Mark Vankirk

Background

About Mark Vankirk

Ask me about product innovation, user experience design, marketing, or knowledge management. In response, you're likely to get a smile and an animated response touting the transformative power these disciplines can have on business, when executed properly. My passion is creating powerful and profitable products and stories that connect companies to their target audience and activate the hidden potential in their institutional knowledge. Every brand has a story to tell. I'm the storyteller. The most successful stories are built on a foundation of knowing the audience, understanding the direction of the marketplace, and believing in the brand's products or services. The special ingredient I add to the recipe is the practical insight gained from wearing many hats over the course of my career: product manager, strategist, marketer, writer, business developer, designer, and researcher. Experience has taught me that the professional value I bring to a company boils down to this- I'm an Idea Guy. But even more important than that, I know how to execute on those ideas- I'm fluent in all aspects of product management. I speak marketer, developer, writer, designer, editor, salesperson, and client. Being fluent in all those languages reduces missteps. Missteps are expensive- I just want us to win. I don't care who gets credit- I'm the thoughtful one. I'm thinking about what we need to do now, with an eye on the horizon to be ready for what we’ll need to do next- I'm a great fireman, but I prefer to prevent fires in the first place. I love making new professional connections and hearing others' war stories. Reach out if you'd like to talk product design, UX, marketing, design thinking.or Chelsea F.C. soccer (Go Blues!). Areas of emphasis: product management, innovation and design thinking, user experience, marketing and content strategy, cross-functional collaboration, digital transformation, agile methodology, and multicultural communication.