Member Spotlight: Lindsay Hall

Lindsay Hall, MBA '08

Director of Relationship Marketing, International Speedway Corporation

Why did you select the DePaul MBA program and what was your emphasis of study?

I chose DePaul because of the variety of marketing concentrations offered in the MBA program. My entire career has been in marketing and I knew that I wanted and needed to hone my skills and knowledge base as well as update my education to new practices that had come about since my undergraduate concentration. The part-time program was exactly what I needed!

What is your experience working in brand?

At Sanford, my last position was brand manager for Sharpie, where I managed the highlighter business and was primarily responsible for developing and executing annual marketing and product development strategy and plans. 

What is your current position?

I am the director of relationship marketing at International Speedway Corporation (ISC) in Daytona Beach. During the MBA program—surrounded with professionally minded individuals, like everyone else—I started asking myself questions about the direction of my career and what, in my previous experience, did I enjoy most about working in the marketing field. My passion for being on the sponsorship side of the NASCAR sport was a small piece of my job that I truly enjoyed. Before my final semester at DePaul, I started networking to understand where someone with my professional background and experience might best fit into the sport. I came across the position at ISC and it truly could not be a better fit. My position focuses on customer relationship management (CRM), which is a segment of marketing I had not experienced. This position has been a learning experience, and so exciting, because I am learning something new in an industry I love.

What advice can you offer MBA students who want to move into brand?

Start wherever you can to get into the door; I think internships are the best way. I was very lucky to be offered a position in product management from an internship during my undergraduate program. From there, my experiences built across companies. The skills that you learn being a brand manager will transfer across many products and services. Now, I am building brands for the racetracks that my company owns, operates and manages.

Also, use your network of connections (and LinkedIn) to ask people about what they do and what they like and dislike about their jobs/careers. It will help you understand more about where you might best fit. And, I know this sounds cliche, but follow your dreams and know what makes you happy. It may take several years to get there, but with an end goal in mind, the steps you take in your career should lead you there.

What was your favorite MBA class and why?

I really enjoyed Internet Marketing with Professor James Moore that I took my last quarter. It was a class that focused on elements of marketing that I had not touched with my last position and it really opened my eyes to the possibilities of social media and online marketing. It was one of my last classes and I am using much of what I learned in my job today.