The finalists for WashingtonExec’s Pinnacle Awards were announced Oct. 8, and we’ll be highlighting some of them until the event takes place virtually Nov. 12.
Next is Marketing Executive of the Year (Large Company) finalist Shab Nassirpour, who’s vice president of marketing and communications at ECS. Here, she talks accomplishments, what has made her succeed and what she is proud of.
What key achievements did you have in 2019/2020?
The last few years been transformative for ECS, which has experienced tremendous growth, both in revenue and delivery of cutting-edge technical solutions. It has been incredibly exciting to be part of this transformation, leading the effort to brand and market our people and capabilities.
Following a brand redesign in 2018, our marketing strategy over the past two years has centered on increasing ECS’ brand recognition, industry reputation and media coverage.
We launched a new website in 2019 with a content strategy focused on highlighting our technology experts, approach to solution delivery and dedication to customer success. Since the launch, we have increased the website audience by 22% and engagement by 24%.
Our social media strategy has also been extremely rewarding, doubling our audience over the last 12 months. Looking to the future, my team will continue to advance growth strategies in digital advertising and new market development.
What has made you successful in your current role?
I work with smart and talented people who have me learning all the time! The marketing team at ECS consistently amazes me with their talent and drive. They are energized by our growth numbers and the opportunity to play on different output channels. They bring me great ideas to test with our audience, as well as new and engaging ways to tell the ECS story. The team has a shorthand and a great deal of respect for each other’s perspectives and areas of expertise.
On the client side, I work with executives and SMEs across our government and commercial divisions. They are highly strategic, technical and methodical. They think fast and talk fast (and often in acronyms). We engage in many conversations around why these projects matter — who they impact, what’s really at stake, how do we make “it” better. These discussions help us move away from acronyms and tech talk, allowing my team to focus on the story of serving people.
Working directly with ECS President George Wilson has also given me valuable insight into business strategy. His experience and focus on company growth — while preserving and enhancing ECS’ great culture — inform my marketing approach both internally and externally.
What are you most proud of having been a part of in your current organization?
I am immensely proud of ECS Cares and ECS Engage, both of which are corporate philanthropy programs managed by the marketing team. These programs allow us to leverage our marketing skills to bring our colleagues together in support of nonprofit organizations in the community.