Chief Digital Officer - Chicago - Brick Executive Search

Description

BRICK EXECUTIVE SEARCH has partnered exclusively with a company that is in the midst of a rapid scaling phase driven by strong demand and operational momentum .

We are searching for a proven digital growth leader with a track record of scaling brands and revenue through data driven strategy, innovation and disciplined execution . This person combines a strategic, entrepreneurial mindset with hands on experience driving eCommerce, performance marketing and customer acquisition at scale.

Summary: The Chief Digital Officer (CDO) is responsible for driving the company's eCommerce revenue growth, profitability, and digital transformation. This role integrates commercial strategy with a strong focus on digital acceleration, customer experience, and innovative technologies that enable scaling. Supporting the Founders and partnering closely with members of the executive leadership team, this leader will design and execute strategies that maximize performance across digital commerce, and emerging platforms. The CDC will ensure the company remains at the forefront of industry innovation, driving customer-centric growth through data-driven insights, digital-first initiatives, and seamless cross-functional collaboration. The CDC will also oversee enterprise data and analytics strategy, ensuring advanced insights, AI applications, and predictive modeling to inform commercial and digital decision-making across all markets.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Commercial Strategy

• Develop and implement an integrated digital commercial strategy spanning eCommerce, marketing, wholesale,with measurable growth objectives.
• Monitor competitive landscape, consumer trends, and disruptive business models to continuously refine go-to-market strategies.
• Drive innovation across divisions to achieve KPIs and long-term growth targets, ensuring profitability through strong financial analysis, forecasting, and P&L management.
• Partner with cross-functional leaders across Finance, Merchandising, VM, and Marketing to align financial, sales, and product strategies, ensuring decisions are informed by 360 customer insights, digital performance data, and real-time analytics across all channels.
• Report key metrics and digital/commercial KPIs to the executive team and board, ensuring transparency, ROI measurement, and data-informed decision-making.

Digital Commerce & Technology

• Develop and lead the digital roadmap, including web optimization, UX design, new digital channel launches, and integration of emerging technologies.
• Oversee digital commerce operations across .com, marketplaces social commerce platforms, driving innovation in customer engagement and conversion optimization.
• Implement best-in-class tools for A/B testing, personalization, and localization to drive scaling/ expansion and enhanced customer experience.
• Define processes for digital assortment, content strategy, and performance reporting to ensure scalability and alignment with growth objectives.
• Partner with Technology and IT teams to ensure alignment on architecture, cybersecurity, data governance, and scalable infrastructure supporting digital initiatives.
• Establish governance for enterprise data, analytics, and AI capabilities, ensuring quality, compliance, and consistency across all systems and business functions.
• Oversee integration of CRM, ERP, and marketing automation systems, ensuring seamless data flow across platforms.
• Champion the adoption of AI and automation capabilities in partnership with IT, ensuring their strategic application to drive efficiency, personalization, and engagement.
• Own vendor and technology partner selection, management, and evaluation, ensuring best-in-class digital capabilities.

Digital Marketing & Customer Experience

• Lead the performance marketing strategy across SEM, SEO, Affiliates, Paid Social, Display, Email/SMS, and new digital platforms, ensuring effective acquisition and retention.
• Allocate and manage performance marketing budgets by channel with KPI-driven forecasting to maximize ROI.
• Build and oversee loyalty, retention, and remarketing programs, ensuring a unified customer experience across all digital and physical channels.
• Leverage consumer analytics, insights, and data mining to refine targeting, personalization, and customer engagement.
• Develop a comprehensive customer lifecycle strategy that maximizes lifetime value (LTV) through segmentation, predictive modeling, and personalization.
• Embed a "test, learn, and scale" culture within marketing and CX teams to accelerate innovation and responsiveness to consumer behavior shifts.

Leadership & Organizational Impact

• Attract, develop, and inspire world-class talent across commercial, digital, and customer experience teams.
• Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and agility that aligns with organizational goals.
• Ensure employees and teams are aligned with a digital-first, customer-centric strategy, embedding technology-driven decision-making throughout the organization.
• Serve as a forward-thinking leader, staying ahead of global retail, digital commerce, and marketing trends to continuously innovate and adapt.
• Drive an inclusive, high-performance culture that values experimentation, accountability, and continuous learning.

Position Requirements:

• 15+ years of progressive leadership in commercial strategy, digital commerce, and global retail.
• Proven track record of developing and executing integrated commercial and digital strategies that accelerate growth.
• Deep expertise in digital marketing, e-commerce management
• Strong financial acumen with experience managing large-scale P&L, forecasting, and revenue optimization.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams and build strong external partnerships.
• Customer-centric mindset with proven success in creating seamless omnichannel experiences.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, and strategic decision-making skills.
• High adaptability to evolving digital tools, platforms, and market trends (expertise in RLM, Salesforce, AWS, ActionIQ, Teamwork, and/or Proximity a plus).
• Experience managing vendor ecosystems, SaaS providers, and digital agencies.
• Strong grasp of data privacy, global compliance, and ethical use of digital technologies.
• Track record of delivering measurable results across digital revenue growth, margin improvement, customer engagement, and ROI
• Demonstrated history of scaling brands