Mara joined Brunswick in 2015 after serving as the Global Head of Research and Brand Strategy at Las Vegas Sands (LVS), where she built and led a cohesive international team and served as an internal advisor to global marketing, corporate communications, investor relations, and human resources.
Prior to her time in the hospitality and gaming industry, Mara worked for Altria Group. There, she headed multiple studies to support the Marlboro brand strategy and conducted extensive message testing to ensure compliance with newly enacted FDA regulations. She started her career at R&R Partners, where she provided consumer insight to inform the destination marketing strategies for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority; and conducted testing and tracking for the “What Happens Here, Stays Here” advertising campaign.
Mara earned her MBA from the University of Pittsburgh and holds an undergraduate degree in Social Work. In her early career, she worked for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center focusing on social science research. She is an active member of the Advisory Board for the University of Texas at Arlington, MSMR Program and the incoming President of the Insights Association Southwest Chapter.
In the business world, we spend a lot of time talking amongst ourselves about ourselves. It is vital that we listen to the perspectives of our consumers and stakeholders to make truly informed decisions.