Company: MaintenanceNet, Inc.
Company Description: Founded in 2004, MaintenanceNet empowers the world’s leading manufacturers and their channel partners to expand the scope and success of their service sales initiatives. Through its cloud platform along with automation and big data expertise, the company has delivered billions of dollars in service revenues and improved overall customer satisfaction and retention for the businesses it serves.
Nomination Category: Individual Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Female Executive of the Year – Business Services –11 to 2,500 Employees

Nomination Title: Kelly Crothers, VP of Global Marketing

Describe for the judges the activities and accomplishments of the nominated executive since the beginning of July last year (up to 525 words):

While she’s still a few years away from the age of 40, Kelly Crothers has accomplished a lot more in the past 12 months than many of us can achieve in business in a lifetime, having firmly established MaintenanceNet as a global leader in service revenue generation. Making use of her natural leadership skills, in 2013-14 she has guided the company through important product milestones, enabling it to attract new customers and expand relationships with existing customers including Cisco and Ingram Micro – two of the biggest forces in the global technology sector.

Among her accomplishments in the past year include:

• Played a key role in the doubling of MaintenanceNet’s European business and operations and its delivery of more than 2.5 billion service quotes and hundreds of millions of dollars in new revenue streams for customers in 2013.

• Instrumental in MaintenanceNet’s year-over-year revenue growth of 42 percent in 2013 along with 33 percent increase in staff.

• Was successful in helping MaintenanceNet secure more than $12M in funding from investment firm Kayne Capital in 2014.

• Successfully differentiated and elevated the MaintenanceNet brand in a complex and competitive market to fuel the company’s record growth. Implemented high-impact marketing strategies directed at solving customers’ most pressing service sales challenges.

• Orchestrated consistent content marketing and lead generation programs; a complete re-design of the company website; and ongoing marketing, public relations and social media programs across Google+, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook, as well as the company’s blog.

• Spearheaded the initiatives behind MaintenanceNet – as well as its clients -- earning more than a dozen industry and local/regional awards in 2013 and 2014.

• Took over product management responsibilities within MaintenanceNet to ensure product development and innovation milestones are met.

• Increased marketing staff by 200% in 2013.

• Grew MaintenanceNet’s selling services industry blog with best-practice advice and guidelines for marketing and sales professionals.

• Supported/helped drive business customers’ channel-facing marketing programs with ideas, initiatives and promotional tools specifically designed to increase sales.

• An avid writer, Crothers found time to contribute more than 10 “how to”” articles on marketing and technology to industry trade journals with a goal of helping other professionals to move their businesses forward.

Beyond all of her accomplishments at such a young age, it is her “do the right thing” work ethic and her ongoing desire to get the job done that has empowered and inspired others – both inside and outside of her organization -- to work hard and achieve their goals. Crothers has also cultivated a big picture mentality within MaintenanceNet that inspires employees to contribute to the community, treat vendors and customers right and work with integrity above all things. In addition, she works closely with young staff members to develop their leadership and professional skills to support MaintenanceNet’s “build from within” philosophy. For the above reasons we believe Crothers would make an excellent choice as female executive of the year.

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Provide a brief biography of the nominated executive (up to 125 words):

Kelly Crothers’ strategic marketing vision has guided MaintenanceNet since 2004. Starting out her career as marketing manager, she defined and implemented the formal go-to-market plan for MaintenanceNet and then worked her way up to become director of marketing. She was then named vice president of marketing in 2012, and, in 2014, she was appointed VP of global marketing and also placed in charge of global product management and internal communications. A creative and resourceful professional, Crothers continues to position the company at the forefront of the technology industry through innovative, multi-channel marketing strategies that reflect the company’s competitive spirit. She has successfully established the company as a leader and innovator in its field, and is dedicated to its ongoing success.