Cubs/Brewers Game, Sept. 16

See the Best in Midwest Baseball & B-to-B Marketing

Thanks to our sponsor:

Watch a great game, enjoy food and drink with fellow marketers and hear two former Silicon Valley marketing execs—now top midwest CMOs—talk about the differences in b-to-b marketing here vs. the West Coast.

Join us when our BMA Milwaukee neighbors co-host a Cubs/Brewers rooftop evening, sponsored by the Financial Times, on Tuesday, Sept. 16, at the Sheffield Baseball Club at 3619 N. Sheffield.

Michael Krauss, president of Market Strategy Group, will host a pre-game discussion on 'Midwest vs. East/West Coast Marketing and Branding' with Don MacDonald, CMO of Fiserv, and George T. Neill, VP and CMO of Brunswick Corporation.

In marketing and branding, the coasts get a lot of the play. Manhattan is the media and financial services headquarters and Silicon Valley is the heart of the Internet and technology revolution. Yet, Don MacDonald is CMO and EVP of a powerhouse information services and solutions provider to the financial services industry, Fiserv, Inc., headquartered in Milwaukee. George Neill is CMO and VP of marine, fitness and recreational leader Brunswick.

MacDonald spent 20 years at Intel before leaving San Jose, a team of 1,000 people and a $2 billion annual marketing budget to join Fiserv. Neill comes to Brunswick by way of Motorola, where he was corporate VP of global marketing, and from Apple where he helped launch the iPod and where he was named “Corporate Marketing Executive of the Year.”

Why do these two global marketing and branding aces play for Midwestern teams? What are the advantages of working in the Midwest? What are our strengths and our weaknesses? How do we play the game of marketing and branding; how should you build your career and what should you look for in the future from these two and other local marketing and branding leaders? Those questions and more will be on the table at the BMA Cubs/Brewers Rooftop Event on September 16 at the Sheffield Baseball Club’s All Star Suite and Rooftop at 3619 N. Sheffield. Networking begins at 5pm, with the program beginning at 5:30, and a 7:05 game start-time. Register soon, as seating is limited.

Here’s a taste of what’s in store:

Pre Game:
Don MacDonald will discuss his background and work at Intel, and what it was like to have a $2 billion marketing budget and to be at a company where the mantra is to “invest in good times and bad times?” MacDonald will also discuss his vision for Fiserv.

George Neill will tell us about his work at Apple and what it was really like working with Steve Jobs and rolling out the iPod. He’ll also highlight his work at Motorola and the rise of Razr and the Motorola brand, in addition to what he hopes to accomplish at Brunswick.

Over the course of the program, we’ll cover the differences in the business of marketing and branding on the coasts and here in the Midwest, including some of these intriguing questions:

• What’s it like working in the Midwest versus on either coast? What do you like? What do you wish you could see more of?
• Is the game played differently here than out West or back East? How does management here approach the game of marketing? Are Midwestern values real and do they impact your game plan as marketers?
• Do they take more risks and go for broke on the coasts? Are we boring and conservative or pragmatic and clever here in the Midwest?
• Do they invest differently in marketing and branding here than out West? Out East?
• Is the talent pool different here than out West or back East? What about agencies and services providers?
• Do we pitch different marketing tools here?
• It’s a global market no matter where you come from; do we have an advantage in the Midwest facing a global customer base?
• Do we take a different view of the competition here than on the coasts?
• Do you think a stint for a West Coast team, an East Coast team and/or a Midwest team makes for a better marketer? Will our careers benefit from a shift in venue? Are your career prospects improved playing for Midwestern teams?

No matter which team you root for, we hope to see you at the game. Register now, seats fill up fast.

About George Neill
George T. Neill is the vice president and chief marketing officer for Brunswick Corporation, a leader in the marine, fitness, bowling and billiards industries. In his position, George is responsible for all marketing activities within Brunswick, including: product positioning, research and development, strategic branding, consumer research, advertising, promotion and all marketing communications for each industry on a global basis.

Prior to joining Brunswick, George was the corporate vice president – global marketing for Motorola, Inc. He as also held key marketing positions with Apple Computer, BMW and several leading national advertising agencies. While at Apple, he championed the computer maker’s “Silhouettes” campaign, which helped to introduce and establish Apple’s popular iPod. In 2005, Mr. Neill was named “Corporate Marketing Executive of the Year” by the Delaney Report.

Mr. Neill has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Trinity College in Hartford, Conn.

About Don MacDonald
Donald J. MacDonald, joined Fiserv in 2008 as the corporation’s first chief marketing officer, focusing on refining the company’s brand and product strategies, data analytics and client segmentation. He has more than 25 years experience in marketing, communications, product development and strategy.

Prior to Fiserv, MacDonald spent more than 20 years at Intel Corporation, climbing the ladder in business units, product marketing and corporate marketing areas. When he left Intel he was vice president and general manager of Intel’s worldwide marketing organization based in San Jose, California, managing 1,000 people and an annual marketing budget of $2 billion.

MacDonald also worked in or ran various Intel business units and held positions with Mobile Products, Digital Home, Intel Japan and others. His passion for meeting clients’ needs with innovative technology is tantamount to his interesting ways of presenting the technology to the press, including a trip through the Himalayas on a yak to prove the product would work anywhere.

Born in 1962 in Singapore, MacDonald has a Bachelor of Law degree from University of Lancaster, England.

About Micheal Krauss Michael Krauss is president of Market Strategy Group, a business strategy and strategic marketing consultancy. Krauss has served as the chief marketing officer of DiamondCluster International and as a fellow with the firm. Prior to joining DiamondCluster, he was a principal with OmniTech Consulting Group. Before that, Krauss was the worldwide director of marketing at Andersen Consulting (now Accenture). He led the first global marketing and branding initiative that established Andersen Consulting as a leading worldwide entity. He is also the technology marketing columnist for Marketing News, the official publication of the American Marketing Association, and serves as co-chair of Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley’s Council of Technology Advisors. Krauss’ career as a global marketing executive has ranged from chocolate chips to computer chips. He began his career as a product manager at Esmark and later at Keebler. He holds a B.A. and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago. He also holds a CPA certificate in Illinois. He taught on the faculty of the U of C’s Graduate School of Business in its innovative New Product Development Laboratory. He joined BMA/Chicago in 2001 and has served as a director for four years, executive vice president and program chairman.