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Georgette Topakas 1428 East Valley Road, Montecito, CA 93108 T: 805-448-0390 E: [email protected] Marketing Executive With Broad Healthcare, Retail, & Social Media Experience An innovative and highly successful marketing entrepreneur with experience in pharmaceuticals, generics, biotech, animal health, and real estate. Creator of specialized animal health products that identified an untapped consumer need and launched a successful new line. Marketing program designer that is able to effectively influence end-users by tailoring programs to meet their needs. A leader with experience in managing and developing large cross-functional staff. Clearly understands key aspects of marketing including sales, advertising, social media, and customer support. Has worked with in partnership with marketing companies, including top East Coast advertising agencies, PR firms, Market Research, Contract Sales Forces, and Medical Education. Experienced in a bi-coastal work environment. Highlights of Relevant Experience Founder & Owner, Zephyr’s Garden, LLC, 2006 – 2013, sold in 12/13 to Uckele Animal Nutrition Zephyr’s Garden created and produced all natural herbal-based topical products for equines and canines. Canine line added in 2011. Zephyr’s Garden became profitable within 2 years of launch and doubled sales yearly without any outside investors or partners. Need for natural products identified in 2006 due to personal experience, which led to two years researching, formulating, creating, and testing product line. All products are 100% herbal based. Launched in 2008 with eight products, my web-based company had retail and wholesale accounts throughout the United States, shipped to customers in six different countries, and expanded its product line to include 24 products. Personally identified initial product line and regularly reached out to customers for new product suggestions. Strong customer feedback and communication was the key to my company’s success. Company focus was concise, specialized in topical issues pertaining to allergies, insect irritation, and bacterial and fungal infections. Identified this as a market all horse owners find critical. Responsible for new product development, social media development and interaction, design of labels and advertisement, all press releases, website content and photography, vendor relations and new wholesale accounts, and ensuring top quality production. Launched Facebook page in 2009 and created a community of over 9000 horse lovers in nineteen different countries, that regularly visited the page for top natural care information. Created second website, launched in November 2011, to provide customers with enhanced product information, healthcare archives and links to key articles, including several I have had published. Products have received accolades and awards from leading equine magazines and professionals including: Top Product Of The Year”, CA Riding Magazine for the Anti-Fungal Salve Top Choice” and “Editor Favorite”, Horse Journal for Healing Salve I Favorite Products”, Horse Illustrated for entire product line Editor’s Choice”, Modern Arabian Horse for the Anti-Fungal Salve Partner, Hicks Reconstruction, LLC, 2001 – 2005 Worked with partner to identify, purchase, renovate and sell multi-million dollar homes in Montecito. Branched into commercial properties with a portfolio that included apartments, a retail building on State Street and an historic building in Stockton, CA. Responsible for all exterior renovations including landscaping, irrigation, drainage, hardscape, working with contractors, realtors, and attorneys.

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Georgette Topakas1428 East Valley Road, Montecito, CA 93108

T: 805-448-0390 E: [email protected]

Marketing Executive With Broad Healthcare, Retail, & Social Media Experience

An innovative and highly successful marketing entrepreneur with experience in pharmaceuticals, generics, biotech, animal health, and real estate. Creator of specialized animal health products that identified an untapped consumer need and launched a successful new line. Marketing program designer that is able to effectively influence end-users by tailoring programs to meet their needs. A leader with experience in managing and developing large cross-functional staff. Clearly understands key aspects of marketing including sales, advertising, social media, and customer support. Has worked with in partnership with marketing companies, including top East Coast advertising agencies, PR firms, Market Research, Contract Sales Forces, and Medical Education. Experienced in a bi-coastal work environment.

Highlights of Relevant Experience

Founder & Owner, Zephyr’s Garden, LLC, 2006 – 2013, sold in 12/13 to Uckele Animal Nutrition

• Zephyr’s Garden created and produced all natural herbal-based topical products for equines and canines. Canine line added in 2011.• Zephyr’s Garden became profitable within 2 years of launch and doubled sales yearly without any outside investors or partners.• Need for natural products identified in 2006 due to personal experience, which led to two years researching, formulating, creating, and

testing product line. All products are 100% herbal based.• Launched in 2008 with eight products, my web-based company had retail and wholesale accounts throughout the United States, shipped

to customers in six different countries, and expanded its product line to include 24 products. • Personally identified initial product line and regularly reached out to customers for new product suggestions. Strong customer feedback

and communication was the key to my company’s success. • Company focus was concise, specialized in topical issues pertaining to allergies, insect irritation, and bacterial and fungal infections.

Identified this as a market all horse owners find critical. • Responsible for new product development, social media development and interaction, design of labels and advertisement, all press

releases, website content and photography, vendor relations and new wholesale accounts, and ensuring top quality production.• Launched Facebook page in 2009 and created a community of over 9000 horse lovers in nineteen different countries, that regularly visited

the page for top natural care information.• Created second website, launched in November 2011, to provide customers with enhanced product information, healthcare archives and

links to key articles, including several I have had published.• Products have received accolades and awards from leading equine magazines and professionals including:

⬥ “Top Product Of The Year”, CA Riding Magazine for the Anti-Fungal Salve ⬥ “Top Choice” and “Editor Favorite”, Horse Journal for Healing Salve I⬥ “Favorite Products”, Horse Illustrated for entire product line⬥ “Editor’s Choice”, Modern Arabian Horse for the Anti-Fungal Salve

Partner, Hicks Reconstruction, LLC, 2001 – 2005

• Worked with partner to identify, purchase, renovate and sell multi-million dollar homes in Montecito.• Branched into commercial properties with a portfolio that included apartments, a retail building on State Street and an historic building in

Stockton, CA. • Responsible for all exterior renovations including landscaping, irrigation, drainage, hardscape, working with contractors, realtors, and

attorneys.

Page 2: Georgette Topakas Resume pdf

Georgette Topakas – Page 2 T: 805-448-0390 E: [email protected]

Co-Owner & President, PromoTech Reseach Associates, 1988 – 2000

• PromoTech was a Colorado based, highly sought after full-service direct marketing company that specialized in targeted programs to produce significant return on investment for top pharmaceutical companies.

• Services included project management, direct mail, database management, fulfillment, telemarketing, consulting, FDA & DEA registered warehouses, project analysis, and vendor coordination.

• Joined company as third employee and built firm from a small family organization to nearly 100 employees through strong relations with pharmaceutical project management and healthcare ad agencies.

• Grew company from a one client to eight within seven years. High client retention rate. Responsible for all sales - $12 million per year at the time of sale. Through monthly travel to the tri-state area and regular communications, I maintained relationships and strong ties to all clients despite being based out of Colorado.

• Company’s reputation and demand for services grew due to our unique interactive marketing programs, attention to detail, my strong personal commitment to the success of all programs, excellent staff, and our ability to be flexible.

• Hand picked key staff and trained them to fit the expectations of our pharmaceutical clients. Our top administration had zero turnover from 1994 – 2001.

• One of our key marketing programs, National Consulting Panel which was developed in-house, effectively influenced doctors through a variety of consistent communications to positively influence prescribing habits. This program was used to leverage sales within multiple drug categories.

• Experience in multi-million dollar product launches, including a key role in the launch of Habitrol. Our role included DTC, Direct to Physician telemarketing and mail, sales force fulfillment and reporting.

• Worked with field force staff from Regional Managers to Territory Representatives in varied capacities such as sample fulfillment, updates on physician activities within targeted programs, and spoke at regional meetings on program status.

• Marketing programs were targeted to internists, generalists, OB/GYN, dermatologists, surgeons, cardiologists, nurses, and psychiatrists.• Worked with top pharmaceutical companies including Novartis, Aventis, Cephalon, Abbott, Allergan, Kauffman, Geneva

Pharmaceuticals, and Becton Dickinson; advertising agencies such as Harrison & Star, Integrated, Torre Lazur, McCann; market research firms such as Boron LePore & Assocs., and Strategem Inc.

• My partner and I sold PromoTech in 1999 having received eleven bids for the company. We moved forward with Snyder Communications, who added us to their “dream team” of pharmaceutical marketing services, which included a medical education firm and two contract sales forces.

• Relocated to CA in 2000.

Education

University of Arizona, Tucson, AZBachelor of Landscape Architecture, 1987

University of Colorado, BoulderPostgraduate work toward an MBA, 2000

Associations

American Horse Publishers AssociationUnited States Equestrian Federation

United States Tennis AssociationInterscholastic Equestrian League

Australian Shepherd Rescue of Southern California