Ready North (formerly PR 20/20) is a 17-year-old marketing consulting and services firm based in Cleveland, Ohio with remote employees across the U.S. The agency was a pioneer in inbound marketing, becoming HubSpot’s first agency partner agency in 2008. The Ready North team aims to "transform businesses and lives through damn good marketing" by demonstrating its core values every day: Connections first; Get shit done; Curiosity is our compass; “A” players only.
After a successful rebrand, the agency seeks an experienced leader to guide the company, which is poised for big growth in the upcoming years.
The agency is looking for a growth-minded leader who has the desire and commitment to take the team to the next level. The position requires oversight of day-to-day agency operations, leading business development, and general agency leadership.
This executive reports to, and works closely with, Ready North’s parent company, Blue Cypress. A minimum of 10 years experience in the professional services industry is required (marketing agency preferred), with a demonstrated ability to drive revenue growth, build teams, and strengthen culture.
As president, this leader’s top priority is agency growth. They are focused every day on the achievement of near-term financial goals, and the ongoing pursuit of building a great marketing consulting and services firm.
The president is a champion for client success, profitable revenue growth, operational efficiency, alignment of department plans and goals, resource allocation, and agency-wide accountability. They bring value to every conversation or situation—acting as a problem solver and an outstanding mentor to budding leaders.
The president oversees day-to-day operations in the pursuit of an inspiring and rewarding environment for employees, value creation at a high velocity for clients, and financial strength for the agency.
The president is an integrator who works with agency ownership and department leaders to define agency goals and strategic plans.
Requirements:
- Extremely strong communicator with focuses on transparency, efficiency, action, and collaboration—someone who understands the dangers and inefficiencies of working in a silo. Accurate, on-time and thorough dissemination of information to multiple internal stakeholders is crucial.
- HubSpot or related CRM / marketing tech experience, and/or hands-on experience managing a reseller or commission-based technology partnership.
- Demonstrated ability in managerial skills, especially cross-departmental management focused on empowerment of employees and alignment with shared goals.
- Lives by the Ready North core values: Connections first; Get shit done; Curiosity is our compass; “A” players only.
Responsibilities:
- Lead business development outreach for the purpose of filling the sales pipeline with viable leads and helping the agency achieve its quarterly and annual sales goals.
- Develop and maintain relationships with current and past clients; identify opportunities to expand client offerings.
- Manage the annual budgeting process and continuously track and report on progress towards agency’s financial goals.
- Support the senior leadership team (Director of Operations, Director of Growth and Services, and Director of Marketing) in achieving their departmental and personal career goals through mentorship and collaborative problem-solving.
- Oversee client health, performance and profitability across the agency.
- Oversee research and integration (as necessary) of new offerings into the agency's service portfolio.
- Compile and analyze monthly and quarterly agency performance reports.
- Organize and facilitate weekly management meetings among agency senior leadership, monthly management reports to Blue Cypress, and quarterly management meetings with agency senior leadership and Blue Cypress.
- Provide strategic guidance and support to ensure ongoing alignment of goals and activities across all departments.
- Monitor performance progress across departments.
- Support in the development and implementation of a strategic plan that guides the agency to its five-year revenue and profit goals.
- Champion organizational communication between each other and ownership, clarity, and consistency; focus and integrate leadership team to drive results, force resolution, and track prioritization, and accountability.
- Foster a culture where employees take pride in their work, camaraderie, and shared successes—a culture that’s driven to always do better, solve for the client, and promote the team over any individual success.
- Oversee and guide, align, and integrate sales, marketing, services, talent, and operational initiatives (outlined below) to drive the agency toward goals.
- Sales & Marketing: Guide agency marketing efforts to focus on brand, growth and the comprehensive buyer’s journey; evolve experiences across the agency and its different initiatives/business units; align sales and services, winning new business across service and non-service revenue (NSR) channels.
- Services: Build relationships with clients; evolve the agency’s service offerings; guide at the highest-level strategy and performance across the agency. Oversee services efficiency and profitability, and be proactive in recommending actions to continuously strengthen both.
- Talent: Oversee and guide staffing decisions and professional development opportunities across the team that align with the overall business plan and growth initiatives. Sign off on all VP-level and below hires and promotions.
- Operations: Oversee day-to-day agency operations of the services business, including technology, administration and related budgets.
- Maintain awareness of the external and internal competitive landscape, opportunities for expansion, customers, markets, new industry developments and standards, and so forth.
- Concentrate professional development on business management and operational excellence of services firms.
- Offer recommendations on new program/services development, identifying opportunities, and program mapping. With CEO and key stakeholder buy-in, integrate departmental heads on the development, marketing, and sales of new offerings.
- Build and maintain key external relationships to promote the agency’s brand.
Ready North is an equal opportunity provider. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.