Résumé / CV
Lisa Ramirez
Senior Marketing & Growth Leader · Phoenix, Arizona
Marketing and growth leader with 25+ years connecting brand strategy, student acquisition, enrollment operations, and institutional priorities. Directly managed and reforecasted annual media investment of up to $30 million, helped scale a two-person inquiry pilot into a 35-person operation, and directed marketing across portfolios of up to 161 schools and 30+ brands. Known for building capable teams and turning marketing activity into measurable outcomes.
Experience
Director of Marketing
University of Advancing Technology (UAT) · Tempe, ArizonaNov 2018 – Oct 2026
Director of Marketing
University of Advancing Technology (UAT) · Tempe, Arizona
Nov 2018 – Oct 2026
- Directed institutional brand strategy and offline marketing, managed the marketing coordinator, and aligned communications with university and enrollment priorities.
- Served on the Provost Council, contributing market intelligence, program positioning, naming recommendations, and an evidence-based framework to assess prospective offerings against demand, student value, and institutional readiness.
- Developed Board-level AI strategy recommendations on responsible adoption, academic differentiation, demonstrable student capabilities, and evidence-based positioning.
- Overhauled the CONNECT student orientation series, modernizing content, structure, and the new-student onboarding experience.
- Developed audience-specific HubSpot nurture journeys with personalized messaging and planned communication cadence, coordinating digital touchpoints with complementary direct mail across the prospective student journey.
Founder / Travel Advisor
EP!C Travel Agent, LLCFeb 2016 – Present
Founder / Travel Advisor
EP!C Travel Agent, LLC
Feb 2016 – Present
- Built an independent travel advisory business around consultation, curation, sales and customer experience rather than transactional booking.
- Ranked among the Top 100 salespeople worldwide during the launch of Virgin Voyages.
- Developed the brand, customer journey, sales process and service experience from first conversation through travel and repeat business.
Director, Inquiry Optimization
Colling MediaNov 2017 – Oct 2018
Director, Inquiry Optimization
Colling Media
Nov 2017 – Oct 2018
- Part-time role focused on inquiry optimization and agency-side digital acquisition, connecting campaign performance, lead quality, and enrollment outcomes.
Director, Local Marketing
Cadence Education (formerly Phoenix Children’s Academy)May 2015 – Nov 2017
Director, Local Marketing
Cadence Education (formerly Phoenix Children’s Academy)
May 2015 – Nov 2017
- Directed local marketing and enrollment support across 161 schools and 30+ education brands, adapting centralized strategy for parents and families, individual school needs, local markets and community outreach.
- Centralized inquiry handling and appointment setting for school locations, creating a consistent inquiry-to-appointment process.
- Among participating prospects, the pilot achieved an 84% appointment show rate and a 50% enrollment rate.
- Supported inquiry management, nurture, local marketing and rebrand work across a large multi-school organization.
Director, Inquiry Optimization
Carrington Colleges GroupOct 2008 – May 2015
Director, Inquiry Optimization
Carrington Colleges Group
Oct 2008 – May 2015
- Directly managed and reforecasted annual media investment of up to $30M; during one year, teams achieved 800+ additional student starts versus the prior year at 9% lower cost per start, alongside 140% growth in new leads.
- Led specialists responsible for paid search, SEO, display, mobile marketing, landing-page testing, and acquisition analysis across 18 campuses and online programs in eight states.
- Scaled the Apollo-origin inquiry model to 35 representatives, hired and managed a dedicated contact-center manager, and supported planning for a proposed 100-agent facility.
- Connected marketing, technology, inquiry routing, admissions follow-up, lifecycle communications, and conversion measurement across the student journey.
Corporate Director, Marketing
Apollo CollegeSep 2005 – Oct 2008
Corporate Director, Marketing
Apollo College
Sep 2005 – Oct 2008
- Developed a two-person centralized inquiry pilot at the Phoenix campus, personally handling calls from Game Design advertising during the program launch to understand inquiry needs firsthand.
- Built early inquiry infrastructure, recruited and trained staff, moved the pilot into dedicated space, and helped replicate the model in Sacramento through operational readiness.
- Expanded multi-location marketing responsibility and connected inquiry-generation strategy with lead routing, contact-center processes, and admissions follow-up.
Marketing Director
Collins CollegeJan 2001 – Sep 2005
Marketing Director
Collins College
Jan 2001 – Sep 2005
- Directed media, student recruitment, inquiry goals and marketing budgets in a competitive higher-education market.
- Supported a major rebrand and the launch of a second campus.
- Built the early operating discipline that connected creative and media decisions to inquiry volume and enrollment outcomes.
Core capabilities
Brand StrategyAudience & Growth StrategyMarket & Competitive ResearchCRM & Lifecycle MarketingPaid MediaDigital AcquisitionConversionMulti-Location MarketingMarketing OperationsBudget ManagementCross-Functional LeadershipAI & Automation
Education & credentials
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration · Sales & Marketing
DeVry University
Travel & Tourism
De Havilland College / University of Hertfordshire
Six Sigma Yellow Belt
Process improvement and operational discipline.
Marketing credentials
HubSpot Digital Marketing · Mailchimp Foundations · SMS Marketing