Mark Greatrex is senior vice president, chief marketing and sales officer for Cox Communications, leading the company’s residential sales team and marketing activities. He joined Cox in 2011, overseeing the company brand, pricing, marketing operations and all sales channels throughout the 18 states in which the company operates.
The NCTA is honoring Greatrex for his instrumental role in the development of marketing approaches that significantly enhance cable’s public image and increase customers.
Under Greatrex’s guidance, Cox immediately created entire new departments dedicated to consumer insights, marketing analytics, base management, retention strategy and segmentation in order to better understand consumer expectations and meet them more efficiently. His commitment to consumer insights paid off when Cox launched its Contour personalized-TV initiative in 2013, emphasizing a holistic customer experience rather than individual products and services.
Greatrex also strengthened the company’s sales culture, establishing centers of excellence and dedicated national leadership for each sales channel. He has helped the company become more consumer-centric and bolder in innovation and marketing, most recently with the rapid launch of Gigablast Internet and an ambitious Gigabit Internet marketing campaign, which is changing consumer perceptions about the Cox brand.
Prior to joining Cox, Greatrex was senior vice president of Global Still Beverages at The Coca-Cola Co., where he was responsible for a $7 billion portfolio of beverages. He pioneered interactive marketing for the company, which included building a global digital platform, developing a mobile marketing strategy and expanding customer relationship management and loyalty areas. His work drove major gains in marketing productivity and built critical new marketing capabilities.
Before Coke, Greatrex was executive vice president of brand marketing at America Online, where he was responsible for marketing AOL’s broadband and dial-up Internet access services for more than 30 million subscribers. Prior to AOL, Mark was a part owner and company officer of Eagle Family Foods, where he led marketing and sales operations for a leveraged buyout. He began his marketing career at Unilever PLC in 1984 and held general management and marketing roles of increasing responsibility during his 16-year career with the company, culminating with his promotion to vice president and general manager of Lipton Tea’s operations in the United States.
Greatrex holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the London School of Economics and a master’s of business administration from New York University’s Leonard Stern Business School. He and his wife, Caroline, have three children: Sean, 23; Julia, 21; and Cami, 17. Greatrex enjoys international adventure travel, road biking, circuit training, skiing, sailing, and finds time to practice yoga each week.
Fun Fact:
In January, Greatrex began a two-year term as chair of the CTAM Board of Directors. He served on the CTAM and MSO co-op boards for nearly four years and was a driving force in CTAM’s TV Everywhere and Cable Mover efforts.
