Dana Theus 

An innovative, results-driven executive Dana Theus, Principal and Co-Founder of B2B Marketing Excellence, brings clients a fresh perspective to their business challenges. Calling on over 20 years experience in high-technology, startup and non-profit engagements she helps organizations refine and improve their brand identity and strategic market positioning, concentrating on targeted and cost-effective use of cutting edge technologies. Ms. Theus specializes in social media, product marketing, partnership development, public relations, marketing communications and strategic planning.  

Working with clients seeking to solidify stakeholder relations through strategic brand initiatives, Ms. Theus facilitates client executive teams in creating motivational vision, mission and values statements; refining their strategic marketing focus through refined and targeted positioning efforts; and developing communications and social media plans to achieve their vision with the enthusiasm of employees, partners and customers. Her strengths are in quickly identifying strategic positioning opportunities; isolating the discontinuities blocking organizations from taking advantage of them; and supporting executive teams in engaging internal and external audiences in the way forward.

Throughout her eight years consulting, she has led commercial and nonprofit clients as they repositioned their brands through the launch of new web, social media, software and services initiatives. She has also led several product planning initiatives through business case development, board approval and launch. The effectiveness of her efforts has been demonstrated by consistent revenue increases and/or significant expense reduction and increased audience exposure through the streamlined use of technology and innovative market positioning. Her clients have included General Mills, Innovative Concepts, Inc. (now a division of Elbit Systems of America), TMA Resources, FreeFlight Systems, Intersections, Inc., the Points of Light Foundation, the International Food Information Council, the Ecological Society of America and The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Prior to launching her consulting practice, Ms. Theus held executive positions for technology startups Bantu Inc. and CareerBuilder, Inc., overseeing all aspects of marketing and product marketing for these enterprise software and web application companies. As Vice President of Marketing at Bantu she spearheaded the company’s initiative to penetrate corporate and federal government markets for secure instant messaging and managed brand development, marketing communications and public relations efforts resulting in steady press coverage and multiple analyst mentions. As a member of the executive team, she was instrumental in developing the product and business strategies at the heart of the company’s first successful funding round. At CareerBuilder, Ms. Theus managed its entire product line during 500% growth cycle as the firm grew from $3 million to $16 million in corporate sales and went public. In addition to managing Careerbuilder.com, she was responsible for the launch of its Web-based recruiting software and services product line, tele-sales channel, advertising business line and a partner affiliate technical network infrastructure supporting more than 25 affiliate sites. In support of the direct, inside and distribution partner sales teams, she implemented pricing strategies that increased average revenue per customer over 60% while reducing sales channel discounting by 40%. Prior to these product marketing experiences she worked at Tele-TV (a joint venture of Bell Atlantic/Verizon, Pacific Telesis and NYNEX) and Bell Atlantic Video Services exploring the early commercialization of broadband networks. Beginning her career at EDS she initiated the company’s first international telecommunications and technology policy initiative, representing EDS to U.S. Federal and State governments, and building the company’s government affairs presence in the European Union. Ms. Theus was also a member of an Executive Task Force, appointed by the President and CEO, assigned to assess EDS Europe’s organizational effectiveness and business practices.

Ms. Theus has served as Adjunct Professor of Marketing at George Mason University’s School of Management Graduate Program for Executives and has taught an MBA short course for the University of Maryland, School of Public Policy. She received a BA in communications from the University of California, Los Angeles and an MA in communications from the University of Southern California. An accomplished speaker, Ms. Theus is an active volunteer in her local community as a Member of the Arlington Economic Development Commission and a Director on the board of the District Alliance for Safe Housing in Washington D.C. She is also a former Commissioner on the Arlington Commission for the Arts (Marketing Committee Chair) and a former Member of the Board of Directors for Bowen McCauley Dance. She is a current member of ASAE & The Center for Association Leadership.