Alejandra Serena Owens

(202) 379-5134 ║ alejandra.owens@gmail.com ║ www.alejandraowens.com

Vice President, Brand & Marketing × CAVA × Washington, D.C. × 2017 – 2018
A high-growth QSR start up expanding from a local to a national brand identified the need for strategic
leadership that would unify siloed marketing functions and achieve business objectives.

• Performed an organizational audit, meeting with leadership from core functions to identify business
needs and gaps in support
• Developed a year-one marketing vision and strategic roadmap, driving focus and integration across
marketing functions
• Restructured 15-person brand and marketing teams to align with needs of the business and drive
outcomes

Vice President, Social Communications × AARP × Washington, D.C. × 2016 – 2017

Led award-winning team of 17 as they raised brand affinity, increased intent to purchase and developed multi-
generational relevancy through full-funnel content marketing across Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn.

• In support of business goals: developed and executed forward-looking multi-year enterprise-wide social
strategy that delivered 6pt increases in brand affinity and intent to purchase among key demographics on
Facebook in year-one.
• Recruited, managed, led and developed a team of 17 including strategists, paid media experts and an
analytics lead
• Led user experience audits that led to the creation of a first-of-its-kind social customer care team
• Collaborated and co-led enterprise initiatives across public relations, public policy, advocacy,
marketing, membership and brand teams.
• Advised and provided strategic oversight of $15mm in direct response advertising through our channels
that increased membership acquisitions by 70% percent year-over-year
• Managed Facebook Preferred Partnership and Google/YouTube Joint Brand Partnership
• Procured and managed external agency with a scope of work totaling $2mm+
• Managed promotional/paid media budget of $3mm

Adjunct Professor, Digital Communications Strategy × Georgetown University × Washington, D.C. × 2016
• Served as Subject Matter Expert in building core curriculum for online digital communications strategy
course materials.
• Taught graduate level digital communications strategy.

Director of Strategy, AARP Studios × AARP × Washington, D.C. × 2014 – 2016

Co-founder and managing executive of AARP Studios, an industry-leading multidisciplinary team of digital
content strategists and video producers supported by analytics, partnerships and paid marketing.

• Oversee implementation of $6.5mm paid media budget and advise execution of media partnership with
Google/YouTube
• Grew total social media engagement from 14.8mm to 40.3mm, with a 187% increase in content shares
from 2014 to 2015
• Drive 37,261 membership acquisitions and renewals, representing a 493% increase in 2015 over 2014;
creating $2.8mm in lifetime value
• Doubled organic reach on Facebook from 37mm to 71mm, resulting in a 92% increase in earned organic
reach valued at $15.9mm
• Visits to AARP.org from social media grew 61% in 2015, including a 56% increase in unique visitors
 • Manage a team of nine individuals and an external agency, as well as relationships with C-Suite
executives, AARP Board, and executive-level peers across the organization

Senior Advisor, Social Communications × AARP × Washington, D.C. × 2013 – 2014

• Supervised a team of seven (including strategists, community managers, social trainer and interns)
through revamped strategies resulting in increased social engagement (42%) and average engagement
(83%) YoY
• Managed AARP Social Communications’ $3mm annual budget including vendor and agency services
• Design and manage AARP’s first social media audit resulting in discovery and evaluation of 550+
branded channels across 7 platforms
• Lead RFP process for social community management agency as well as our social strategy AOR

Managing Director, AARP Blog × AARP × Washington, D.C. × 2008 – 2013

• To further AARP’s business goals of increasing engagement with members, acquire new members, and
drive revenue and impact, grew blog readers and consumption of content (page views, visits & uniques)
by 16,000%+ from 2008 to 2013
• Managed organic and paid distribution of blog content with owned marketing channels and media
partners
• Supervised 40+ writers and freelancers to produce 50 original pieces of content a week

Media Relations Manager × AARP × Washington, D.C. × 2007 – 2011

• Created media relations strategy for the 38-million-member organization’s retirement planning and
financial security issues
• Directed AARP Economic Stimulus strategy and campaign management yielding nearly 100 national
print, TV and radio placements.
• Developed strategic thought leadership plans for AARP executive and leadership team members.
• Provided strategic counsel for legislative, grassroots and special initiatives resulting in more than 1,000
stories earned in state and local media.
• Worked regularly with journalists at national, regional, trade, and local media outlets (traditional and
online).

Account Executive × Levick Strategic Communications × Washington, D.C. × 2005 - 2007

• Executed & managed crisis media relations, corporate relations, branding campaigns, executive
positioning, and rapid response strategy for clients including CITGO, the American Psychological
Association, Spanish-language station TV Azteca/Azteca America, Greenies, in addition to high-crisis
law firms.

Speaking and Media

Experienced lecturer, spokesperson and conference/public speaker:

• Guest lecturer at The George Washington University, Georgetown University, and American University.
• Featured speaker at conferences such as: VMA Media, Social Media Week, Digital Advocacy Institute,
BinderCon and more
• Quoted in Huffington Post, Chronicle of Philanthropy, CQ Roll Call, LeanIn.org, and others.

Education
Master of Science, Public Relations Bachelor of Arts, Mexican American Studies
Boston University, 2005 The University of Arizona, 2004