eric murray
Creative, driven leader offering a range of accomplishments in traditional, digital, and grassroots sales and marketing initiatives. A strategic thinker focusing on the details to ensure excellence of execution. Strong team builder and talent developer leading others to excel. Advanced business acumen, negotiating, and technology skills.
[related experience]
Principal | Eric Murray Creates | New Haven, CT | 2018 – Present
Entrepreneurial venture providing user experience consultation, marketing solutions, branding, content creation and management, and social media strategy. Provide regular reports on campaign success and relevant KPIs.
- Launching website for Manufacturing And Technical Community Hub (MATCH), an innovative workforce development nonprofit organization launching in 2023.
- Created PildisHR.com and using inbound marketing tactics to generate strong human resources consulting leads.
- Led UX redesign of Q-INMASS ERP software ensuring seamless experience across the platform, coordinating with founders and software engineers to optimize their product through good design as a standard business practice.
Special Projects Manager | LQ Mechatronics | Branford, CT | 2020 – Present
Joined company with the goal of expanding company-wide manufacturing capacity and then added the management of a group of six technicians to set of responsibilities. Established standard tool sets and workspaces for each assembly line. Manage all tools and equipment for facility. Created graphic, step by step work instructions for over 50 processes. Quadrupled output.
- Travel to LQ’s client’s customers around the country to manage supply chain issues.
Marketing Manager | Electrix Illumination | New Haven, CT | 2016 – 2019
Hired with mandate to relaunch marketing department. Responsible for creation and execution of multichannel marketing strategy. Managed all communications, product launches, media and advertising, event and trade show engagements, sales tools, marketing budget, marketing calendar, and all in-house employees, contractors, and agency relationships.
- DEPARTMENT CREATION | Rebuilt the company’s marketing department from scratch, creating all collateral, product data and images, and other material for hundreds of products to replace outdated resources. Hired employees, created internship program, replaced all vendors.
- WEBSITE INNOVATION | Redesigned and launched five company websites; featured new CMS, UI, photography, and SEO-focused content. Doubled Electrix.com traffic in three months, increased spec sheet downloads 34%, and boosted other KPIs.
- DIGITAL MERCHANDISING | Set-up products on multiple e-commerce websites using keyword research to write product descriptions, attributes, and product category content. Worked across departments to ensure data accuracy. Monitored KPIs and performed audits to improve customer experience.
- PRODUCT LAUNCH | Created MagneConnect.com to launch new product. Integrated lead generation tools and gated content for lead capture. Developed video, email campaign, print and digital advertising, supporting collateral, salesman sample case, and a powerful trade show debut leading to $1M pipeline.
- CHANNEL MANAGEMENT | Established product induction process for industrial sales channel to introduce product to MRO distribution network: Amazon, Grainger, MSC, McMaster Carr, Berkshire e-Supply, ThermoFischer and others.
- EMAIL MARKETING | Grew email list 1300%. Average open and click-through rates grew to 20%+.
- SAMPLE CASES | Created first of their kind USB-chargeable sample cases to support sales agents.
- EVENT MARKETING | Planned and led participation in numerous high-profile tradeshows and envisioned and ran internal special events. Responsible for 200+ person events at luxury venues including the Ritz Carlton, Philadelphia and theWit, Chicago, including strategy, contracts, budget, venue selection, vendor sourcing and management, promotion, and presentations.
- INDUSTRY RECOGNITION | Earned AIA Advertising Excellence and five GD USA InHouse Design and Agency awards. Earned media in Architectural Record, Snap, Architectural Lighting, and Architect
Managing Partner | Shoreline Piano | North Branford, CT | 2006 – 2015
Assumed leadership of family-owned, used piano store and grew it to be a major new and used piano retailer with repair and restoration services. Built a cross-functional team of nine with a reputation for sales and service leadership. Responsible for all business functions including sales and sales management, marketing, operations management, P&L management, and accounts payable and receivable.
- SALES & SALES MANAGEMENT | Led team and personally engaged in one-to-one sales activities to increase revenue 20-40% year-over-year, from $375k to peak of $1.2M. Created institutional sales program that grew to 50+ schools and organizations.
- MARKETING | Developed and executed all elements of a comprehensive marketing program encompassing digital (Google Ad Words, SEO, etc), email marketing, social media, direct mail, and special event experiences.
- OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT & ENTREPRENEURSHIP | Envisioned, implemented and managed in-house services including moving, tuning, repair, and restoration services. Cross-trained team and increased sales 30%.
- LEADERSHIP, TEAM BUILDING & TRAINING | Built a loyal staff with minimal turnover by cross-training employees in sales, service, marketing, and operations. Maintained decade-long record of no layoffs.
- PURCHASING & INVENTORY MANAGEMENT | Negotiated aggressively to make purchases for $300k inventory that would realize 45-55% gross margins while maintaining price leadership for clients.
- P&L MANAGEMENT | Optimized profitability by identifying high-margin opportunities including factory seconds and other opportunistic purchases. Leveraged capital investments and team flexibility / cross-functional skills to maximize ROI in capital and human resources.
- BUSINESS PLANNING | Navigated business growth over 10-year period including expansion from a 2000 square foot legacy storefront into a custom 6500 square foot store and restoration center. Eventually planned for orderly and financially sound wind-down in 2015. Liquidated all inventory. Exited with no outstanding liabilities.
Founder | JM Graphics Group | North Haven, CT | 2003 – 2008
Founded graphic design and marketing firm working with small businesses to establish web presence, create multi-format print ads, and large-format catalogs. Evolved into online retailer with multiple e-commerce sites generating $500k+ annual revenue.
- ROI CREATION | Contributed to significant growth of client businesses including Colony Hardware Supply, a major contractor supply house and Coach Al’s Pursuit Fitness, an online coaching service.
- ENTREPRENEURSHIP |Identified underserved markets in the construction industry and launched three e-commerce web stores and corresponding eBay outlets to fill need.
- GROWTH | Expanded business from home office to 4000 square foot distribution and warehouse facility.
[community engagement]
Treasurer | Phoenix Landing Association | New Haven, CT | 2011 – Present
Manage home owner’s association $150k yearly budget.
- PROJECT MANAGEMENT | Planned and executing $500k capital improvement project in New Haven Historic District from ideation to completion. Created scope, solicited quotes, secured loan, and now managing the project.
Vice President & Director | Jazz Haven | New Haven, CT | 2011 – 2017
Served the community in volunteer role to bring world-class musicians into greater New Haven. Provided marketing, management, and strategy development skills to engage community, volunteers, fans, and local businesses. Rebranded Jazz Haven with new logo design and website re-launch. Served in various hands-on capacities: festival committee member, communications chair, art director, volunteer coordinator, and program committee member.
- Partnered with the New Haven (NH) Dept of Arts, Culture & Tourism, Jazz Foundation of America, and NH Symphony to expand the Jazz Festival to a full month of programming including three marquee events on the NH Green.
- Elected by board to paid position of Festival Coordinator in 2016. Grew attendance to 9k from previous average of 5k.
- Rebranded Jazz Haven with new logo design and website re-launch.
- Envisioned and launched LIVE @ The Piano Shop series as a partnership between Shoreline Piano and Jazz Haven that ran for 5 seasons starting in 2011. Sought and earned programmatic sponsorship.
- Launched Jazz Haven Sessions in 2017, mentoring new board members in programing, fundraising and marketing. The Sessions, running until 2020, fostered pedagogy that traditionally existed between older and younger musicians.
[technology]
Adept at quickly integrating new technology into a tech stack to create solutions for an organization’s unique challenges.
PC / Mac | MS Office Suite | Google Suite | OpenOffice Suite | Adobe Creative Cloud | Google Analytics, AdWords | SalesForce | Constant Contact | MailChimp | HubSpot | HTML | WordPress | Hootsuite | Unbounce | Social Media | Trello | YouTube | LinkedIn | Slack
[education]
Bachelor of Arts, Communication, Legal Institutions, Economics & Government | American University | Washington, D.C. | 2003
Inbound Marketing Certification | Hubspot Academy | 2019