I have 13+ years experience in the Retail, Start-up, Technology, and Manufacturing industries. I have led growth and strategies in Ecommerce, Digital Marketing, Marketing, Branding Social Media, Mobile, and Omni-Channel Operations.
A thirst for knowledge and a passion for driving results, managing people, overcoming obstacles, working with cross functional teams, and building programs with the right people, strategy, and tactics has led me to where I am now, which is leading Digital and Ecommerce growth for Mark’s, one of the largest apparel retailers in Canada.
I have a constant desire to be better, and a willingness to learn, adapt, and change. That does not make me unique by any means. But combine that with an enthusiastic attitude, data-driven decision making, a love of all things digital, versatility to work with and within pretty much all company departments, and I think that at least makes me driven to succeed. Did I mention passionate?
You can find me speaking at numerous Ecommerce, Digital Marketing, Social Media, Retail, Leadership, and Digital Transformation conferences.
I am also in the process of writing my first book, which will be focus on driving Digital Transformations for companies big and small.
Johnny Russo Ecommerce and Digital Marketing Projects
I have been lucky to work with some amazing brands and with some inspiring leaders in my career. They have each helped me with my own leadership and management skills. Below is a brief summary.
For more information on my experience, please visit my LinkedIn Profile.
Here are some of the amazing retail brands I have had the privilege of working for:
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Mark’s, part of the Canadian Tire Corporation, is one of the largest apparel retailers in North America, and Canadian Tire is one of the largest and most successful retailers in Canada. It’s been a pleasure working with such amazing teams at both companies. In the last couple of years, Mark’s has been on a Digital Transformation journey. It’s been fun to lead a team in this regard, and work with phenomenal internal stakeholders and external partners.
Here are some of the projects I lead at Mark’s as Associate Vice President (AVP), of Ecommerce and Digital Marketing:
- Lead Digital Transformation initiatives, including education sessions, partner summits, change management, agile methodology, scrum sessions, testing framework, & data-driven decision-making.
- Produced triple digit year-over-year growth in Quebec with L’equipeur banner by enhancing site experience, introducing personalization initiatives, and using Voice of Customer feedback and data.
- Won 2017 Ecommerce Experience Award at the Retail Council of Canada (RCC) Stores Conference.
- Won 2017 Best Paid Search Program Award at Etail Canada.
- Won 2018 Best Email Marketing Campaign at PR Daily’s 2018 Digital PR & Social Media Awards.
- Finalist for Best Omni-Channel Retailer Award – Large Enterprise at the 2018 Canada Post Awards.
- Direct numerous Canadian Tire Corporation products and initiatives in the shared Ecommerce ecosystem.
Simply put, Bentley Leathers is a destination for all your travel needs. With 5 banners (Bentley, Access, Unic, Evex and Blackbook), Bentley provides luggage, handbags, wallets, business cases, and travel, business, and fashion accessories for the whole family. As Director of Ecommerce and Digital Marketing, our team acts as the digital hub for the entire Bentley business. We support the online channels, and ensure omni-channel operations are fully supporting 300+ stores and the ecommerce/digital vision. Our new Bentley and Blackbook sites are launching in early Spring, 2015 (stay tuned!).
Here are some of the projects I led at Bentley as Director of Ecommerce and Digital Marketing:
- Managed end-to-end re-launch of Ecommerce site on Magento platform, including full integration with ERP system (SAP), driving YoY traffic and sales increase of more than 100% shortly after re-launch.
- Built Ecommerce, Digital Marketing, Operations, and Customer Experience team to grow a digital hub within Bentley, the largest Canadian back-to-school and travel merchandise retailer.
- Used testing and data to drive User Experience (UX) enhancements, increasing conversion rate by up to 50% on mobile.
- Developed omni-channel strategy to deliver total retail results through digital, mobile, tablet, and across 300+ stores.
Mexx is an international fashion company that designs and sells clothes and accessories for men, women and children. As Director of Ecommerce and Digital Marketing, I ensured our visitors had a seamless digital experience. Hopefully they bought online, but if not, we hoped we left a desirable impression to shop in stores, contact us, or browse again in the near future.
Here are some of the projects I led at Mexx as Director of Ecommerce and Digital Marketing:
- Direct and inspire internal team and vendors, while looking after E-commerce, digital marketing, mobile and tablet optimization, social media, email marketing, operations, logistics, and customer care.
- Drive sales growth by over 300% in first 6 months.
- Increase conversions by 40%, re-designing checkout, increasing size and placement of call-to-actions, and optimizing landing pages and AdWords strategy.
- Develop and execute strategies for all web and digital marketing programs to drive traffic, increase conversions, and boost average order value.
- Lead global launch of new email service platform (ESP) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solution, including functionality assessment, vendor selection, and managing project milestones.
By offering multiple denim styles and a full fashion collection, Buffalo David Bitton’s clothing and accessories are made for fashion savvy men and women aged 18-34, who are fashion innovators seeking effortless style. As Web Marketing and Ecommerce Manager, it was my goal to make the online experience as unique as the clothes, that is, as unique and tailored to the individuals that wear them. The company is also widely known as Buffalo Jeans.
Here are some of the projects I led at Buffalo David Bitton as Ecommerce and Web Marketing Manager:
- Oversaw launch of new website with new e-commerce platform and a greater focus on growing sales; increased YOY sales by 106%, and augmented YOY traffic by 140%.
- Managed growing team of 8 full-time e-commerce employees and 2 interns, including design, analytics, social media, and customer service team members.
- Created and optimized customer acquisition, retention, and growth strategies.
- Ran online marketing activities to increase revenue and traffic in the U.S. and Canada, including PPC, SEO, SEM, re-targeting, affiliates, social media, and display advertising.
- Developed and executed e-commerce promotional calendar.
- Boosted ROI from Google PPC advertising from 0.8 to 6.4 by testing various vendors, PPC campaigns and offers, and keywords.
- Worked closely with merchandising, supply chain management, and service teams to ensure site was merchandised correctly and pricing was accurate to ensure optimal online shopping experience.
Here are some other companies and brands I have had the privilege of working for:
Neuralitic, now owned by Guavus, is a start-up company in the Mobile Data Intelligence space. They work with the largest of telecom providers in the world. As Marketing and Communications Manager, I got to understand the intricate telecom market, while also having fun being part of a start-up culture. The new site launch was the funnest part (ok, the espressos were nice too).
Pattison Sign Group is one of the largest sign and visual communication companies in the world, and is an industry leader in North America. With roots dating back over 100 years, Pattison Sign Group meets the needs of any exterior or interior branding program. I helped Pattison re-launch their website and handled all their national marketing and communications.
Ryma Technology Solutions, now a OneDesk company, is a leader in product management – developing and selling processes, expertise and tools that enable their customers to develop better products. At Ryma, I re-launched their website to cater to their new brand, and new brand positioning. We also helped to usher in a new product marketing term – Product Investment Management (PIM).
I have also written for the Montreal Canadiens website. However, since I am a Devils fan, I can’t bring myself to put the CH logo on this site.
For more information on my experience, please visit my LinkedIn Profile.
Board of Directors or Advisors
I have been asked to help out in advisory roles for several organizations and companies. I do so proudly.
Etail Canada, a WBR Research Company
Board of Advisors, 2014 – Present
eCOM MTL (Ecommerce Montreal)
Ambassador, 2015 – Present
Listrak
Customer Advisory Board, 2016 – Present
National Retail Federation (NRF) – Digital Council
Advisory Board, 2017 – 2018
Calgary Marketing Association
Board of Directors, 2017 – Present
Retail Council of Canada (RCC) – Ecommerce Advisory Council
Advisory Board, 2017 – Present
ForeSee
Customer Advisory Board, 2016 – Present
