.

-Location. NYC is a fun, diverse city.

- Great place for a marketing career. Marketing comes to life at American Express through the various projects you will work on. The things you work on go to market quickly. Also, you can get exposure to consumer marketing, B2B marketing, international marketing, partnership marketing, digital marketing, etc. all under the same roof.

HG: Please tell us about Leadership Express.

LL: Leadership Express is a year-long program for the incoming class of recent hires, who have just received their Master’s degrees. Leadership Express includes classes such as card economics, networking events, a speaker series featuring senior leaders, and leadership training sessions such as executive presence. The programming is spread out throughout the year. Leadership Express allows new hires to create a network of peers and leaders across various business units, which is critical when working at American Express, a highly collaborative company. A solid network will help you succeed in your current role and find your next role.

HG: What does success look like at American Express?

LL: You must be willing to embrace change and think strategically. Put yourself in the shoes of your manager and be proactive in meeting their needs. Stay up to date on what is going on in the company, the industry and in the world. Be transparent and be consistent in delivering results. Be able to influence and drive results through other people, especially via people in other groups who likely have different agendas. Find a way to make your objective a shared objective.

HG: How do leaders prepare you for your development?

LL: Mobility is a constant topic of conversation at American Express. Your manager will help you navigate your career by giving you ongoing feedback and helping you work on areas of development. Managers will give you projects focused on the skills that you need for the next position you are interested in at American Express. In addition, they will help you connect with peers and leaders for informational interviews in your target area of interest.

HG: Now that you are in a more senior position, how has your role changed?

LL: The focus is now more on leading the team and delegating. In my current role, I must have a vision and strategy, while also getting buy-in from my stakeholders. I must find a common objective to ensure results around my goals.

HG: What are some Booth resources that helped you prepare for your interview with American Express?

LL:

-Practice interviews, and lots of them! I practiced with friends (first years and second years), Career Advisors, at Winterview, in a mirror, and in my car while driving from Lakeview down to campus. Mock interviews are crucial.

-Marketing Group- The group hosts mock interviews where alumni and students will conduct a practice interview that will not impact your candidacy.

HG: What are some interview tips you received while at Booth?

LL:

- Know your top 3 ”stories” inside and out, and how you can adapt them to answer a wide variety of behavioral or fit questions. These stories should highlight how you influence people, strategic thinking and cross- functional skills. You never want to walk out of an interview without telling your 3 strongest stories!

- Speak to current employees, particularly recently alumni who have also interned at the company. Ask them specific questions that may help you understand what skills the company is looking for. That way you can highlight your transferrable skills.

- Try out some products to get first hand experience.

HG: For those interested in marketing, what are some classes you recommend?

LL:

- Middlebrooks, Developing New Products and Marketing of Services

- Data Driven Marketing

- Entrepreneurship classes such as Building the New Venture and New Venture Lab

Sponsor Profile: BCG

Over the next few weeks, we plan to bring you a series of profiles on Booth alums currently working for a number of our sponsors. Today, we'll kick things off with Lindsay Hagan ('10). Lindsay was a co-chair of the Marketing Group from April 2009-March 2010, and currently is currently a consultant with Boston Consulting Group. Lindsay took some time to fill out answer some questions about marketing, the Marketing Group, Booth, and herself. Thanks for Mary Xu ('12) for working with Lindsay to prepare this post.

Q: Why are you interested in Marketing?
Lindsay: I love that it requires a combination of highly analytical thinking and creativity. I was also a psych major in college, and I love studying consumer behavior.

Q: Favorite Marketing Group event?
L: Hard to pick just one! I've attended the conference three years in a row now, and it is always fantastic.

Q: Favorite Marketing Class?
L: Tie between Developing New Products and Services with Professor Middlebrooks and Pricing with Professor Dube - both highly recommended.

Q: What one piece of advice would you give to first-years?
L: There are always amazing Lunch and Learns, speakers, etc. (especially ones the Marketing Group brings in) - be sure to take advantage.

Q: What is your favorite product?
L: Westin Hotels (using product loosely here) - consistently good business travel experience (got to love the heavenly beds).

Q: What is your favorite brand?
L: Starbucks: where else could I get a suger-free cinnamon dolce soy latte (not to mention not be judged for ordering it)?

Q: Any hobbies outside of work (when you have "time")?
L: Trying new restaurants, running (marathons and half marathons), tennis

Q: Do you have any secret talents?
L: Word games (more of a secret obsession than talent).

Q: Best thing most people don't know about Chicago?
L: Northerly Island is great for running, biking, etc.

Q: Best and worst parts of living and working in the greater Chicago area?
L: Best: the food, cost of living, lake and summer. Worst: fact that every single bar in the city has a TV

Q: I'd like to sing a duet with...
L: I wouldn't put anyone through that pain.

Q: I always keep my ______ under lock and key.
L: Laptop

Q: ______is the bane of my existence.
L: The fact that Gilt Bar, across the street from me, is closed on Sundays

Q: Thing I love most about winter is...
L: Being warm inside when it's freezing outside.

Q: I really miss my ______ right now.
L: iPhone - had to give it up for a work Blackberry.

Q: The place I am dying to visit is...
L: Morocco

Q: The last thing I bought on sale was...
L: Loeffler Randall booties

Q: _____ is playing on my iPod right now.
L: Stereo Love by Edward

Internship Profiles

Energy is not the first area people think about when you hear "marketing," but for second year student Phil Perry, COMED provided an incredible Summer experience. Here are some details on his internship with the Chicagoland utility.

Internship in Energy / Program Management (Phil Perry ’11)

COMED, AN EXELON COMPANY, OAK BROOK, IL, ENERGY EFFICIENCY MARKETING INTERN

Experience prior to Booth: I worked for Chevron's Credit Card group. I began as a financial analyst working on budgets, forecasts and securitization. I transferred into the merchant acquiring group, leveraging Chevron's relationship with third party credit cards (Visa, Amex etc) to increase sales at Chevron stations.

What do you like most about the marketing career/internship that you have chosen?

The internship was very dedicated to marketing with a good mix of the strategic and tactical. I had a hand in helping build the strategic direction of the program while at the same time working directly with the creative aspects I so love in marketing.

Why did you choose this career/internship?

The programs I promoted were programs I could fully believe in. Increasing the energy efficiency of ComEd's customers is an important step towards reduced energy dependence. I enjoyed being able to work in a field I have grown to truly enjoy--marketing--while feeling that I was making important differences in how customers consume electricity.

What skills do you need to succeed in this field?

Interpersonal skills are critical. I worked closely with the entire marketing team and the agency, and being able to clearly convey my insights allowed me to make an impact on the strategic direction of the program we were managing. A good touch of analytics also helped to back up those insights. I was consistently called upon to translate external reports as well as analyses I myself put together in a way the entire team could understand.

Internship Profiles

A number of people had some really unique and cool internships this Summer, and Dianna Spring was one of those students. After spending Spring Quarter in Italy, Dianna returned to the Chicago area to work for Harrah's Entertainment. Here are Dianna's thoughts on her internship...

Internship in Casino Marketing (Dianna Spring ’11)

HARRAH’S ENTERTAINMENT – HARRAH’S JOLIET CASINO AND HOTEL, JOLIET, IL, PRESIDENT’S ASSOCIATE INTERN

Experience prior to Booth: Marketing Analyst at a Financial Services firm, Sallie Mae for four years: promoted to Marketing Manager for Fifth Third Bank and Regions Bank after beginning career in Strategic Sales and the Management Rotational Training Program

What do you like most about the marketing career/internship that you have chosen?

Harrah’s Entertainment provides a high level of exposure to senior management through its President’s Associate Internship Program. I had a chance to fly to Vegas over the summer and meet the CEO (a former Harvard Professor) in addition to the entire senior management team. I believe the internship experience will differ widely depending on placement - property based locations will focus more on operations and customer service while corporate based internships will involve very few touch points with the customer.

Why did you choose this career/internship?

I chose this internship to diversify my resume and gain additional marketing experience at a higher level of an organization within a completely new industry. The project was rigorous as I completed mini-rotations throughout almost every area of the casino in Joliet. I actually spent time behind the lines with hourly employees in the restaurant outlets and an equal amount of time in the executive offices learning from industry veterans.

This industry requires enormous passion for the customer because it is a very consumer focused company. Harrah’s sets the bar for loyalty programs with Total Rewards. If you want exposure to this sort of analytics based loyalty program then you should learn from the best. That loyalty is also translated down to the Casino host level where they have one on one connections with their VIP customers. There are endless opportunities to learn about a broad range of marketing skills in a casino. More than I could have imagined!

What skills do you need to succeed in this field?

The first skill required is passion for the gaming industry. The other PA interns that I met in Las Vegas had actually recruited for the internship at the MBA World Poker tour in January. So if you are sure you want to work for Harrah’s I recommend networking at that event in January 2011.

It goes out without saying that you have to bring a lot of energy and enthusiasm because ultimately this is the entertainment industry first and foremost. Joliet actually has an entertainment portion of the interview process where applicants must sing or dance to show their commitment to entertaining guests (I somehow got hired without that test).

The second skill would be the ability to connect with people at all levels of an organization. For those with aspirations of becoming a general manager at a property (an essential step to succeeding in Harrah’s) it is essential to connect with the person who cleans the casino floor and the person who serves food in the restaurants. At the same time you must also have the analytical skills required to network up the ladder and connect with the executive management team at corporate. There is also a lot of creativity required to pull off successful events so I would say it comes down to a balance of being fun, analytical and creative.

Internship Profiles

After an exciting Summer interning all across the country (Booth Marketers interned in New York, Miami, Chicago, Dallas, Seattle, Philadelphia, Silicon Valley, and many other locations) and in a multitude of industries (CPG, healthcare, high tech, retail, and more), we are all settling back into school and classes, but wanted to take some time to share some of our experiences.

So our first post of the year comes courtesy of Marketing Group Co-Chair Risa Shapiro, with details on her experience at Sara Lee:

Internship in Brand Management (Risa Shapiro ’11)

SARA LEE, CHICAGO (DOWNERS GROVE), IL, BRAND MANAGEMENT INTERN

Experience prior to Booth: Marketing & Communications

What do you like most about the marketing career/internship that you have chosen?

I’ve been working in marketing for years and I knew I wanted to continue down the marketing path. It absolutely fascinates me that we as marketers can influence the way consumers behave. Brand management for a consumer products company is fully focused around the consumer but it also marries my interest in general management.

Why did you choose this career/internship?

When I applied to school, my end goal was to move into entrepreneurship but I knew that I wanted to gain additional experience before making the leap. Often times, brand management is likened to entrepreneurship because you really own the product or brand you manage which will give me great experience if I ever do decide to start my own company.

I chose Sara Lee specifically because culture is one of the most important aspects of a job to me and I felt that Sara Lee’s company culture fit my personality well – the people are very results oriented, but your performance is also rated on how you reach those results. As a result, the people that work there are very supportive of one another and collaborative.

What skills do you need to succeed in this field?

In my experience, the most important skills for brand management are leadership, the ability to influence those around you, creative problem solving skills, analytical skills, and you can’t be afraid to speak up!

Booth Team Wins Marketing Prize at Business Plan Competition

A couple of weeks ago, a team of Chicago Booth second years made the trip to Houston to enter their start-up, BelliSwap, in the Rice Business Plan Competition - the largest business plan competition in the world! With over $1 million in prize money to be awarded at the competition and judges representing venture capital firms, angel investors and entrepreneurs, the competition represented an incredible opportunity for any start-up and, as such, attracts the best of the best.

Among this elite crowd, the New Venture Challenge BelliSwap team, comprised of Katie Teitelbaum, Susan Gibbons, Beth Krigel, Sara Kaufman, Jackie Avitia, and Jane Griffin delivered a marketing plan that stood out, being awarded first place in the marketing piece of the competition.

But BelliSwap stood out even before the competition started. "We were definitely an anomaly," said Beth Krigel. "It was mostly technology companies and medical device companies...and BelliSwap."

There is a technical element to BelliSwap - it is a web-based business. But that is where the similarities to their competitors ends.

BelliSwap offers brand name maternity wear for rent. The goal is to allow women to maintain their style while pregnant without needing to shell out the dollars to buy high priced clothing. Instead, BelliSwap lets women order clothes a la carte, holding one item at a time, or by subscription, holding five items at any time and swapping out as their bodies change.

The ability to understand this very unique target demographic - pregnant women who want stylish clothing without a high price - is what put BelliSwap's marketing plan ahead of the field.

"It was really important for us to know our potential customers in order to develop creative tactics to attract them and get them hooked to BelliSwap," Krigel explained. "What the judges really appreciated about our plan was how we got into the minds of pregnant women and thoroughly described our target customer's behaviors and habits."

The team used a combination of surveys and in-depth interviews to develop the award-winning plan.

On behalf of the entire Booth community, the Marketing Group would like to congratulate the BelliSwap team on this well-deserved victory. Chicago Booth's reputation in marketing is constantly growing and your accomplishments will only help to demonstrate to the rest of the business world that Chicago Booth has some of the best, world-class marketing talent around. This is one more example of how Booth students look at a marketing issue and tackle it strategically, considering all angles and possibilities. Congratulations on your success and we look forward to the official launch of BelliSwap and to watching the company grow!