About Chris Eck

Chris Eck is one of a small group of true experts in the digital media space, recognized as such across the full spectrum of digital marketing/advertising, e-commerce, and social media and with an extensive track record building scalable web, mobile, and responsive website applications. Any business or organization looking to stay connected and grow their business using web/mobile and social media, or any provider of services geared to help them with that would benefit from Chris’ expertise.

Creating and successfully making the business case to senior management and investors for a pure play digital division to operate separately from its parent company, GateHouse Media, Chris took on the challenge to implement the idea as Senior Vice President and General Manager. From this point he took Propel Marketing from a mere concept without a name, location, infrastructure, or employees to a $10 million+ annual revenue operation with more than 150 employees and 8,000 customers in about 1.5 years. He successfully led all aspects of the business including sales, product development, software engineering, operations, finance, marketing, and training, with minimal startup capital and without access to other corporate resources.

Previously as Vice President of Digital for GateHouse Media New England, Chris led his team to overachieve EBITDA targets for 3 years running, by double digit percentages. As Director of Online Sales, he built a $10 million interactive arm for the newly formed media company resulting from acquisition of South Boston Media Group, providing business planning, infrastructure, and technology that enabled efficient support of more than 100 websites and all verticals. He was an integral member of the founding team that developed “Wicked Local,” an award-winning hyper-local network of more than 160 community oriented websites and daily newspaper websites. Building out top-notch sales, operations, development, and product development functions for the division, his region contributed approximately one third of the company’s total digital revenue.

In previous award-winning roles as Online Sales Manager for GateHouse Media and Account Executive for South of Boston Media Group, Chris could be counted upon to meet or exceed all budgeted revenue and customer base targets. His disruptive and innovative strategies drove results such as a one-year 50% increase in online advertisers and a 20% sales increase in just a single year via implementation of a new business platform.

Chris holds a BS in Marketing Communications from Quinnipiac University, where he placed first and second in both Bryant University and Quinnipiac University business plan competitions.

As a sought-after subject matter expert on digital media and business topics, Chris has been a requested speaker at organizations including BIA/Kelsey, the American Press Institute, the New England Newspaper and Press Association, and many others. An active member of the Main Street business community, Chris is a member of BIMA, a participant in his local Chamber of Commerce, and a member of the Board of Directors for the Nancy Williams Memorial Foundation.

When he isn’t living and breathing the rapidly changing digital landscape, Chris can be found outside on the beach, fishing, or on the ocean with his wife Sophia.

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