ABOUT ME

MARK HARPER - MANAGEMENT, STRATEGY, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Combat veteran, management executive, Emmy-winning storyteller — I'm Mark Harper. I may have worn a few different hats, but the common thread is simple: using compelling stories to drive results. My background translates into strategic communications, transformative leadership, and the ability to create a genuine impact.

Highlights:

Strategic leader with 20+ years driving revenue growth and brand visibility
George W. Bush Institute Veteran Leadership Program Scholar
Proven success in turnaround situations, transforming a failing digital media brand into a profitable acquisition target
Entrepreneurial spirit: Built a consumer electronics company from the ground up, scaling revenue from $300K to $7M
Resilient problem-solver with combat-tested leadership forged in Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom

EDUCATION

George W. Bush Institute

Dallas, Texas

Veteran Leadership Program Scholar

Stand-To Cohort #4 — Class of 2022

UCLA Anderson School of Management

Los Angeles, California

Masters of Business Administration

Concentration in Entertainment Strategy & Marketing
VP of FEMBA Relations, Entertainment Management Association

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)

Troy, New York

Dual Bachelor of Computer Science & Multimedia Production

Graduated Cum Laude, Deans List
President of Pi Kappa Alpha—won top national/university awards

The Art Institute

Los Angeles, California

Graphic Design

Associates program for Graphic Design and Multimedia Production

EXPERIENCE

2022 - Present

Recurrent Ventures

General Manager

Leads six military digital publisher and event brands — responsible for $10M P&L military & defense portfolio. Oversees business and editorial operations for each brand property as well as performance management and implementation of budgetary, resource, and technical allocation plans. Spearheaded acquisition and integration of We Are The Mighty and Military Influencer companies.

Accomplishments:

Leads six military digital publisher and event brands — responsible for $10M P&L military & defense portfolio
Oversees business and editorial operations for each brand property as well as performance management and implementation of budgetary, resource, and technical allocation plans
Spearheaded acquisition and integration of We Are The Mighty and Military Influencer companies

2014 - 2022

We Are The Mighty

President & CEO

One of the original employees for We Are The Mighty, a military-themed lifestyle brand and digital publisher founded by the former head of MTV Films. The website, YouTube and social media channels deliver content to millions of members of our extended military community each month.

Accomplishments:

Took over as CEO in 2019 and led company from insolvency to profitability and an acquisition in 2022
Grew the company as original hire from a team of four to 20+ FTE
Built a sales book of $3M+ in revenue per year; managed client relations for over 100 brand partners
Executive produced 400+ productions including social, digital series, branded videos, and an Emmy-award winning TV program
Led the editorial, social, and video teams in creation of over 4,000 total pieces of original content
Launched/designed strategy for social footprint — 1.5M Facebook, 110K Instagram and 185K YouTube

2012 - 2014

Audeze

Co-Founder, Chief Marketing Officer

Reported directly to the board, led a team of eight in the development and execution of all corporate marketing activities and sales partnerships. Audeze is a producer of high-end headphones and audio equipment created for the pro and high-touch consumer markets. Headphones actively used in music production by grammy-award winners including Steven Tyler, Macklemore & Lewis and Stevie Wonder.

Accomplishments:

Executed business development effort that resulted in $4.5M investment from global music major
Built Audeze brand from scratch — designed and led brand marketing strategy, positioning, communications, research, customer segmentation/penetration plans and product development/launch initiatives
Led marketing campaigns which resulted in 120 published industry reviews and 16 awards
Boosted company's web traffic 90% and social media following 370% by developing and executing targeted marketing campaigns
Engineered online dealer portal — saved 30 man-hours/week, eliminated order inaccuracies and increased retailer purchases by 23%
Expanded markets to include luxury, military and collegiate segments creating a year one revenue gain of 10%
Produced 13 videos showcasing technology, ambassador interviews, tradeshow participation and manufacturing

2011 - 2012

Technicolor Animation & Gaming

Director of Marketing

Selected to help define new industry business model and lead development of film, television, commercial and videogame marketing campaigns for world leader in CG animation. Top shows produced at Technicolor are Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Kung Fu Panda, both on Nickelodeon. Responsible for pitch decks, campaign strategies and script development. Direct management of global team.

Accomplishments:

Led the development of numerous pitch decks for EA Sports, Rockstar Games, THQ, Activision, Illumination, Nickelodeon, DreamWorks, and Blue Sky Animation
Created and implemented partnership program with academic institutions to search for new animation properties
Spearheaded brand initiatives for internal development properties – assisted in production of animation bibles/books.
Produced animation reels for clients and recruiting videos / materials for potential animation candidates

2010 - 2011

Technicolor

Director of Marketing Project Management

Reported directly to CMO, led team of two in development of global marketing and brand initiatives in support of $3.5B film interactive consumer portfolio. Oversight of more than 19 projects and $2M budget.

Accomplishments:

Produced presentations for the heads of Disney and Warner Bros, ultimately won $750M worth of post-production and packaged media services
Managed portfolio of brands / sub-brands across multiple lines of business for both consumers and partners
Planned and coordinated successful execution of $1.8M production at world’s largest consumer electronics show
Developed strategic industry tracking reports in support of business development – distributed weekly to senior leadership
Drove 35% reduction in video and multimedia collateral production costs producing content in-house (some content found in portfolio below)

2008 - 2009

Paramount Pictures

Interactive Marketing Consultant

Selected for development of film marketing efforts (interactive, experiential, mockumentaries, webisodes, games, websites, and banners) for Paramount Pictures, a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment. Movie campaigns include Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Benjamin Button, Eagle Eye, Tropic Thunder, I Love You Man, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and Star Trek.

Accomplishments:

Led production of a viral Transformers II campaign element resulting in more than 1.2M organic views
Coordinated 19 affiliate website takeovers for Transformers II and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra campaigns
Designed and optimized Eagle Eye flash banner advertisements reaching over 23M impressions
Co-writer and producer of G.I. Joe: The Invasion of Cobra Island viral video campaign

2001 - 2007

USAF - Combat Camera Squadron

Commander - Combat Video

Led squadron of highly trained visual information professionals who deployed to provide documentation of Department of Defense (DoD) wartime and peacetime activities. Direct management and oversight of 153 people, $3M in equipment assets, 24 multimedia productions, capture of global wartime campaigns and internationally recognized footage.

Accomplishments:

Directed DoD imagery gathering teams and developed strategy for 2005/2006 Iraq elections; footage was broadcast over worldwide media outlets including CNN and FOX News
Achieved $106K in annual savings and reduced loop time by 91% through design and implementation of real-time image utility solution
Executive produced 24 interactive multimedia productions showcasing aspects of military exercises, competitions, weapons tests, contingencies, natural disasters, public relations and marketing
Recipient of 13 medals (including combat), awarded Officer of the Year four times

PORTFOLIO

Video productions and Multimedia projects

ALL
AUDEZE
TECHNICOLOR
UCLA ANDERSON
PERSONAL
COMBAT CAMERA

Technicolor Animation Recruiting

Technicolor

Audeze Particles: Visualizing Audio

Audeze

Audeze LCD Woodworking

Audeze

Audeze Ambassador – Liquid Stranger

Audeze

Audeze Ambassador – Alix Perez

Audeze

Audeze at CANJAM 2013

Audeze

Audeze at SXSW 2013

Audeze

Audeze at HIGH END Munich 2013

Audeze

Barbie – A Perfect Christmas Premiere

Technicolor

UCLA Anderson All-Anderson Commercial Challenge 2011

UCLA Anderson

Director Matthew Kallis Interview

Technicolor

Technicolor Sound Facility at Paramount

Technicolor

UCLA Anderson China Trip 2011

UCLA Anderson

UCLA Anderson “Super Bowl Commercial Contest” 2010

UCLA Anderson

DirecTV “Ice Cream” Behind the Scenes

Technicolor

Cobra Gold 2005

COMBAT CAMERA

Tactical Ability to Survive and Operate

COMBAT CAMERA

Air Mobility Command – Rodeo 2005

COMBAT CAMERA

Combat Camera Year in Review - "Your Eyes to the World"

COMBAT CAMERA

JVC – Squadron Mascot

Combat Camera

Flickerball – The Untold Story

Combat Camera

Office Space 6 – Combat Camera

Combat Camera

Short Film - Practical Licensing Exam

Personal

The Squadron (Morale Video)

Combat Camera

Short Film - Double Payment

Personal

Locations I've Worked / Contact Me (Below)