CHRISTINE SLOCUMB:
 
CHRISTINE SLOCUMB




 
 
 
 
 
Founder and Principal of Clarity Quest Marketing in Ann Arbor. Slocumb has worked with technology firms on marketing strategy, business planning, and marketing implementation, drawing from her own background in technology. She holds eight U.S. patents in semiconductor design and processing. Slocumb has more than 15 years of marketing, business development, and product management experience at Fortune 50 and startup firms. Numerous Clarity Quest clients have received leading industry analyst awards as a direct result of her marketing efforts. After founding the company in 2001, she moved it from Seattle to Ann Arbor in 2006. Formerly the director of marketing for Tangis Corp., Slocumb launched the company’s first two products and positioned the firm for sale to Corena Group Ltd. Prior to joining Tangis, she led product development and marketing activities at Microvision Inc., spearheading the company's first product launch. Her career started at Motorola Inc., where she assumed roles of increasing responsibility in the semiconductor and software sectors. Her experience spans multiple industries, including medical devices, mobile application software, wireless infrastructure, displays, and microprocessors. She received a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Villanova University and her MBA from Western International University.


WHERE BORN: "Westwood, New Jersey."

MOST INFLUENTIAL PERSONS: "I started the business after hearing Tom Peters speak in person. He inspired me in to get out of corporate America and figure out what I want to do with my life. My husband went back to medical school at age 36. He has taught me to take all kinds of risks with my business."

LAST BOOK READ: "Presentation Zen by Garr Reynolds."

WORDS THAT DESCRIBE ME: "Down to earth, good mixture of creative and super-organized."

WHERE MY FIELD/INDUSTRY IS HEADED: "Marketing in general and especially online marketing is turning from a process where we used to yell for attention to much more of a conversation and dialog with prospective customers. Now you start a dialog with thousands of people and maybe only 10 percent will buy it but they’ll be loyal. In business-to-business, it’s technology-driven, going to word-of-mouth and conversational style."

FAVORITE TECHNOLOGICAL GADGET: "Mio, a GPS system in my car. It’s a great little gadget."

FAVORITE PLACE: "San Juan Islands in the Pacific Northwest."

FAVORITE HOBBIES: "I love to paddle. I’m a big kayaker. Also hiking and snowshoeing. I’m pretty outdoorsy. And photography."

FAVORITE FOOD: "Sushi."

MY HIDDEN TALENT: "I led orca whale-watching tours one summer."

HOW I WANT TO BE REMEMBERED: "I live by the philosophy that you can’t make all the people happy all the time, but you can be fair and just."

Grant Thornton Website At the annual awards reception in April 2009, one Leader & Innovator from the previous 12 months will be selected as the Grant Thornton Leader & Innovator of the Year.