Heather Balley

Experience

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  Simon and Schuster

  Jun 1994 - Oct 1997

  Marketing Manager
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  Mercer

  Nov 1997 - Jul 2002

  Supported management of largest clients, established project teams, and monitored project budgets ($50K–$1M+). Wrote and project-managed RFPs and client presentations for largest market (New York metro). Helped senior client managers maintain profitable client relationships and directly supervised junior consultants. Developed communications for Fortune 500 companies to help employees understand HR programs and benefits. Created and maintained client HR website content, including materials related to launch and ongoing updates. Conducted focus groups and summarized/analyzed key findings to help clients understand/influence employees. Planned and implemented numerous marketing events, including client/prospect symposiums, seminars, and roundtables. Conducted market research for new business development and created quarterly reports using proprietary software.

  • Client Management Consultant

    Jun 2001 - Jul 2002

  • Communication Consultant

    Sept 2000 - Jun 2001

  • Marketing Coordinator

    Nov 1997 - Aug 2000
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  Delaware Investments, a member of the Macquarie Group

  Aug 2002 - Dec 2003

  Senior Writer and Marketing Specialist

  Created print and Web marketing materials for Delaware products, including mutual funds, retirement products, and 529 plans. Developed a customized proposal ordering system, which resulted in over $1.2 billion in active proposals. Drafted and projectmanaged requests for proposals and large-scale client presentations.

• 

  Lincoln Financial Group

  Jan 2004 - May 2013

  Provided strategic leadership for retirement plan services marketing initiatives and worked with all areas of the organization— particularly with sales and product counterparts to develop effective marketing strategies directed toward the financial intermediary audience. This was accomplished by creatively exploring new avenues of marketing, using all available media to design and successfully execute targeted marketing campaigns that helped Lincoln enhance its image and gain market share in the retirement plan space. Developed creative strategies focused on opportunities for specific market segments, including small business owners, baby boomers, generational investing, women and investing, Latin markets, LGBT, and other diversity targets.• Effectively managed project team that developed and delivered cutting-edge digital pricing application, driving enhanced mobile capabilities for sales force, which resulted in cost savings of approximately $500K.• Successfully developed and implemented a systematized approach to selling and closing business, working closely with sales leadership to ensure all communications encompassed a strong sales message and process, resulting in 2012 sales up 45% over prior year.• Effectively managed development of a suite of award-winning marketing and communication materials in preparation for large-scale regulatory change.• Collaborated with sales and relationship management to support rapid expansion of retirement plan solutions into strategic partner firms like Ameriprise, Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, and Linsco Private Ledger, resulting in Lincoln exceeding its partner sales goal in 8 of 9 firms.• Developed web strategy and completely overhauled retirement plan content for Lincoln advisor website used by over 10,000 investment professionals.• Drove sales through partnership with sales leadership by developing targeted cross-sell marketing campaign to internal sales force, resulting in $100 million in additional sales for 2012. Show less Responsible for all aspects of $10 million retirement solutions marketing budget, and assisted in $2 million cost savings in 2009 by consolidating vendors for enrollment kits. Effectively managed multiple complex marketing projects from inception to completion and developed overall marketing plan for Lincoln’s entire range of retirement solutions and broad employee educational campaigns. Marketed and communicated to all retirement client audiences, coordinated focus groups, and created “voice of the customer” profiles. Show less

  • Director of Marketing, Retirement Plan Services

    Jun 2010 - May 2013

  • Marketing Manager, Retirement Solutions

    Jan 2004 - May 2010
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  PIMCO

  May 2013 - Sept 2014

  Vice President, Distribution and Campaign Marketing

  •Developed and implemented an integrated marketing strategy to raise assets across ETF strategies. -Reinforced PIMCO’s position as the leading provider of actively managed ETFs -Developed ETF value proposition, marketing plan, themed solutions, product launches, ETF management and sales channel engagement to establish short and long-term goals, advertising, product placement on partner websites. -Integrated ETFs in intermediary partner communications (e.g. advisor newsletters, intranet sites, events), managed event strategy including sponsorships, created ETF brand, developed cross-sell opportunities, improved website, developed content/thought leadership for intermediary channels (broker/dealer, DC, Inst., RIA).•Responsible for auditing EMEA marketing support by assessing sales needs, usage and priorities on a country-by-country basis and working with head of EMEA marketing to establish success guidelines around clarity of functions, sales goals and staff.•Created and oversaw the implementation of focused investment campaigns for defined contribution, asset protection, general economic and market conditions, active management, and value-added programs, including a modular customizable library on investor-focused meeting topics. Show less

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  AllianceBernstein

  Oct 2014 - now

  VP Managing Director Participant Communication and Defined Contribution Business Development

  •Ownership of participant communication, retirement education and financial wellness programs for AB’s institutional and retail defined contribution (DC) businesses, representing over $50 billion in assets under management.-Objective: to simplify the participant experience using easy-to-understand language, increased use of visuals and a simple call to action in all content development―with participant research as the foundation of all content.-Develop participant content and materials for AB’s retail target-date products, lifetime income solution and partner relationship with Alight’s custom glide path product WealthSpark.-Coordinate with institutional and retail sales, portfolio management and product teams to increase sales of target-date and individual investment strategies in DC line of business•Integral member of AB’s DC business development team―regularly participating in exploratory and finalist meetings, presenting AB’s participant communication strategy to the largest and most sophisticated DC plan prospects•Strategic oversight of custom participant communication strategy for AB’s approximately $40 billion custom target-date client roster. - Strategize with clients to develop custom communications programs specific to their participant population, considering all aspects of the plan, including plan goals, demographics, culture, and success factors. -Maintain successful and profitable relationships with existing institutional clients by providing ongoing participant communications and education support to millions of retirement plan participants.-Attend and present at client due diligence meetings.-Regularly meet with heads of treasury and human resources.•Head of AB’s proprietary DC research for plan sponsors and participants, with the goal of building AB’s defined contribution brand awareness and reinforcing AB’s position as a thought leader.-Deliver defined contribution thought leadership through papers, blogs and marketing campaigns Show less