Eric Olson

Eric Olson, marketing and communications executive

Proven Leadership

I’ve read a lot of resumes.  If you’re reading this, you’ve likely seen mine.  And like me, you question how much you can rely on what you’ve just read.  This is a landing page.  It’s function is to provide an additional layer of value or information to an end-user responding to ads or content pieces you distribute through your digital distribution network, in order to build their confidence in moving to next stage in your sales funnel.  It is a key component of digital strategy for several types of products or services.  I’m adding value by providing content that further supports what you’ve seen in my resume. In this case, my top five StrengthsFinder themes and testimonials from my colleagues and clients!  Take a look and see if it doesn’t help support the claims I’ve made in my resume!

Top 5 Strengths – Descriptions:

STRATEGIC:  Create alternative ways to proceed. Faced with any given scenario, they can quickly spot the relevant patterns and issues.

FUTURISTIC:  Inspired by the future and what could be. They inspire others with their visions of the future.

BELIEF:  Possess core values that are unchanging. Out of these values emerges a defined purpose for their life.

CONNECTEDNESS:  Sees the links between things. They believe there are few coincidences and that almost every event has a reason.

RESPONSIBILITY:  Takes ownership of what they say they will do. They are committed to stable values such as honesty and loyalty.

Contact Me

Whether you’re looking for a permanent team leader or consulting services, I’d love to hear from you!

In their own words

Eric is one of the most strategic thinkers I have ever met. He sees the big picture and is able to define and develop practical steps to implement strategies. He is an effective communicator and able to connect with various individuals at all levels of the organization. Eric's impact on our digital marketing has been a game-changer. He understands markets and how to utilize technology to reach into those markets.
Tim Rich
Vice President, Human Resources, UNW
I have known Eric for over 5 years now. I have also had the recent privilege of teaching Eric in the MBA program. Eric is a dedicated and talented addition to any team. Eric helped us on the cabinet, while I worked at Northwestern, to articulate marketing needs. He consistently gave great ideas on paths forward. Eric has a strategic mind and an ability to bring together multiple disciplines in an institution to build a consistent message.
David
Vice President, Technology
Eric understands digital, and people. If you need a leader, not a manager, Eric is it. Sure, his credentials speak for themselves. But he's left a lasting impression on me with his ability to lead from both a place of strength and grace, and he knows how to empower a team—fast tracking trust, dedication, and results from his direct reports and respect from his colleagues. Everyone wins with Eric on your team.
Kali Barlau
Kali Barlau
Mirum Agency
Eric's intelligence, creativity, and deep understanding of complex business problems complement his honesty, integrity, work ethic, and friendliness. If I had to put together a marketing "dream team," Eric would be on it! He is a natural teacher and leader, and I relied upon his out-of-the-box thinking and ability to articulate interesting solutions to organizational challenges.
Tanya Grosz
Dean of Graduate, Online, & Adult Learning, UNW
Eric is that rare breed of creative visionary who can see the big picture, but also roll up his sleeves and dig into the details. He has a great depth of understanding of digital marketing, and he combines that with an understanding of how our various partners' processes might be impacted by marketing efforts, which is greatly appreciated. Along with all that, Eric is friendly, dedicated, hard-working, gracious, and always willing to help.
Sara Ring
Director of Marketing
Eric is uniquely gifted in analyzing an organization's digital presence to adeptly identify the opportunities and create strategy - gracefully bridging vision to project management and the operational requirements. It has been my privilege and honor to watch him in action in countless creative problem-solving situations at UNW. His particular skills have made a significant impact in unifying loosely networked departments and processes, building a foundation for far better communication and greater productivity for the university. He is a man of integrity with strong leadership and team building skills. Eric is a joy to work for and beside.
Donna Jump
Donna Jump
Digital Specialist, UNW
I've loved working for and with Eric. He cares about developing people, in addition to pushing business objectives forward. His leadership supported, challenged, and empowered me to achieve my best work. He is forward thinking and helped me understand how digital marketing strategy, innovation, and customer focus work together in powerful ways.
Jeff Lane
Jeff Lane
Digital Marketing Specialist, UNW
I had the opportunity to work with Eric on the roll out of a web portal, and it was a great experience. He does an excellent job of ideating with multiple people and tracking the conclusions that have been reached. He is very effective at assessing where a site is lacking and casting vision for what is needed to move the site to where it needs to be. He also has a knack for coordinating work efforts among multiple people to make sure that we progress steadily toward project completion without dropping any balls en route. I always enjoy getting to meet with Eric to work on tasks, because I know that the time will be used well and that the end result will be an improvement in our overall web presence.
Dave Gjerdingen
Dave Gjerdingen
Senior Web Developer, UNW
Eric is a creative thinker, with a rare balance between the analytical and intuitive. He knows how to spec out a project, and he cares about the people involved. A strong team player and excellent communicator, Eric brings depth and perspective to everything he does.
Jon Diercks
IT Director, Ghirardo CPA
Eric has helped our company to brand our services very well. Over the years he has guided a number of our employees (all with differing opinions) to a final product which accurately reflects the personality of our company. He is respectful, insightful, and he has a great eye for a product that appeals to our customers. I would highly recommend him.
Deb Nygaard
Deb Nygaard
Development Director, ACR Homes
Eric's ability to combine both cutting edge design with bleeding edge technology is outstanding. When ever we asked "can we do this?" Eric found a way to make it happen. Through our use of technology, we accomplished our objectives and are very excited by the results. I can highly recommend Eric as THE GUY you want to have assisting your company with any marketing / web needs that you have.
Scott Williamson
Scott Williamson
Marketing Specialist