Marketing investment
At Carrington, I determined the media investment mix and managed a $30 million annual budget. What mattered wasn't a cheaper lead. It was more student starts at a sustainable cost.
Lisa Ramirez · Senior marketing & growth leader
I like finding out why things aren't working. Then fixing them.
Why did that campaign work? Where did the inquiry go? Why are three people doing the same job? And why are we spending more money before finding out what happened to the last lot?
I'm a marketing leader who likes the strategy, the numbers, and the work required to make both mean something. I've spent more than 25 years in higher education, multi-location businesses, and community organizations. I don't believe in leaving the difficult bits for somebody else.
$30MAnnual media budget personally managed and reforecasted at Carrington Colleges Group
800+Additional student starts in one year, with a 9% lower cost per start
35People in the centralized inquiry operation I built and led
How I work
Find the problem. Follow the evidence. Get it sorted.
At Apollo College, which later became Carrington, inquiries went directly to individual campuses. We couldn't consistently see what happened next. I originated a centralized inquiry pilot so we could find out and improve the follow-up. At Carrington, we scaled it into a 35-person operation across 18 campuses.
I joked that capturing every inquiry might make the enrollment rate worse. More leads, bigger denominator. Basic math. Instead, in the operation’s first year, the rate increased by 15%. Rather satisfying.
That experience shaped how I think about marketing. You can spend a fortune attracting people, but it won't help if you're losing them somewhere between the first click and the actual experience.
Three parts of the same career
Big decisions. Messy details. Actual results.
Brand, inquiries, and academic positioning
At University of Advancing Technology, I managed brand and offline marketing, built HubSpot inquiry intake and nurture workflows, and served on the Provost Council, contributing marketing input on program positioning, naming, and new offerings.
Making it work
With community groups and small businesses, I've built websites, communications, and automation that cut out the unnecessary chasing. Less theatre, more useful work.
What I'm looking for
Good people. Real problems. Room to get things done.
I'm open to senior marketing leadership and consulting work where the brief is to improve something that matters. Based in Arizona, with remote and Phoenix-area opportunities a natural fit.