Karen Hitchcock
Experience
Strategic marketing leader with 25+ years leading high-growth programs and brand initiatives for small, fast-growing organizations. Proven expertise in translating business objectives into creative, revenue-generating initiatives.
KEY ROLES >
Consultant/Owner, Citrus Marketing, LLC, 2009-present
Offer tailored services to clients across academic, business, and non-profit sectors. Services include:
Interim CMO leadership, strategic planning
Brand development and product positioning
Marketing, sales, and customer experience/retention programs
Lead generation and marketing operations
Special events design and management
Search, awareness, and engagement strategies
Hands-on design and production (digital, print)
Current Clients:
Garrett & Moore, Inc., Environmental & Civil Engineering Firm, Raleigh, NC
Brand and web design, all ongoing marketing activities.Lauren Kessler, Award Winning Author, Memoir & Narrative Nonfiction
Brand design, SEO & paid Adwords, PR & book promotion strategy.More Smiles Wisconsin, Non-profit Dental and Mental Health Care, Madison, WI
Outreach, engagement and positioning strategy for new service line.Ignite Coaching, LLC, Executive Coaching, Austin, TX
Brand, web, social, and strategy work for Lisa Wadlin Holt, retired Head of Tax for Netflix, Walmart, and other Fortune 50. Lisa offers individual executive coaching and consulting services for enterprise organizations.Renew Design & Build, Phius and HERS-certified Builder, Durham, NC
Engagement, search, and ad strategy & execution. Positioning strategy. Increased conversions in by 5X in 1 month.Durham Cycles, D2C Local Retailer, Durham, NC
Website design and content development.
Noteworthy Clients:Morehouse School of Medicine Office of Impact & Innovation
UW-Madison’s Morgridge Institute for Research, Department of Homeland Security project
UW-Madison’s Center for Technology Commercialization, UW Idea Advance
Bioforward (Wisconsin’s Life Science/Biotech Association)
FluGen, NeoClone, Wellbe
Owner, Happy Artifacts (previously Karen Hitchcock Art), 2000-present
Create and sell original artwork at fine art fairs, galleries, and online
Award-winning artist with public exhibitions
Care Wisconsin (now My Choice Wisconsin), Progressive Leadership Roles, 2017-2020
Interim Chief Operating Officer, 9/2019-1/2020
Promoted to Interim COO from Vice President of Member Experience to assist with operations and communications for a fast-paced merger. Collaborated on risk mitigation plan and readiness reports to oversight agencies including Wisconsin’s Department of Health Services and the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance.
Selected by executive team peers and approved by the board to serve as interim COO while the organization prepared for merger.
Served as communications contact for executive team, regulatory partners, providers, press, and employees during merger.
Managed crisis communications/public relations.
Vice President of Member Experience, 2018-2019
Managed provider services, sales, marketing, and customer service departments (50+ team). Partnered with human resources to create a multi-disciplinary, integrated Member Services department. Assisted CFO in negotiating “win-win” contract terms with providers and vendors while focusing on improving tenuous relationships. Created and implemented new approach to marketing that empowered employees at all levels to be involved with marketing initiatives.
Provided oversight of $554 million in member service costs; assumed oversight of claims’ team in March 2019.
Recognized for negotiating and achieving 3-5% rate reductions for high-cost providers.
Director of Sales and Marketing, 2017-2018
Led senior sales team for the Medicare Dual Advantage plan while focusing on building organizational capacity to support sales goals. Provided executive-level support in multiple workgroups including Medicare product design, customer experience, employee engagement, annual conference, diversity and inclusion, and communications technology.
Positioned organization for rapid growth by establishing company’s first formal marketing program.
Expanded product market by revamping marketing goals and content strategy.
Worked with IT to bring video meeting tech to organization (Zoom), an initiative that helped the organization respond to pandemic of 2020.
Chief Experience Officer, Healthfinch, 2014-2017
Created Healthfinch’s full brand suite—Charlie, the Healthfinch, which differentiated the company in a highly competitive market (embedded EHR apps). Performed all marketing functions, including but not limited to: prospecting campaigns, media/investor communications, web design, search and advertising programs. Organized in-demand bespoke events, industry trade shows, and webinars to drive sales and funding opportunities.
Healthfinch was acquired by Health Catalyst in 2020.
Won high-value, earned media placements, awards, and speaking engagements for executive team and key clients.
Increased ROI by 4x through inbound and outbound lead generation programs.
Developed targeted messaging to key stakeholders—CMOs, CNOs, CMIOs of major health systems (e.g., Kaiser, UCSF, UW Health, Rush, Northwestern) and EHR platforms like Epic, Allscripts, Cerner, and Athena.
ALL ROLES
Senior Director of Member Experience, Sitka Salmon Shares (now Sitka Seafood Market), 2020-2021
Designed member experience program, with emphasis on VIP/Sustainer Member retention.
Oversaw e-commerce and lead generation staff.
Vice President of Marketing, Kiio, Inc., 2020
Redesigned lead and retention journeys for consumer health/physical therapy app.
Supported Chief Executive and Sales Officers with pitches to major health systems and insurance companies.
Vice President, Marketing, SOLOMO Technology, 2010-2011
Created high-impact brand for one of Madison’s first mobile app development companies.
Secured first clients and seed funding sources with CEO.
Designed UI for web-based and native apps, performed all marketing functions.
Marketing & Communications Manager, Madison Environmental Group, 2008-2009
Collaborated with Vice President of Madison Environmental Group and sister company, Community Car, on public outreach campaigns and corporate partner programs.
Marketing Director, pc/nametag (acquired by Avery Labels), 2007-2008, Sales Manager, 1994-1998
Increased sales by creating new visual strategy for B2B catalog (pc/nametag was one of the largest suppliers to the meetings and convention industry).
Led in-house and vendor marketing teams; partnered with merchandising director on new product development.
As Sales Manager from 1994-1998, increased personal and team sales by 1,000%.
EDUCATION
& Extras
Education
B.A., University of Virginia, Middle East Studies, Distinguished Major, Dean’s List
Certificate Course, Crisis Communications, University of Colorado Boulder
Certificate, LEAN Yellow Belt, Madison College
Continuing Medical Education Credit, Be Effective: The Science of Leadership
Certificate, How to Influence Without Direct Authority, UW-Madison School for Executive Education
Creative and Community Highlights
Selected Artist, Numerous Juried Fine Art Fairs, 2022-Present
Graduate, Vera Pizza Training, Naples, Italy, 2023
Volunteer Board Member and Fundraising Co-Chair, Triangle Artworks, 2022-2024
Marketing and Publicity Coordinator, Carolina Tarwheels BikeFest, 2021-2023
Exhibit Artist, Madison Children’s Museum Permanent Collection
Selected Artist, Bucky on Parade, 2018
Selected Artist, Cows on Parade, 2006
Best Booth Award, Art Fair on the Square, 2001-2002
Co-Chair and Committee Member, Madison Children’s Museum “Let’s Play” Fundraiser, 2004-2006
My art has been featured in magazines and several art books.
Tech Stack
ChatGPT, Gemini, SEMrush, Ahrefs
Marketing Platforms: Constant Contact, MailChimp, Meltwater, HubSpot, Salesforce
Creative Tools: Adobe Express, Illustrator & InDesign, Canva
Web & Commerce: Squarespace, WordPress, Square, WIX
Microsoft Office Suite
Creative Case
The Challenge: Build a successful brand and marketing program for new startup in a highly-competitive market. Do it with an $80k/year marketing budget. Ensure it appeals to C-Suite medical staff.
The Approach: Ditch ubiquitous healthcare symbols and clinical iStock photos. Create a brand story that delights and engages c-suite stakeholders and clinical staff. Educate users about product benefits; reduce fears of automation software. Infuse fun and whimsy to differentiate it from conservative healthcare marketing.
The Solution: Anthropomorphize the product so that it becomes an extension of staff instead of a tech product. Make it friendly, helpful, and endearing. Connect it to the company name, which is a nod to the “evolution of healthcare.” Call the product suite Charlie (like Charle’s Darwin), the friendly Healthfinch because he is here to help. Use Charlie as a springboard for the full product line—Swoop, Fetch, Nest, etc.
The Success: Charlie piqued prospect curiosity and opened doors for sales team. Whimsical brand supercharged all marketing activities, from client appreciation to popular bespoke events at national healthcare conferences. Charlie earned media mentions, spawned viral “stunts.”
Sales grew, fueled by an excellent product roadmap. Company was acquired in 2020.
← Evolution of the Healthfinch brand. I joined the team in 2014 to revamp the marketing program.
Charlie the Healthfinch
Healthfinch offered an app, a rules-based engine embedded in EHRs, that automated the prescription refill request process.