Career Profile Part 3

 

Name: Jasmine Suljic Position/Title: Director of Marketing Company Name: Pen Werks, Inc. Company's web address: (presently under construction) Company Description: Pen Werks is a consumer-packaged writing instrument company. Translation: we sell pens at places like Wal-Mart. We sell products under our own Pen Werks brand name, and we also work with retailers to import products for proprietary and private labels.

Job Description:

I coordinate all aspects of marketing for the company. These include sales promotion, advertising, product management, new product development, retail/buyer and consumer marketing, as well as managing the interaction of "marketing" with all other areas of the firm. Those other concerns include customer service, operations, and finance. Every aspect of the business affects marketing, and it's important to ensure that our marketing strategy effectively complements all of the other strategies with which we work.

Career Path:

Analyst
Manager of Sales Promotion & Analysis
Point-of-Sale Specialist
Manager of Category Management
Director of Marketing

All four of the earlier positions allowed me to hone different skills, thereby equiping me for the decisions I must make today. Each created an opportunity to learn about managing a different facet of the business, and managing a business is really what marketing is about.

Career Challenge:

Every day presents challenges. Some of the more constant include trying to develop a truly global business strategy, achieving efficiency in our current systems, and fulfilling the goals of a fully-integrated enterprise.

In my first few months as director of marketing, I quickly realized that marketing was just one part of my job. I also had to become an expert in production planning, procurement, and forecasting. These and other facets of a business need to be understood and integrated into marketing in order to be truly successful. The synergy of all areas of the company is an essential part of my responsibility, especially if I want to see a product "go to market." For example, each time a new product is run through the packaging cycle, I am there on the production floor to check and double-check each stage of the process. It is important to share our new product information with the packagers as well. Ensuring that everyone imagines himself or herself to be part of an important team effort is crucial in each phase of production.

Educational Background:

B.S. (Finance), Univ. of Illinois

M.S. (Management), Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern Univ.

Favorite Course:

Marketing Strategy. I was able to see how other areas of business (finance, operations, advertising) were integrated into marketing.

Best Course for your Career:

Organizational Behavior. Most business courses teach a specific area of expertise (accounting, marketing, basket-weaving), but OB brought out the importance of understanding both the organization and the structure of which you are part as an employee. It also discussed how employees act and think. To work well with co-workers is vital, and OB helped to lay a foundation to do it better.