Clark DesSoye

Director and member of the Strategic Development Committee

Clark has been a Sustaining Member of The Studio since 2015 and has served on the Board since 2017. Before retiring in 2021, he had a successful marketing career in many diverse industries from finance through publishing/trade shows and corrections. While doing membership development for an international engineering institution in the mid 90s, he got in on the beginnings of the internet and subsequently helped transform the marketing of several organizations into the digital age.

Today, Clark manages The Studio's ticketing website, office, social media marketing and operates the light & sound board for Studio productions. He is a published poet and aspiring playwright, whose first play, TANK ZEROS OUT, was featured in a First Look reading last winter at The Studio.

clark@clarkdessoye.com | Website | LinkedIn

Content / Case Studies / Online Marketing / CRM / Social Media Marketing / Communication / Copywriting / Staff Management / Sales and Marketing / Mentor / Team Leadership / Develop Innovative Strategies / Cross-Functional Collaboration / Presentations

Highly motivated, visionary, and performance-driven marketing executive with more than 20 years of success developing highly successful and award-winning marketing programs and advertising campaigns. Consistently succeeds in conducting consumer and market research and developing comprehensive strategies to position products, pricing, and marketing to achieve targeted sales growth while maintaining corporate and brand integrity.

Recognized for innovative approaches and strategic business decision-making to achieve market positioning and sales targets.
Forward-looking initiator, skilled at researching new products & markets, and capitalizing on market trends to propel new business growth and revenues.
Highly adaptable to new products, markets, and industries. BA - Philosophy and Political Science, State University of New York at Buffalo.

CAREER HISTORY

Marketing Director Arizona Correctional Industries 05/2013 – 05/2021

Self-funded, 35-year-old business within the Arizona Department of Corrections manufacturing standard and custom-designed products for business, institutional and home-use customers, emphasizing Lean Six Sigma processes. Developed and directed overall sales and marketing strategy producing steady organic growth for this unique organization. Collaborated with shop managers to create marketing content for customers, sales staff, and Department of Corrections leadership.

Coordinated comprehensive rebranding of ACI, developing new logo designs and revising marketing taglines, driving product sales growth, and new private business partnerships producing 25% revenue increase for the last 6 years.
Restructured website (aci.az.gov), enhancing interactivity and the new branding and improving the web analytics by more than 200% in the most significant metrics.
Spearheaded private business outreach efforts with local business groups, establishing more than 35% new strategic partnerships and increasing total required production hours by 330K hours.

Director of Internet Marketing United Business Media LLC 03/2000 – 06/2010

UBM properties are now part of Informa Tech, one of the world’s top technology publishers. Led 12-person cross-functional marketing team to develop and implement innovative strategies to expand E-commerce web-based business.

Created a dynamic, interactive web presence for three technology industry trade shows, saving more than $60K annually per show in website hosting and database maintenance fees.
Launched two new regional versions of a profitable Call Center event.  Created an East Coast version of the premier Computer Telephony trade show, surpassing attendance projections by more than 10,000 attendees and exhibitor participation by 35%.
Reduced marketing costs significantly over three-year period while increasing attendance at UBM tradeshows.
Collaborated with website and database consultants to create an in-house Master Database to enhance customer & business intelligence analysis, improving marketing outcomes, and increasing revenues.

Marketing Director Technology Marketing Corporation 03/1998 – 03/2000

Founded in 1972, TMC is the world's leading business-to-business and integrated marketing media company, servicing niche markets within the communications and technology industries. Led team of marketing professionals serving global buyers who rely on TMC’s content-driven marketplaces to make purchase decisions and navigate markets.

Directed a five-person team with a $6M budget in developing a new strategically-oriented marketing plan, resulting in increased circulation by 15% annually and growing trade show attendance by more than 20%. Created and executed a highly successful marketing strategy to launch a new internet telephony tradeshow on both the East and West Coasts.
Decreased annual marketing costs 25% each year by restructuring marketing resources into new media.
Orchestrated the development, implementation, and analysis of market research surveys and studies to locate new, high-potential markets, increasing exhibit sales while reducing sales support costs.

Marketing Manager IEEE Communications Society 03/1992 – 03/1998

A leading global community is a diverse set of professionals with a common interest in advancing all communications and networking technologies, with more than 26,000 members in more than 149 countries. Recruited to create and manage an in-house marketing department.

Built new marketing department in collaboration with other departments to more effectively take control of all membership information, circulation processes, and conference attendance growth as well as provide ad sales support.
Transformed marketing efforts, driving Marketing ROI up by 32% and increasing revenues 8% annually.

Earlier Career:

Marketing Copywriter - Intertec Publishing Corporation, Managed production of media kits, sales promotions materials, and client newsletter for this producer of technical magazines, currently a subsidiary of Primedia, Inc.
Promotions & Public Relations Specialist - New York Life Insurance Company, created a highly impactful section of the annual report, explaining the new products and services, in support of its new tagline “The Company You Keep” Additional Skills and Technology

Proficiencies Software Proficiencies:

Microsoft Office suite; Development platforms including Visual Basic, .NET, C#, PHP, SQL, mySQL, ASP, HTML, XML, JavaScript, and Dreamweaver; Graphics and page-layout programs including PhotoShop, Illustrator, InDesign, MS Publisher, various CRM and contact management programs including Salesforce and Infusionsoft. Experienced in Developing Microsoft ASP.Net Web Applications Using Visual Studio .NET.

Accident/Health and Life Insurance producer.

Published Ezine Author – Construction and Healthcare topics.

KEY SKILL AREAS

Digital Marketing / Analytical / Email Marketing / Digital Marketing Director / Relationship Building Testing / Search Engine / Full Stack / Vendors / Analytical Skills / Vision / Creative / Passion / Email Marketing / Insight / Verbal Communication Skills / Hands On / Problem Solving / Problem Solving Skills / Creative / Impact