4/30 CMO Breakfast with:

Converse

About The Event

How does Converse do it? The big little sneaker brand has a storied history, a consistent presence in the music space, and a huge fan base. Join Geoff Cottrill, Chief Marketing Officer of Converse on April 30th as he discusses the iconic brand’s approach to successfully connecting with their consumer in a new and meaningful way.

About Geoff Cottrill

Geoff Cottrill joined Converse, Inc. in November 2007 as Chief Marketing Officer. He leads global brand development as well as marketing strategy and brand management functions including advertising, sports marketing, brand design, digital, communications, and retail marketing. Converse footwear, apparel and accessories are sold in 160 countries and include the top-selling shoe of all time, the iconic Chuck Taylor. Converse is a wholly owned subsidiary of NIKE, Inc.

Under Cottrill’s leadership, Converse’s brand awareness has grown exponentially. Currently, listed as the #1 fashion brand on Facebook and ranked among the top 10 Facebook pages overall, Converse’s fan base spans the globe. Recently, chosen as Marketer of the Year by AdWeek in 2010, Converse’s award winning marketing initiatives include its Three Artists, One Song series, Connectivity, Spark and Domaination campaigns that have garnered worldwide attention. Converse’s commitment to music extends beyond its campaigns to the creation of Converse Rubber Tracks, a music studio in Brooklyn designed to allow the unknown artist a place to cultivate their craft, serving as a giveback to the music community by the brand.

Cottrill brings more than 25 years of marketing experience to the Converse brand. Prior to joining Converse, he was Vice President, Global Entertainment for Starbucks where he led marketing for music, film, literature and digital related products.

Cottrill also spent more than nine years at The Coca-Cola Company as Group Director Worldwide, Entertainment Marketing, where he led global music strategy, film and television integration and celebrity and product placement marketing efforts. Prior to working for Coca-Cola, he worked for Procter & Gamble, Co. for 11 years in various sales and marketing roles.

Cottrill has served on the board of the Grammy Foundation for the past three years. The Grammy Foundation was established in 1989 to cultivate an awareness, appreciation, and advancement of the contribution of recorded music on American culture.

Cottrill is a graduate of Florida State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics. Based at Converse World Headquarters in North Andover, Mass., Cottrill reports to Jim Calhoun, CEO & President. He resides in Carlisle, Mass. with his wife, two daughters and their dog Tucker.