Susan Avarde

Business leader, Business mentor, Change Agent, Connector, Entrepreneur, Finance professional, Idea generator, Marketer, Parent

Susan oversees brand strategy and advertising for Citi. A senior marketer with a track record of quality and invention which drives growth. Introducing the "Citi" logo and MasterBrand strategy in 1998 during a time of significant transformation she has focused on improving the customer experience through design, culture change and communications. Advertising which expresses empathy & wins awards, interiors which improve experience, product names which enhance a broader contemporary brand personality and business models which drive growth. Prior to joining Citi Susan partnered on the reinvention that led to the creation of Accenture, Lucent and "greening" of BP. She draws from experience in all regions of the world and has worked in most countries in many categories: media, travel, health care, retail, fashion, manufacturing and professional services. She was an attendee at the 2011 White House luncheon hosted by Michelle Obama honoring the Best American Designers. She is a board member of the (AEF) Advertising Educational Foundation, an AIGA judge for Corporate Brand. Harvard Business School has written 2 cases on her work. She lectures at Yale, Columbia, The Conference Board and (MSI) Marketing Science Institute. Was a judge for "HP's Circle" Annual Marketing Awards. Contributes to various books on ROI and marketing. She is on the board of Peace Direct an NGO to support conflict conflict resolution.Ran her own company in London and has made her home on three continents. Susan is strongly orientated to think through all she does in the light of how it works for people - whether it is a million people at once or one at a time. This human - centric approach is fundamental to what drives her work. Specialties:Marketing strategy, innovation, advertising, design, communications, global/local leadership, research & metrics, new product development and planning.

Holding a vision and actualizing it in a large global organization. Nurturing agencies and media partners to growing their talents and their businesses, not just regarding them as vendors.

New credit ratings based on risk profiles not spend profiles.

Advertising, Branding, Communciations, Culture, Design and Research, Interiors and Architecture, media, Sponsorships

First encountered TED when the founder Richard Saul Wurman was presented an award by Michael Beirut in 2000. And was delighted to see TED honored this year at the National Design Awards. Have watched and recommended multiple talks.

Drawing and Ice-skating.