Lydia S.

Experience

• A New Thing Coaching & Consulting, LLC

  Fractional Head of Marketing @ Black Opal Beauty

  Oct 2025 - Present

  • Senior marketing leader overseeing brand, integrated marketing, paid media, creative, CRM/loyalty & digital ecosystem strategy.
  • Drove a 42% lift in sales + 50%+ engagement increase with the “12 Days of BLK Skin” campaign — the brand’s strongest digital performance of the year.
  • Built & launched the brand’s first loyalty program, including tier design, messaging, CRM automation & retention strategy.
  • Directed creative production (photo/video), content architecture & full-funnel campaign development.
  • Modernized DTC site experience & messaging to improve conversion and strengthen brand expression.
  • Led paid media (Meta, Google, influencer) to drive acquisition & full-funnel performance across channels.
  • Operate as Fractional Head of Marketing, aligning product, creative, and executive leadership around growth priorities
• 

  The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business

  Adjunct Professor - Graduate Programs

  Aug 2025 - Present

  • Teach graduate coursework on leadership, cultural intelligence, and organizational strategy—bridging academic frameworks with real-world business application through high-impact discussion and keynote-style instruction.
  • Developed curriculum integrating organizational culture, leadership dynamics, and change management, preparing emerging leaders to operate effectively in diverse, complex business environments.

• A New Thing Coaching & Consulting, LLC

  Founder, Chief Growth Catalyst

  Apr 2025 - Present

  • http://anewthingllc.com/
  • A New Thing is a consultancy providing brand strategy, integrated marketing, and fractional executive leadership for companies at the intersection of tech, commerce & culture
  • Lead brand strategy, marketing transformation, and growth planning for scaling brands and VC/PE-backed companies.
  • Provide Fractional CMO / Head of Brand support, leading creative, content, digital, media, and go-to-market execution.
  • Develop culturally fluent strategies rooted in consumer behavior, audience segmentation & cultural insight.
  • Build digital ecosystems (DTC, CRM/loyalty, content systems, social, paid media) to drive engagement and conversion.
  • Serve as a strategic advisor and executive coach to leaders navigating growth, clarity & high-stakes decision-making.
  • Fractional Head of Marketing (Black Opal Beauty via A New Thing, LLC)| October 2024 – Present | Remote
  • Senior marketing leader overseeing brand, integrated marketing, paid media, creative, CRM/loyalty & digital ecosystem.
  • Drove 42% sales lift + 50%+ engagement increase with “12 Days of BLK Skin” campaign.
  • Built & launched Black Opal’s first loyalty program with CRM automation & retention strategy.
  • Directed creative production (photo/video), content architecture & full-funnel campaign development.
  • Modernized DTC site experience & messaging to improve conversion.
  • Led paid media (Meta, Google, influencer) to strengthen acquisition & performance.
• 

  Victoria’s Secret & Co.

  VP Inclusive Marketing & Chief Diversity Officer

  Jun 2021 - Jan 2025

  • Led brand transformation and integrated marketing initiatives during a pivotal repositioning—shaping national campaigns, media resonance, partnerships, and enterprise strategy.
  • Drove a 5% lift in multicultural market share by modernizing brand voice and strengthening audience segmentation across campaigns.
  • Unlocked $1M+ in new partnership-driven business and increased external engagement 25% through ecosystem expansion and strategic external alignment.
  • Influenced integrated media strategy to ensure national campaigns tapped cultural trends, diverse creators & emerging audience behaviors.
  • Directed high-impact campaigns (Love Cloud, Adaptive, Nude Expansion) generating global press, NYFW visibility & improved sentiment + engagement.
  • Championed AI-driven digital representation tools with Digital, Engineering & UX, elevating onsite experience and brand expression.
  • Led cross-functional alignment with Creative, Product, Merchandising, Finance & Insights to connect storytelling to audience growth + P&L goals.
  • Represented the company through high-visibility speaking, panels & media engagements.
• 

  Victoria’s Secret & Co.

  Chief Diversity Officer & VP Inclusive Marketing

  Jun 2021 - Jan 2025

  • Chief Diversity Officer & VP Inclusive Marketing |
  • Led global enterprise-wide DEI strategy, inclusive marketing, and cross-functional execution for $6.8B fashion retailer with 30,000+ employees across retail, corporate, and distribution operations.
  • Delivered measurable business impact: Achieved 38% increase in employee engagement, generated $1M+ in new supplier partnerships, and drove revenue growth through multicultural marketing strategy targeting Black and
  • Hispanic consumers
  • Spearheaded breakthrough campaigns: Love Cloud campaign featuring 18 diverse models (including brand's first with Down syndrome), earning global press coverage and transforming brand sentiment
  • Launched industry-first initiatives: Created adaptive lingerie line, expanded nude color ranges, and launched supplier diversity program through 15 Percent Pledge partnership
  • Advised C-suite leadership: Developed strategic roadmaps for CEO and Board of Directors, embedded DEI accountability across executive performance management, and published inaugural ESG report
• 

  Kohl's

  Director, Diversity & Inclusion

  May 2019 - May 2021

  • Led enterprise-wide DEI strategy and execution for 85,000+ employee retail organization, driving workforce diversity and multicultural market expansion.
  • Transformed talent pipeline: Delivered most ethnically diverse internship class in company history through comprehensive recruiting strategy and strategic university partnerships
  • Drove business growth: Designed multicultural marketing strategy resulting in 20% increase in diverse customer segment engagement and market expansion
  • Built organizational capability: Established Business Resource Group governance framework, led D&I Council & D&I Task Force with executive leadership to embed inclusive practices across operations, and founded the
  • Diversity Design Council, a group of associates that work together to develop, purchase, and curate products that reflect diversity through new processes for targeting and delivering meaningful products and relevant
  • marketing to diverse customers while promoting business growth
• 

  Northwestern Mutual

  Assistant Director, Multicultural Market Strategy, Diversity & Inclusion

  Jan 2016 - May 2019

  • Expanded market reach: Owned strategic initiatives increasing multicultural client acquisition by 30% and diverse financial representative retention
  • Enhanced training effectiveness: Designed multicultural market training programs resulting in 20% increase in business training sessions company-wide
  • Improved field performance: Created first-ever field-led webinar series addressing productivity challenges, increasing success rates for diverse representatives by 25%
• 

  Social X MKE, LLC

  Director of Business Development

  Sep 2013 - Feb 2017

  • Social X social oasis for young, diverse professionals and millennials in the Greater Milwaukee area; We engage young talent to flourish thus creating opportunities to build relationships, improve net-worth and fall in
  • love with the city over-and-over again. We are the gambit for corporations and organizations to retain, recruit and rouse young talent by creating value in what the city has to offer.
  • Through out-of-the-box event concepts and experiences, Social X brings the best out of the YUPs niche group and offers a whole new social perspective and way of thinking that is typically seen in major markets in such
  • cities like DC, NYC, LA, ATL and CHI.
  • As Director of Business Development my key role is to identify business opportunities for the company while nurturing potential client relationships.
  • Manage specific corporate and nonprofit programs related to talent recruitment and retention
  • Create marketing strategies for new services
  • Develop and oversee Social X's Advisory Council
  • Monitor environment for development of new market segments and business opportunities to ensure the organization remains current with industry trends, maintains competitive market position, and enhances fiscal growth
  • Build relationships, deliver presentations, manage negotiations, and close deals with prospective clients, corporate, and community supporters
  • Visit us at http://socialxmke.com/
• 

  GE HealthCare

  Various Leadership Roles

  Jan 2009 - Dec 2015

  As a leading global medical technology and digital solutions innovator, GE HealthCare enables clinicians to make faster, more informed decisions through intelligent devices, data analytics, applications and services, supported by its Edison intelligence platform.

  • Managed marketing programs contributing 10% YOY growth, resulting in $7.6M revenue increase.
  • Led IT simplification initiatives reducing project cycle time by 10% and approval processes by 75%.
  • Increased underrepresented minorities in IT programs by 50% with 90% conversion rate.
  • Completed rotational leadership development program as ITLP Program Graduate (2009-2011).