About me
Hired: June, 2005
Education:
? Master of Science, Northwestern University
? Bachelor of Arts, University of Minnesota
Background and Work Experience:
Jim has 37+ years of experience with advertising agency and client-side media planning/buying-negotiation/schedule stewardship-maintenance. While media director at NordicTrack, Jim was responsible for the execution and maintenance of the Company's direct response media group; growing this department from five to 18 people, and increasing media spending from $10 million to over $50 million. Jim was also the first media director at Fallon McElligott Rice (now Fallon) where he built a 34-person media department and was responsible for billings in excess of $60 million annually. Closer to home, with no small amount of help from solid promotional creative, Jim's media planning and negotiation skills helped a Risdall client (which operates in the travel industry) see cost-per-lead go from a dollar amount in the 3-digits (when the client used traditional print advertising), to the low single-digits with online/Web advertising.
Proudest Moments:
? Receiving a 10-times-completed trophy for skiing the 34+ mile Birkebeiner cross-country ski race.
? Running one of his 13 marathons in under 3 hours...thus qualifying to run the Boston Marathon...and completing that 26.2 mile race the next spring.
Hobbies, Interests and Strange-but-True Facts:
While at work, Jim prefers Butterfingers, Snickers Bars and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups from the wide selection of sweet nothings that often contribute to the "Freshman Ten" gained by new associates. However, even as a self-professed person who really doesn't enjoy working out, Jim successfully keeps the pounds at bay with running, biking and cross-country skiing (see Proudest Moments above.) When not in action himself, Jim also enjoys reading action-adventure novels.