Episode #115: How to Structure Your AEC Marketing Department: Insights from Industry Leaders, Part 1
Have you ever wondered how to structure your AEC marketing department to support your firm’s growth and your employee’s growth? Should you mix marketing and proposal duties amongst the team? Should you separate the marketing and proposal management responsibilities? How do other AEC firms structure their marketing departments?
If so, you’re not alone. This is a question that comes up a lot, and in episode 115 of “Marketers Take Flight,” I’m diving deep into the topic.
In fact, I’ve asked three marketing leaders to join me on the episode. They’ve come on to open up about how they structured their marketing department. And, best of all, they are from very different-sized firms that work in pretty diverse markets.
My guests are Anna Skeete, Marketing Director at Protean Design Group, Russ Sanford, FSMPS, CPSM Chief Growth Officer at Kleinschmidt, and Kinnari Desai, Marketing Manager at Geosyntec Consultants. Together, they share their unique department structures and the benefits they’ve realized from them. They also discuss how understanding the purpose of marketing can change the mindset from just doing social media or proposals to being an integral part of the firm’s success.
During this episode, you’ll learn:
- The #1 reason each guest chose to structure their department (spoiler alert: they’re all different)
- When to decide to make changes to your original department structure
- What benefits you can realize from an effective department structure
And best of all, this is just part 1 of a two-part series. By the end of the series, you’ll have a clear understanding of how to structure your AEC marketing department for success. You’ll be able to contribute to your firm’s growth while making recruiting and retention easier for yourself.
So, what are you waiting for? Listen to episode 115 of “Marketers Take Flight” now and take your marketing game to the next level.
Kinnari Desai, Marketing Manager, Geosyntec Consultants
Kinnari is a marketing professional with over 15 years of experience developing integrated marketing campaigns for technology brands until the AEC industry caught her eye in 2021. Marketing for services in the physical world have as many technical complexities as hardware and SaaS marketing which continues to challenge Kinnari in her career growth. She thrives in distilling technical jargon into impactful value propositions agnostic of the marketing touchpoint.
Geosyntec Consultants is a consulting and engineering firm with a combined staff exceeding 1,800 engineers, scientists, and support personnel in over 90 offices globally. At Geosyntec Consultants, she helps engineers and scientists meet their sales goals in Geosyntec’s ‘Sell-Manage-Do’ model. Kinnari has a M.S. in Communication Management from the University of Southern California and a B.A. in International Studies and Business Management from the University of California, Irvine.
Russ Sanford, FSMPS, CPSM, Chief Growth Officer, Kleinschmidt
Russ is an engineer by education, but a business leader by choice. He is passionate about helping technical professionals learn and master the art of winning work! He serves as a strategist, coach, and mentor for technical professionals while developing a seller/doer culture at Kleinschmidt, a national engineering and environmental consulting firm with a focus on energy, water, and the environment.
Russ earned a B.S. in Civil Engineering and has over 30 years of marketing, business development, and sales experience within professional service firms including engineering, construction, and architecture. He is a Fellow and a Certified Professional Services Marketer (FSMPS, CPSM) from the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS).
Anna Skeete, Marketing Director, Protean Design Group, Inc.
Anna Skeete is the Director of Marketing for Protean Design Group, Inc., a small transportation-focused engineering firm in Florida. Bringing 15 years of marketing experience in the AEC industry, Anna oversees all marketing efforts within Protean—from proposal development to presentation coaching, strategic planning to overall branding, CRM customization and implementation to annual project manager training. During her 8 years with Protean, Anna has contributed to a 350% increase in sales through streamlined and targeted practices and has built a department to support the growing marketing responsibilities. Anna has been active with the SMPS Central Florida Chapter since 2008.
Hiring new professionals for your AEC marketing department?
Utilize this done-for-you starter kit to help recruit your next marketer. It includes job descriptions, interview questions, and measurable performance goals for all roles – from marketing assistant to graphic design and communications – for your AEC marketing department.
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