Mary Ray -
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Published on: 12/14/2007
Last Visited: 12/14/2007
Mary Ray joined Surfline, Inc.'s management team as Director of Marketing in June 2005.As the leading provider of surf report and forecast information to consumers, businesses and government agencies worldwide, Surfline merges premier surf report and forecast talent with industry-leading technology to produce compelling and ever-changing content demanded by active participants of surfing, windsurfing, bodysurfing and bodyboarding.Ms. Ray is charged with maximizing purchasing activity among subscribers, customers, registrants and new visitors.She oversees the creation and implementation of website features, customer experience enhancements and email programs.
Prior to Surfline, Ms. Ray served as Vice President of Marketing for TotalVid, a video download store and wholly owned subsidiary of Landmark Communications. As part of the three-member executive team at TotalVid, Ms. Ray contributed her innovative marketing savvy and operational experience to the strategic vision and brand of the online video distribution business.She was responsible for driving revenue and customer acquisition, enhancing the TotalVid web site experience, and overseeing corporate communications.While much of her focus centered on online marketing and meeting consumer demand, Ms. Ray endeavored to develop integrated marketing relationships with publishing sites and the TotalVid commerce site.Her goal in doing this was to expand the company's brand within niche categories, from surfing to home improvement.
It was Ms. Ray's marketing background that eventually led her to Landmark Communications.She had joined the company's Corporate Development group in June of 2003 as New Ventures Director, where she was an active board member for Naxcom, Inc., providing strategic planning and deep interactive marketing expertise to the online sports auction site.Ms. Ray also contributed to Landmark's investment criteria for new ventures in the area of broadband in the home, as well as evaluated business plans and investment opportunities.In addition, Ms Ray spearheaded a critical benchmark study related to online customer churn and loyalty for CoolSavings.com (another Landmark subsidiary and public company).
Ms. Ray's earliest business achievement was at ThirdAge.com, as Group Manager of Interactive Marketing where she applied strategic direct marketing discipline to the online publishing magazine.As a result, ThirdAge was propelled to be one of the top 10 fastest growing web sites of 1999 (Industry Standard Ranking).At ThirdAge, Ms. Ray grew the membership base from 200,000 to 1,100,000 through the integration of in-house and outsourced creative development and media buys.The momentum of this growth provided the tangible results for San Francisco-based ThirdAge Media Inc. to close a third round of venture capital financing worth $89 million.Investors included CBS Corp., Merrill Lynch, American Century Investments and Hollinger International Inc.ThirdAge is an Internet news and resource provider aimed at people ages 45 to 65.
Ms. Ray did her undergraduate work George Mason University's College of Arts & Sciences.From there she launched her marketing career with Craver, Mathews, Smith & Co., the nation's leading pubic interest direct marketing firm with a non-profit cliental, such as Amnesty International, Habitat for Humanity, Operation Smile, and the Central Park Conservancy.An interest in the booming dot-com phenomenon of the late 1990s is what motivated her move to San Francisco where she could more rapidly apply her direct marketing fundraising skill set to Internet businesses.
Eventually, Ms. Ray earned her MBA from the College of William and Mary, where she served as President of the Graduate of Women in Business, and Entrepreneur Committee Chairman.Mid-way through her studies, Ms. Ray attended GE's Leadership Development Institute in Crotonville, and worked on GE Industrial Systems' mergers and acquisitions team for the successful acquisition of Ion Track.
With regard to her management style, Mary Ray believes in maximizing the potential of each employee by fostering an environment that engages each person's desire to find the intrinsic value of their work.She believes this type of preparation and investment placed on an employee bolsters productivity and innovation.
Mary Ray is also the founder of The Metropolitan Review, an online and print literary journal with issues from 1997-1999.
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