Anthem Executive Seeks CMO for Tax Firm Ryan
April 26, 2023 – Executive recruitment firm Anthem Executive has been called in by Ryan, a leading global tax services and software provider, to find a senior vice president and chief marketing officer. Leading the assignment are Scott Watson, Michael Ballew, Florene Stawowy, and Mike “JR” Wheless.
The senior vice president and chief marketing officer is responsible for overseeing the development, implementation, and execution of the firm’s marketing and branding strategies, objectives, initiatives, and policies, said Anthem Executive. As a key member of the senior leadership team, the CMO will be charged with leading the development and execution of a comprehensive marketing philosophy and external messaging strategy.
This role oversees Ryan’s brand and storytelling, digital and traditional marketing, content, event planning, public relations, and marketing communications. Success in this role requires the ability to delineate the compelling “why join Ryan” and value offering to: clients across a wide range of industry and service delivery, team members and prospective team members, and potential M&A target organizations.
This role will require execution of strategy and content across multiple service offerings, including technology platforms and emerging fintech solutions to a global audience and client base.
Key Responsibilities
Ryan’s new CMO will be expected to lead and empower a high-performing, collaborative team of marketers across brand, communications and public relations, content, events, and digital marketing. He or she must drive vision and oversee efforts across these functions. This leader will also supervise the day-to-day activities of the marketing department, guide and mentor team members, and represent the firm through participation in professional, charitable, and civic organizations.
Demonstrating a passionate commitment to customer advocacy is essential. The CMO must support the business development function to maximize marketing alliance relationships and affinity programs. Directing all firm conferences including booth design, registration, contract negotiation, promotional giveaways, and corporate memberships is integral to the role.
The ideal candidate will be a proven strategic leader with strong analytical skills, deep understanding of changing market dynamics and thorough knowledge of marketing principles, brand, product and service management, strong operational capabilities, results and outcome-oriented, a creative problem solver, highly collaborative, and be able to drive cultural transformation within the business, said the search firm.
Candidates must have a bachelor’s degree from a four-year college or university; an MBA degree is preferred, along with at least 15 years of related experience.
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Founded in 1991, Ryan describes itself as the largest firm in the world dedicated exclusively to business taxes. Headquartered in Dallas, the firm provides an integrated suite of federal, state, local, and international tax services. Ryan has a multidisciplinary team of more than 4,000 professionals and associates serving over 20,000 clients in more than 60 countries, including many of the world’s most prominent global 5000 companies.
Seasoned Recruiters
Anthem Executive, headquartered in Houston, TX, serves clients across a range of business sectors, including higher education, health sciences, corporate and non-profit institutions, global software and technology, private equity, insurance, service and manufacturing, oil and gas, and others. Its consultants bring a combined 80 years’ experience in the search industry. The firm’s higher education practice spans the entire leadership spectrum. In other sectors, Anthem Executive covers all roles from CEO and other C-suite leaders, board directors, vice president, and director, among others.
Anthem Executive Recruits CFO for Wayne State University
Anthem Executive has placed David Massaron, budget director for the State of Michigan, as chief business officer and CFO/senior vice president for finance and business operations and treasurer for Wayne State University in Detroit. Mr. Massaron will assume his new role upon the completion of the fiscal year 2022 budget for the state. Leading the assignment were Michael Ballew, Scott Watson, and Mike “JR” Wheless, co-founders, principals and consultants, along with Leyla Kayi, research and search operations, higher education. Mr. Massaron succeeds Rebecca Cooke, who came out of retirement to serve in the position on an interim basis. Ms. Cooke previously served as associate vice president for finance and administration, health affairs, as well as vice dean, finance, for the School of Medicine. She replaced William Decatur, who retired at the end of 2019.
Mr. Watson has been in the executive search industry for over 30 years. In addition to higher education institutions, he has served hospital/health systems, global software and technology companies, private equity enterprises, MCOs, insurance companies, service and manufacturing organizations with global footprints, and others.
Mr. Ballew, a registered Native American and member of the Echota Cherokee Tribe, serves as the firm’s chief diversity, inclusion, equity, and compliance officer, as well as search committee facilitator. He joined the executive search industry 14 years ago following a 20-plus year career in senior-level management with expertise in recruiting, counseling, training, operations, strategic planning, facilitation, project management, and workplace diversity.
Ms. Stawowy, who has been in executive search for over 20 years, is a core member of the higher education and academic health practice. Over the last two decades, she has developed deep expertise in senior‐level search, having been charged with numerous executive leadership transitions with a particular emphasis on higher education and academic health search.
Mr. Wheless, a veteran of more than two decades in the search industry, has served a broad portfolio of clients across many industry lines on behalf of organizations ranging from small operations to Fortune $100 billion plus enterprises – including working with and recruiting some of the nation’s most influential leadership. Mr. Wheless has served institutions and organizations across a broad range of geographies and sectors in higher education, technology, healthcare, energy, financial services, law, insurance, hospitality and food services, retail, CPG, EPC, manufacturing, aerospace, mining, construction, and real estate.
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Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
